Lions hold Tahs scoreless in an emphatic win Down Under

JOHANNESBURG – The Lions kicked off their four-match tour of Australasia on a massive high on Friday when they beat the Waratahs 29-0 in Sydney.

It was the first time that the Lions had kept an opponent scoreless in a Super Rugby match and the first time the Tahs had failed to score a point in the 80 minutes. It was also the first time the Lions have won in Sydney.

Swys de Bruin’s men scored four tries and dominated the second spell, in which they scored three five-pointers.

The visitors spent most of the first half on the back foot, camped in their own territory, but they scored the only points through wing Madosh Tambwe, after some slick work by Dillon Smit, Ruan Combrinck, and Kwagga Smith who helped set up the try. It was the winger’s fifth try in two games after scoring four against the Stormers last time out.

In the second half, Smith, Harold Vorster and Marnus Schoeman scored to help their side to the emphatic and resounding victory.

Elton Jantjies added three conversions and a penalty to the Lions' score. Photo: David Neilson / www.photosport.nz

The Lions dominated the set-pieces, were outstanding on the ground contesting the rucks, but lost ball in contact on a few occasions, too.

The visitors though will be pleased as punch with the win, especially considering they lost captain Warren Whiteley in the week before their departure to Australia, and because they only arrived in Sydney late Wednesday night after trying something new in an effort to “beat” the jet-lag. It worked a treat.

The Lions will now head to Brisbane for a match with the Reds before moving on to New Zealand for dates with the Highlanders and Hurricanes.