Despite being shown a deck of cards, the Lions scalped Glasgow Warriors in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship at Ellis Park on Saturday.
Trailing in the opening minutes, the Lions roared back into the game with five tries to beat Glasgow 35-24 and pick up the bonus point in Johannesburg.
The visitors came out firing in the opening minutes as Glasgow winger Elias Caven scored on debut to give the Scots the early lead.
.@GlasgowWarriors take an early lead with well worked lineout ?#LIOvGLA | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/YbG3XSLLED
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 25, 2023
But the next 20 minutes belonged to the hosts as they ran in three tries through scrumhalf Sanele Nohamba, returning No 8 Francke Horn and centre Manuel Rass, with Gianni Lombard adding two conversions.
Horn turns on the gas for the Emirates @LionsRugbyCo ?♂️#LIOvGLA | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/jlH0DpJwSf
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 25, 2023
Things got worse for Glasgow as No 8 Sione Vailanu saw yellow for a cynical side entry before the Lions picked up the bonus-point try through winger Edwill van der Merwe.
Determined to close the deficit, Glasgow wing Cole Forbes finished a well-deserved try with flyhalf Tom Jordan adding the extras, but the Lions scored last in the first half as a Lombard penalty extended the hosts’ lead to 27-14 heading into the break.
.@GlasgowWarriors claw one back straight from the restart!#LIOvGLA | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/MTFp0WLlFT
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 25, 2023
A 48th-minute yellow card to Van der Merwe, for ripping the ball on the ground, did little to deter the hosts as lock Ruan Venter bagged the fifth try with 30 to go.
The Lions went down to 13 men when Quan Horn was sent to the bin for a deliberate knockdown in the lead-up to Jordan’s try for Glasgow.
Tom Jordan breaks the line with a great pass and scores for @GlasgowWarriors ?#LIOvGLA | @Vodacom #URC | #UnitedWeRise pic.twitter.com/fEOVNMB4b8
— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) February 25, 2023
With Van der Merwe back on, Glasgow replacement flanker Thomas Gordon scored the next try to ensure an exciting finish to the game, but the Lions were down to 13 again moments later when prop Ruan Dreyer received a red for a dangerous cleanout.
Impressive defence, alongside a 75th-minute penalty from Lombard, did the trick for the Lions as they kept out a relentless Glasgow attack to secure a 35-24 victory.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images