Cape Town - The Golden Lions earned a bonus-point 29-20 victory over Western Province in their Currie Cup clash in Johannesburg on Sunday.
A brilliant second-half comeback from the home side saw them earn a much-needed victory to keep their Currie Cup ambitions for this season alive.
Western Province flyhalf Robert du Preez opened the scoring with a three pointer after a Lions player was caught offside.
In the 15th minute, the away side went 10 points ahead after great hands saw the ball find EW Viljoen on the left touchline before he popped inside to centre partner Huw Jones, who stepped and delivered sensational one-handed offload to Nizaam Carr who touched down under the poles for a converted WP try.
Lions fullback Jaco van der Walt got his side on the scoreboard with a penalty before wing Sylvian Mahuza scored a try following an excellent counter-attack break from Ashlon Davids and Rohan Janse van Rensburg. Province fired back moments later through a Du Preez try which he scored after selling a dummy and the half-time score read 17-10 to Western Province.
Du Preez landed another penalty for WP in the second 40 before Aphiwe Dyantyi gathered a loose ball and showed great speed, a step and power to go in for his five pointer.
The home side took the lead in the 72nd minute when Robert Kruger broke from the base of a ruck to dive over the whitewash.
However, Springbok centre Janse van Rensburg smashed through two WP defenders to score a bonus point try for the Golden Lions in the 77th minute and secured his side a 29-20 victory.
Scorers
Golden Lions
Tries: Mahuza, Dyantyi, Kruger, Janse van Rensburg
Conversions: Van der Walt (3)
Penalty:Van der Walt
Western Province
Tries: Carr, Du Preez
Conversions: Du Preez (2)
Penalties: Du Preez (2)
Teams
Golden Lions
15 Jaco van der Walt, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Ashlon Davids, 9 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Jo Hanko de Villiers, 6 Len Massyn, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Jacobie Adriaanse, 2 Pieter Jansen, 1 Jacques van Rooyen (captain)
Substitutes: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Dylan Smith, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Rhyno Herbst, 20 Hacjivah Dayimani, 21 Bradley Thain, 22 Jan-Louis La Grange
Western Province:
15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Huw Jones, 11 Ruhan Nel, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Cobus Wiese, 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Chris van Zyl (captain), 3 Frans van Wyk, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg
Substitutes: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Caylib Oosthuizen, 18 Jan de Klerk, 19 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 20 Justin Phillips, 21 Werner Kok, 22 Craig Barry