Tenacious Lions overcome Ospreys

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The Lions climbed out of an 11-point hole to upset Ospreys in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship match in Swansea on Saturday night.

After falling short in their campaign opener against the Vodacom Bulls last week, the Lions launched a three-match European tour with a win as they clinched a 28-27 victory in Swansea.

Ospreys led for the majority of the contest, but the Lions displayed real guts and grit to claw their way back into the match and then gain the lead before excellent discipline on defence kept the hosts at bay.

The Lions started the first half with gusto, launching attack after attack, but Ospreys turned defence into points and raced to a commanding, early lead through two tries from winger Keelan Chiles.

A try from Lions No 8 Francke Horne and scoreboard pressure from the boot of Gianni Lombard steered the visitor’s to within five points, but a strike from Ospreys scrumhalf Rhys Webb extended their lead to nine points before a 38th-minute penalty from Lombard settled the halftime score at 19-13 in favour of the hosts.

Lions scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba made the best of the opportunity presented after his opposite number had a lapse in concentration, gathering a loose ball to go in for the first score of the second-half, bringing the visitors within a point, but it was short-lived as Ospreys replacement hooker Dewi Lake crashed over the whitewash.

The Lions’ determination to stay in the fight paid off when winger Edwill van der Merwe scored with 10 minutes to go, Lombard’s subsequent conversion giving the tourists a one-point lead. And despite the best efforts of Ospreys’ attacking intentions to march up the field to win the game, the Lions defended patiently and vigorously, rewarded with a breakdown penalty that sealed their first victory of the season.

Photo: Twitter/@URC_OfficialRSA

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Rienk De Beer