Reds deny Lions glory

The Lions and the Reds battled out the first draw, 24-24, of the 2008 Super 14 in a fast paced game at Ellis Park on Saturday.

As one would expect from a draw, it was a very evenly contested affair. It was fast and furious, end to end stuff, with lots of passes not going to hand, both teams were continually counterattacking.

Unfortunately neither team could make that final pass stick in the first-half and two exhausted teams traipsed off with the Lions 3-0 up.

A thrilling second-half produced five tries however, with a Chris Latham try in the 80th minute breaking the Lions' hearts.

After being dominant in the scrums, and producing some excellent off-loads in the tackle, the Lions' defence cost them the game.

Peter Hynes' 47th minute try was a truly soft score and was typical of the Lions who have been plagued by fatal lapses in concentration the whole season.

Hynes fielded a kick deep with his own 22 and then proceeded to run 90 metres, right up the middle of the field, without a single Lions player able to lay a hand on him.

Composure

The Reds will rue some wasted opportunities, as they lacked the finishing composure they showed in that now famous demolition of the Bulls last week.

Much was made of the fact that the Reds decision to camp in Johannesburg from the day of their arrival. Many felt that the Australians would need more than six days to adapt to the altitude, which has been the Achilles heal of so many teams visiting the Highveld.

With the Lions scoring two tries between the 55th and 65th minutes it seemed like the thin air was working it's magic for the home side.

However, instead of keeping a foot on the gas, the Lions went into their shells in the last twenty minutes. The Reds proved that there is nothing wrong with their fitness levels as they made thrilling comeback.

Comeback

Eleven points down with 15 minutes to go, Reds replacement Stephen Moore made a storming run and Rodney Blake put the visitors back into the game with a well worked try.

Once again the Lions conceded points directly after scoring themselves. Tries from Joe van Niekerk and Rayno Benjamin had given them a healthy lead only for some sloppy defending to ruin it all.

A brilliant drop goal from Jaco van Schalkwyk seemed to have sealed the deal with a little over ten minutes to go, but with the clock running out it was the visitors who looked to have more energy.

Latham's five pointer at the death was the Lions' punishment for yet more sluggish defensive work.

Clinton Schifcofske then slotted an easy conversion to rescue two points and deny the Lions their second win.

The Reds will now travel to Durban to face the undefeated Sharks, while the Lions will have a weekend off to lick their wounds before heading on a daunting tour to Australasia.