Lions cling on at Kings Park

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The Lions held on to deny a young Sharks XV in their 2024 Currie Cup opener in Durban on Friday night.

Second-half tries from loose forward Jarod Cairns and replacement hooker Morne Brandon helped the Lions come from a half-time deficit to claim a 26-25 win at Kings Park.

A scrappy first half saw the Sharks go into the break 10-8 ahead, thanks to unconverted tries from wing Jaco Williams and lock Le Roux Roets.

However, the Lions fought back in the second half and were 26-20 up going into the final 10 minutes. The Sharks piled the pressure on and thought they had scored the winning try when captain Nick Hatton broke the Lions defence in the last minute, but veteran flyhalf Lionel Cronje missed his conversion.

Earlier in the day, 2022 champions the Pumas kickstarted the Currie Cup with a thrilling 44-24 victory over Griquas in Kimberley.

Photo: Steve Haag/Gallo Images

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