Rabz Maxwane scored a brace of tries as a 14-man Lions outfit kept their Vodacom URC playoff hopes alive with a bonus-point win against the Glasgow Warriors in Joburg on Saturday.
Leading 8-7 at half time, the Lions scored five tries in the second 40 minutes while replacement playmaker Sanele Nohamba notched 16 points to claim a 44-21 victory at Ellis Park in the penultimate round of the league phase in the URC.
The result left Ivan van Rooyen’s charges in ninth position on the overall standings and level on points (49) with eighth-placed Benetton before the last match of this weekend’s action.
Emirates @LionsRugbyCo at their best 🤌@Vodacom #URC | #LIOvGLA pic.twitter.com/JTABHld1b1
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Substitute loose forward Ruan Venter received a straight red card for a head-on-head collision on flyhalf Tom Jordan inside the opening stanza, after an earlier yellow card for an off-the-ball incident.
Despite a late injury withdrawal for skipper Marius Louw and untimely departure of flanker Emmanuel Tshituka, the Lions held the slender advantage at the interval, courtesy of an excellent finish from Maxwane and a Jordan Hendrikse penalty.
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The Lions have been unleashed 🦁@Vodacom #URC | #LIOvGLA pic.twitter.com/hD6FDRItFU
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Glasgow drew first blood inside the first quarter after left winger Kyle Rowe crossed the whitewash. Scrumhalf George Horne added the extras, but the visitors failed to make their numerical advantage count, even against 13 men following a yellow card for Lions No 8 Francke Horn before the break.
Tries from Maxwane, winger Edwill van der Merwe and flanker JC Pretorius and three conversions from Nohamba after the restart cancelled out Euan Ferrie’s early touchdown.
Nohamba and Hanru Sirgel dotted down either side of a Josh McKay touchdown to add the finishing touches to an emphatic result for the Lions.
The Lions will have a week’s break before bringing the curtain down on their regular season with a trip to Cape Town on 1 June to face the DHL Stormers.
Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images