The Lions have responded well to a poor start to the season with two bonus point home wins, and they will take heart from an impressive showing against Ulster.
The Lions produced their best performance of the season to clinch a superb 49-31 bonus point win over high flying Ulster in their United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.
It was a fantastic showing from the hosts, who went into the game with just one win from four, an unconvincing home triumph over bottom feeding Scarlets in their last outing, but they turned it on in style against the Irish side, outscoring them seven tries to five in an entertaining encounter.
It was Ulster’s first loss of the season after winning their opening three games, including an impressive win over a Springbok laden Sharks in Durban, but they came up short against an inspired Lions team that fought back from a halftime deficit to comfortably win.
Cracking start
The match got off to a cracking start with three tries scored in the first 10 minutes, as both teams went hammer and tongs from the first whistle.
The first was for the hosts as in just the second minute they kicked a penalty into Ulster’s 22m and attacked off the lineout, a couple of phases later soft hands from prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye found fellow front rower SJ Kotze to smash through and go over for the converted score.
Ulster hit straight back as they started an attack in their own half, wing Rob Baloucoune ran the perfect line, slicing through a big hole in the Lions defence, stepped the last defender scored, with scrumhalf Nathan Doak levelling the scores after six minutes.
But the Lions were back ahead three minutes later, as they attacked off a big scrum on the Ulster 22m, the ball was eventually swung wide where fullback Quan Horn popped an offload to wing Eduan Keyter to reach over and dot down, with flyhalf Chris Smith adding the extras for a 14-7 lead.
Keyter thought he was in for his second in the 16th minute, after running a great line off a lineout on the halfway to cut through the Ulster defence and run away to score, but the TMO caught a forward pass from Smith in the build-up, and the try was chalked off.
Level scores
In the 24th minute Ulster levelled the scores in controversial fashion, with them on penalty advantage in the Lions 22m, they chipped the ball for centre James Hume to catch and score, and although the player didn’t look convinced after it seemed he dropped it, and the replays seemed inconclusive, the try eventually stood.
Two minutes later the Lions were hit by another controversial call, Ntlabakanye yellow carded for a high tackle, despite the Ulster player being tackled into him.
However the Lions saw out the 10 minutes a player down well, even taking the lead in the 33rd minute with a Smith penalty.
Ulster then finished the half strong, Baloucoune finishing off an attack in the Lions 22m with an unconverted score in the corner to give them a 19-17 lead.
The Lions got off to a great start in the second half, attacking straight into the Ulster 22m, and after a period of pressure loose forward Ruan Venter bashed his way over for the try.
Smith added the extras, and then banged over a long range penalty, from the halfway in the 50th minute, as the Lions moved 27-19 lead.
Baloucoune hattrick
But two minutes later Ulster cut the deficit, as the lethal Baloucoune was in for his hattrick at the corner, but Doak’s missed conversion left them three points adrift.
That allowed the Lions to go more than a score ahead again in the 61st minute, as on attack in the Ulster 22m, powerful replacement loose forward Renzo du Plessis received the ball, powered through a few tackle attempts and went over for the converted score.
Ulster were right back in the contest in the 67th minute, attacking from a maul in the Lions 22m, with flank David McCann forcing his way over from close range, replacement back Jake Flannery added the extras to make it 34-31.
The back and fourth half continued four minutes later, Lions centre Henco van Wyk hitting a short pass in the Ulster 22m to go over for an unconverted try to extend their lead to eight points.
The Lions then finished things off with a flourish, replacement prop Conrad van Vuuren powering over for two close range tries in the final five minutes to make it a convincing win in the end.
Scorers
Lions: Tries – SJ Kotze, Eduan Keyter, Ruan Venter, Renzo du Plessis, Henco van Wyk, Conrad van Vuuren (2); Conversions – Chris Smith (4); Penalty – Smith
Ulster: Tries – Rob Baloucoune (3), James Hume, David McCann; Conversions – Nathan Doak (2), Jake Flannery
