In a pulsating clash at Nelspruit Rugby Club on Saturday, August 16, the Fidelity ADT Lions secured a dramatic 36-35 victory over the Airlink Pumas.

The first half of the Carling Currie Cup match was a try fest, with both teams exchanging blows.

The Pumas opened the scoring in the 13th minute through Ruwald van der Merwe, who barged through a gap in the Lions’ defence for a try.

Danrich Visagie kicked the conversion.

The Lions attacked from the restart and Kelly Mpeku sidestepped four defenders to score a try. Lubabalo Dobela converted.

Ten minutes later Angelo Davids put the Lions in the lead after numerous phases of attack in the Pumas’ 22m area.

Dobela added the two points.

The Pumas added two further tries from Ross Braude, who brushed off the last defender, and Darren Adonis who collected a pinpoint-accurate kick from Sango Xamlashe. Visagie converted both.

The Lions ensured a 21-21 half-time score after Renzo du Plessis barged over, and Dobela slotted the conversion.

The teams were evenly matched in the first half. Both were full of running, much to the delight of a packed Nelspruit Rugby Club.

The Lions’ game plan was far better executed in the second half. Their playing structure tightened and they controlled the third quarter of play.

They regained the lead through a Dobela penalty goal early in the half.

Former Laerskool Laeveld and Hoërskool Bergvlam pupil, Dylan Sjöblom, found himself with ball in hand and a huge gap in the Pumas’ defence ahead.

The big man showed remarkable speed over 30m to score a try, which Dobela converted.

Du Plessis got his second try with a sprint down the right touch line, with Dobela adding two more points via a conversion.

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With the Lions in a 15-point lead and time running out, the Pumas looked like they would not add to their tally of log points.

But they were not about to let their fans, who were braaiing around the perimeter of the field and on the stand, down.

They threw everything at the visitors and were rewarded with a try.

A signature penalty into touch, line-out and maul ended in a five-pointer by Jan-Henning Campher. Visagie was dead-eyed with the conversion attempt.

The hooter sounded with the Pumas earning a four-try bonus point – but they were not done yet. The Pumas camped in the Lions’ 22m area well after official playing time was up.

They were awarded numerous penalties, which they booted into touch, but the Lions’ defence held.

Some four minutes after the hooter, Tiaan Pretorius went over on the right touch line to earn his team’s second bonus point, for losing by less than seven points.

Visagie’s conversion attempt would not make a difference in the match, but would narrow the Pumas’ log points differential by two points.

The fly half nailed the ball through the uprights from a difficult angle, much to the delight of the braai brigade to his right.

It was a game of tight margins as there were plenty moments throughout the match that could have gone either way.

But the Lions were deserving victors. They made good use of the home team’s defensive errors, but these were created by fast and slick play of the team from Joburg.

With the single-round competition now past the halfway stage, the Toyota Cheetahs have moved into pole position with 16 league points, the same amount as second-placed Sanlam Boland Kavaliers, who have a slightly weaker points differential.

The Suzuki Griquas and the Lions each have 15 points and three wins to their credit – the same number of victories as the Cheetahs and Boland – and round out the top four teams with three rounds left to play.

The top four are followed by the Pumas (13 points), Vodacom Bulls (10), and DHL WP and the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV, who both have a single point and are still winless after four rounds.

The Airlink Pumas will host Boland at Mbombela Stadium at 17:00 tomorrow, Friday, August 22.