URC result: Lions first half show mauls Edinburgh

A brilliant first half performance from the Lions saw them run in five unanswered tries which set them up for a thumping 54-17 bonus point United Rugby Championship (URC) win over Edinburgh at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Scottish visitors put in a much-improved effort in the second half, and managed to dot down three times, but the Lions matched them, hitting back every time Edinburgh scored, to eventually bring up their half century at the end.

The result lifts the Lions back up the log ahead of the Bulls and Connacht, and firmly brings them into range of the URC top four.

At the start of the match Edinburgh got off to a decent start, but some strong defence from the Lions allowed them to take the lead in the sixth minute.

Early Lions score

The attack started in their own 22m, where the ball went through the hands, flank Siba Mahashe found captain Francke Horn, who broke down the middle of the first and offloaded to lock Ruan Venter to rumble over for the converted try.

The Lions then blitzed Edinburgh with a superb three try burst in seven minutes to emphatically pull away.

First in the 19^th minute a few penalties allowed the Lions to kick to the corner, secure the ball from the lineout and set the maul, with Horn breaking off and diving over to score and go 14-0 up.

Straight from the kick-off the Lions attacked and broke up the field through prop SJ Kotze, with the ball then going through the hands and ending with lock Darrien Landsberg as he sprinted over for the try.

In the 26^th minute the Lions attacked from a goal line drop out, Venter made the half break and found flyhalf Chris Smith, and he drew the last defender before putting scrumhalf Morne van den Berg away for a try in his 100^th international game for the franchise.

At the end of the half eighthman Horn was given a yellow card for cynical play in the red zone, and Edinburgh tried to take advantage by setting a few scrums and attacking off them, only to be thwarted by some great defence from the Lions, who eventually won the ball at the breakdown.

But despite time being up they took a quick tap on their own 5m and attacked, breaking away down the field, going through hands until inside centre Bronson Mills finished things off, with Smith slotting his fifth straight conversion to give them a 35-0 lead at the break.

Edinburgh hit back

Edinburgh had to get off to a good start in the second half, and that they did after some good pressure in the Lions 22m finally told, as from a 5m lineout they set the maul and rumbled over for prop Ewan Ashman to dot down in the 49^th minute.

But five minutes later the Lions hit back, as they again broke from their own 22m and worked their way into the visitors 22m, where a sublime cross kick from fullback Quan Horn found wing Angelo Davids in the corner to dot down, making it 42-5.

The back and forth half continued in the 62^nd minute as Edinburgh kicked themselves back into the Lions 22m, where from the lineout they set the maul but were stopped, before recycling the ball and eventually flank Freddy Douglass forced his way over for the try.

But the Lions responded again five minutes later, from a good attack in Edinburgh’s half Mills sent a brilliant grubber into the corner where Davids chased hard to pick up and score, with Smith’s extras putting them 49-10 ahead.

Edinburgh got their third try of the game in the 72^nd minute, as outside centre Matt Currie hit a gap in the Lions half and ran away for the converted try.

The home side then capped off a fantastic performance with a try at the death, attacking off a lineout and getting close for replacement scrumhalf Haashim Pead to snipe over.

Scorers

Lions: Tries – Ruan Venter, Francke Horn, Darrien Landsberg, Morne van den Berg, Bronson Mills, Angelo Davids (2), Haashim Pead; Conversions – Chris Smith (7)

Edinburgh: Tries – Ewan Ashman, Freddy Douglas, Matt Currie; Conversion – Cammy Scott