Fidelity SecureDrive Lions 54-12 Glasgow Warriors

Tries from Dan Lancaster and Stafford McDowall were ultimately in vain for the Warriors, who move on to Cape Town next weekend in the race for the playoffs.

In the late afternoon sunshine at Ellis Park, it was the home side who struck the opening blow. Phase upon phase of early possession in the Glasgow 22 eventually stretched the visiting defence to breaking point, Henco van Wyk driving over despite the best efforts of McDowall. Chris Smith converted, and the hosts led 7-0 after seven minutes.

A quickfire second score was to follow from the men in red, with captain Francke Horn the catalyst. The number eight’s initial break from inside his own half gave the Lions field position, before getting his hands on the ball once more to send Erich Cronje over in the corner. Smith hit the upright from the touchline, leaving the scoreline reading 12-0 to the hosts.

Early momentum was all with the Lions, and a third try would arrive before the end of the opening quarter. Once more Horn and van Wyk were at the centre of things, the former slipping the ball to the latter for a run-in under the posts. Smith’s conversion gave the home side a 19-0 advantage, much to the delight of the Ellis Park crowd.

The Warriors knew that the next score was crucial, with the visitors beginning to establish themselves with ball in hand. Sione Vailanu’s burst from inside his own half took him into the Lions 22, whilst Kyle Rowe was beating defenders almost at will with ball in hand.

Rowe would be at the heart of Glasgow’s opening score when it arrived shortly after the half-hour mark, helping to get his side on the board. The winger’s incision off a set-piece just outside the Lions 22 gave his side front-foot ball, before McDowall’s beautifully-delayed pass sent the onrushing Lancaster over the whitewash. The fly-half converted his own try for good measure, narrowing the gap to 19-7.

The final word of the half belonged to the home side, however, as the Lions crossed for their bonus-point score with the last play of the opening 40 minutes. SJ Kotze was the man put through a gap 10 metres from the Glasgow line, the loose-head racing over for a try that – allied to Smith’s conversion – gave the men in red a 26-7 lead at the break.

Momentum continued to lie with the Lions as the second half got underway, and saw the Johannesburg outfit cross for their fifth try after 43 minutes. Ruan Venter was the man to take the ball at pace off a lineout 10 metres out, crashing over for the try. Smith added the extras, extending the advantage to 33-7.

Still the Warriors continued to fight for every inch of territory, with the replacements bringing impact from the bench. Their persistence was rewarded on 57 minutes, as phase after phase of possession saw Lancaster kick to the corner. The resulting lineout allowed Vailanu and Ben Afshar to send McDowall hurtling over the line for the score, the conversion drifting wide to leave the gap at 33-12.

Yet the Lions would hit back just a few moments later; despite some suspicious-looking passing in midfield, Francke Horn’s break down the touchline allowed Morne van den Berg to collect the inside pass and dive over, Smith adding the extras for a 40-12 lead.

Indeed the hosts would close with two sucker punches on the counter-attack, putting the icing on the victory in front of the Ellis Park faithful. First, Siba Mahashe’s pickup of a loose ball following a counter-ruck saw the blindside run in untouched from 40 metres, before Quan Horn’s sprint for the line following a turnover inside the Lions 22 saw the full-back beat two defenders en route to touching down from 85 metres out. Smith converted both, leaving the final score reading 54-12 to the men in red.

The Warriors remain top of the table despite the defeat, with a top-two showdown with the DHL Stormers in Cape Town now awaiting Franco Smith’s men next weekend.