The Lions stayed in the hunt for a semifinal play-off with a hard-fought win against the Boland Kavaliers in a wet Wellington.
The Lions won 31-10 after securing a bonus-point try in the very last second after leading 17-5 at the interval.
On a field that seemed not fit for rugby at this level, the Lions had to work hard for victory.
But the Kavaliers also had their moments and had the crowd on their feet with some enterprising play.
The Lions opened the scoring in just under two minutes when winger Trompie Nontshinga raced through without a hand being laid on him. Earl Rose succeeded with the conversion.
However, Boland hit back with some enterprising play, which had the Lions at sixes and sevens and it was no surprise when David Hendricks scored in the 18th minute after a quick tap-kick by scrumhalf Marnus Hugo.
That inspired the Kavaliers and they started to test the Lions’s defence to the hilt.
The visitors increased their lead in the 20th minute when right wing Michael Killian ran through untouched for a try under the posts. Rose converted to make it 14-5.
Again Boland threw everything into the attack and left wing Alshaun Bock nearly scored when he was bundled into touch just five metres short of his goal.
Boland lost fullback Justin Peach in the 28th minute with what seemed a serious thumb injury. He was replaced by Lionel Cornelius, who immediately failed with a straight-forward penalty.
Boland lock Brad Mockford was yellow-carded in the 33th minute for catching the ball on the wrong side.
Peach then returned to the action.
Boland opened the scoring in the second minute after interval when flyhalf Elgar Watts scored a soft try (17-10) after Deon Scholtz lost the ball backwards.
Six minutes later, centre Jaco Pretorius rounded off a good movement for the Lions when he scored far out for Rose to convert (24-10).
But just when it seemed that the Lions would miss out on a bonus point, flanker Derrick Minnie scored the vital one on the 80th minute for Rose to convert to 31-10. – Sapa