Henco van Wyk and Edwill van der Merwe each scored a brace of tries as the Lions thrashed Zebre Parma in the Vodacom URC in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Van Wyk and Van der Merwe dotted down either side of the break for the Lions while Sanele Nohamba kicked 14 points in a 61-19 bonus-point win at Ellis Park, following a round 5 defeat to Ulster in Belfast last week.
The hosts were 19-0 up by the close of the first quarter after tries from wingers Van der Merwe and Richard Kriel and an impressive finish from No 8 Francke Horn, with Nohamba on song with two conversions, before fullback Quan Horn dotted down to secure the bonus point in the 29th minute.
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Francke Horn bends it like Beckham 😍@Vodacom #URC | #LIOvZEB pic.twitter.com/3nOj4TT3sZ
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) November 25, 2023
With Ivan van Rooyen’s charges looking like they would run away with the match before the close of the opening 40 minutes, the visitors rallied to score a well-worked try from left winger Simone Gesi.
Flyhalf Giovanni Montemauri added the extras, but the Lions piled the pressure back on after outside centre Van Wyk soared over to add his name to the scoresheet.
Gesi ran a great line to get on the end of No 15 Lorenzo Pani’s grubber and double his tally soon after the restart, but Van Wyk showed incredible power and pace for his second of the match with 30 minutes left to play.
Zebre speedster Jacobo Trulla and Lions scrumhalf Morne van den Berg dotted down following a flurry of substitutions from both teams midway through the second stanza, with Van der Merwe and flanker Emmanuel Tshituka completing the rout – and replacement forward Willem Alberts’ conversion on the hooter the cherry on the cake for the men in red.
The Lions will now refocus for a visit from Welsh outfit Dragons next Saturday.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images