Cheetahs caught by Lions

The Lions upstaged the fancied Cheetahs with a 23-22 win in their opening match in the Super 14 in Bloemfontein on Saturday.

It was a game with lots of excitement, even though the error rate and the penalty/free-kick count would be of some concern to the coaching staff of both teams.

The Cheetahs were in control in the first half, and certainly the first 20 minutes, taking a 19-13 lead at the break.

However, the Lions showed greater composure in the second period and started using their creative outside backs and strong-running midfielders to stretch a heavy Cheetahs pack - eventually finding a gap for a crucial score.

Early try

The Cheetahs needed just over a minute to open the scoring, with Meyer Bosman showing some of the skills that made him a Springbok a couple of years ago as he stepped through a couple of tackles, before quick hands put Eddie Fredericks over in the corner.

Jacques-Louis Potgieter's conversion attempt was wide of the mark, but the Cheetahs had the early lead at 5-0.

Potgieter had another shot at goal, from 40 metres out, five minutes later. Again it drifted wide and this was the signal for the Lions to get back into the game.

It didn't take them too long before they had some reward for their honest endeavour - fly-half Louis Strydom slotting over a penalty to narrow the gap to 5-3.

The game settled into a more sedate pace for a while, before the Lions scored their first try.

They showed exactly how dangerous they can be from turnover ball, with great interplay putting the Cheetahs defence on the back foot - before Jano Vermaak offloaded to flanker Franco van der Merwe, who ran strongly to drag a defender with him over the line. Strydom added the conversion to put his team into a 10-5 lead.

Two minutes later the Cheetahs were back in the lead, after a quick tap-'n-go by scrum-half Falie Oelschig.

He put Duanne Vermeulen into space and the big number eight barged his way over. Potgieter finally landed a kick and the conversion made it 12-10.

The lead changed hands twice more in the final two minutes of the first half.

First Strydom slotted a penalty for a 13-12 lead, before lock Barend Pieterse scored. The Lions stopped playing for what they thought was a knock-on at a line-out, but the referee waved on play - under loud protests from the Lions. Potgieter's conversion made it 19-13 to the Cheetahs at the break.

Last score

The Cheetahs also scored first in the second half, when the Lions were penalised for an incorrect entry at a ruck and Potgieter slotted the penalty to make it 22-13.

However, that was to be their last scoring act of the day as they went into defensive mode.

Five minutes later Strydom had a shot at goal - when Cheetahs hooker Adriaan Strauss was yellow carded for a spear tackle - but he hooked it badly.

The Lions again came close a few minutes later, when some great hands and interplay put prop Heinke van der Merwe within centimetres of the line.

However, he chose to try and push the ball over the line, after having already placed it once and saw the television official award a penalty against the Lions.

They did eventually get their reward though when centre Doppies la Grange scored in the 64th minute after a sustained build-up and some great hands by the enterprising Lions backs. Earl Rose, on for Strydom, slotted the conversion to narrow the gap to just two points at 20-22.

With just six minutes left on the clock the Lions got a penalty right in front and again Rose made no mistake - this time slotting what turned out to be the match-winning penalty.

The Cheetahs tried gamely in the last few minutes to regain the lead, but their tiring legs just would not carry them fast or far enough, as the Lions held on for an excellent result on the opening weekend.