- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Morne Steyn’s last-second 53-metre penalty sealed a dramatic 28-25 victory as South Africa clinched a 2-0 series win over the British and Irish Lions at Loftus Versfeld.
In an absorbing contest, the Lions led for 73 minutes only for the world champions to hit back as the injury-hit tourists failed to hold onto their advantage with Steyn booting the winning penalty with the last kick of the game.
Welsh fly-half Stephen Jones looked to have earned a draw for the Lions with a penalty from the touchline with 78 minutes played.
However, Ronan O’Gara was controversially adjudged to have taken out Fourie du Preez in the air from the restart, and local favourite Steyn kept his nerve to kick the winning goal.
After losing 26-21 in the first Test in Durban last weekend, the Lions had to win to keep interest alive in the third Test in Johannesburg next week.
Jones was faultless with his boot, contributing 20 points, with outstanding Irish full-back Rob Kearney crossing for the visitors’ sole try.
But the Springboks responded with three tries through wingers JP Pietersen and Bryan Habana, and Jacque Fourie, with Frans Steyn hitting a long-range penalty and Morne Steyn two conversions and two penalties.
The match got off to an action-packed start with Springbok flanker Schalk Burger, winning his 50th cap, rightly sin binned after 32 seconds for eye gouging Luke Fitzgerald.
The Lions kicked the penalty to touch and from a resulting offside in midfield Stephen Jones booted an easy penalty.
A brief bout of fisticuffs interrupted a nervy start from both sides, Fourie du Preez missing a touchfinder and being charged down in his own 22.
The Lions seemed intent on spreading the ball wide, and the opening try came in the seventh minute when Jones took a flat ball, spotted half a gap and flicked a pass out of the back of his hand to Kearney.
The Leinster full-back, with Tommy Bowe outside him, backed himself for the line and scored a five-pointer Jones converted from wide out.
The Boks hit back immediately, Victor Matfield taking a quick line-out ball at the back and Du Preez playing Pietersen between Fitzgerald and David Wallace for a well-worked try. Ruan Pienaar missed the conversion.
Jones hit his second penalty after the Bok defence again strayed offside.
Pietersen was almost played in for his second try of the afternoon when he gathered a Du Preez crosskick, the covering Kearney lucky to have been running across the winger’s line.
Frans Steyn missed a tricky 48-metre penalty but Jones made no mistake with a drop-goal five minutes from the half-time whistle after a sustained period of pressure from the Lions, for whom lock Simon Shaw shone in defence and the loose.
Steyn, however, was successful with a 53-metre penalty to make it 16-8 after the first period.
The Lions suffered a hammer blow five minutes into the second-half when props Adam Jones and Gethin Jenkins went off injured, making for uncontested scrums.
A high tackle by Matthew Rees on Burger and offside in midfield handed Pienaar two penalty chances the fly-half failed to take.
Jones, however, made no mistake with his third penalty in the 61st minute.
Habana scored his 33rd try in 48 internationals two minutes later, taking an offload from Pierre Spies and scything through the flat defensive line.
Replacement Morne Steyn hit the conversion and then a penalty in the 68th minute to draw the Springboks up to 19-18.
The Lions immediately increased their lead after Burger strayed offside in front of the posts, Jones hitting a simple penalty.
The drama, however, was far from over. Fourie crossed for his try in the right corner before Jones pulled the Lions level at 25 points apiece with three minutes to play.
But then local boy Steyn stepped up and knocked over the winning penalty.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.