A superb 12-minute hat-trick from ADT Fidelity Lions scrumhalf Nico Steyn helped his team battle back from a 14-point deficit to claim a 41-26 bonus point win over the Novatit Griffons in their Currie Cup clash at Ellis Park on Friday afternoon.
An impressive first-half showing from the visitors saw them take a 23-12 lead into the halftime break, with them extending it to 26-12 after 46 minutes, before the hosts absolutely dominated the final 30 minutes of the game, led by Steyn, as they ran in four unanswered tries.
The Griffons got off to a flying start to the match, with an early scrum in the Lions 22m from which they attacked as flyhalf Duan Pretorius made a half break and offloaded to inside centre Marquit September to power over for a converted score after just two minutes.
Visiting scrumhalf Jaywinn Juries then slotted his second kick of the day with a seventh minute penalty to put his team ahead 10-0.
The hosts hit back in the 13th minute as they attacked from a lineout in the Griffons 22m, with the ball being recycled for flank Sibusiso Sangweni to receive it close to the line and force his way over, while flyhalf Vaughen Isaacs added the extras.
A 16th-minute penalty from Juries was then followed by a yellow card to Lions fullback Tiaan Swanepoel four minutes later as the visitors took control of the game.
This allowed them to kick a penalty into the Lions 22m, set up a good maul from the lineout and rumble over with hooker Dandre Delport dotting down and Juries adding the extras for a 20-7 lead after 24 minutes.
LIOMS COME STORMING BACK
The Lions continued making errors and lock Raynard Roets was their second player to receive a yellow, this time for a high tackle which allowed Juries to slot a 28th-minute penalty to make it 23-7.
The hosts crucially had the final score of the half, after a good break down the touch from wing Ilunga Mukendi, finished with the Lions getting close before popping the ball to outside centre Stean Pienaar to get over for an unconverted score, as they trailed by 11 at the break.
The Griffons started the second half with a fourth penalty to Juries as they moved ahead 26-12 after 46 minutes, but it proved to the spark for the Lions to come storming back.
Two yellow cards a minute off each other to Pretorius and flank Mitchell Carstens reduced the visitors to 13 men in the 53rd minute which proved costly as Steyn struck three times in 12 minutes.
The first was off the back of a strong scrum, the second was after a great break from Pienaar as he put Steyn in, while the third was a cheeky dot down from a ruck right on the Griffons try line, with Isaacs nailing all three conversions as the Lions powered into a 33-26 lead after 67 minutes.
Two minutes later the Lions were at it again as they attacked into the Griffons 22m, with the recycled ball finding Roets charging at pace to crash over for an unconverted score.
The hosts finished the match with a flourish as Swanepoel slotted a long-range 80th-minute penalty to end proceedings.
SCORERS
LIONS: Tries - Sibusiso Sangweni, Stean Pienaar, Nico Steyn (3), Raynard Roets; Conversions - Vaughen Isaacs (4); Penalty - Tiaan Swanepoel
GRIFFONS: Tries - Marquit September, Dandre Delport; Conversions - Jaywinn Juries (2); Penalties - Juries (4)