Yellow cards can't stop Lions

The Golden Lions picked up three yellow cards but it could not prevent them from beating the Blue Bulls 23-20 in a hard-fought Craven Week encounter in Welkom on Wednesday.

The Blue Bulls were first on the scoreboard when scrumhalf Rudi van Rooyen crashed over to add his side's first points of the match. His try was converted by former SA Schools flyhalf Altonio Jantjies to make it 7-0.

The Lions, however, fought back to lead 17-13 at the break - despite being a man down at that point - thanks to a well-taken try by No.7 flanker Fabian Booysen on the stroke of half-time.

The other Lions try-scorer at that stage of the match was prop Gideon Muller, but he was also their first man in the sin bin (in the 29th minute), before replacement forward Kojo Asiedu-Darkwan was carded in the 43rd minute and No.8 Ruan Steenkamp in the 61st minute - all given their marching orders by referee Matt Kemp.

The Blue Bulls, given their superior numbers, piled on the pressure during the second half, but resolute defence from the Lions ensured that the Pretoria side failed to pierce the Johannesburg side's defensive systems until the final movement of the game. That was when Blue Bulls hooker Justin van Wyk crashed over for a try and Jantjies kicked the conversion.

Aside from their two five-pointers, scored by Muller and Booysen, Monument flyhalf Marais Schmidt converted both tries and also kicked three penalties to keep the Lions' noses in front when it mattered most.

Whilst the Lions will be worried about the amount of yellow cards they picked up, the Men from Johannesburg took their points-scoring chances well - mainly through Schmidt's boot - to record their first win of the 2010 Craven Week - having gone down 3-20 to Western Province on Day One.

The Bulls, on the other hand, are still searching for their first victory in Welkom, having lost 17-19 to Eastern Province on Monday.

The scorers:

For the Golden Lions:
Tries: Gideon Muller, Fabian Booysen
Pens: Marais Schmidt 3
Cons: Marais Schmidt 2

For the Blue Bulls:
Tries: Rudi van Rooyen, Justin van Wyk
Cons: Altonio Jantjies 2
Pen: Altonio Jantjies
DG: Altonio Jantjies

The teams:

Lions: 15 Kazlo Holtzhausen (KES), 14 Tsepo Mooki (Florida), 13 Jako Viljoen (Monument), 12 Sebastiaan van Heerden (Helpmekaar), 11 Chad de Klerk (Monument), 10 Marais Schmidt (Monument), 9 Vian van der Watt (Florida), 8 Ruan Steenkamp (Monument), 7 Fabian Booysen (Florida), 6 Stefan Nel (Monument), 5 Paul Willemse (Monument), 4 Ruan Venter (Monument), 3 Gideon Muller (Florida), 2 Wian Fourie (Florida), 1 Mauritz van Rooyen (Monument), 16 Riekert van Niekerk (Monument), 17 Boni Siyothula (Jeppe), 18 Kojo Asiedu-Darkwah (KES), 19 Tiaan Macdonald (Monument). 20 Hanco Venter (Monument), 21 Sifiso Shabangu (Jeppe), 22 Lonwabo Ntleki (KES).

Bulls: Sean Robinson (Waterkloof), Richmond Collins (Pretoria Boys), Brink Botha (Affies), Thys Smit (Waterkloof), Leroy Africa (St Alban's), Tony Jantjies (Menlo Park), Poerie van Rooyen (Affies), Nardus van der Walt (Affies), Katlego Maake (Pretoria Boys), De Wet Meyer (Waterkloof), Schalk van Heerden (Affies), Gerbrand Grobler (Affies), Luan de Bruin (Affies), Justin van Wyk (Menlo Park), Justin Forwood (Waterkloof), Timothy Nhlapo (Zwartkops), Johan Rautenbach (Affies), Darren Fielies (Waterkloof), Jako Coetzee (Eldoraigne), François Tredoux (Waterkloof), Patrick Maponya (Waterkloof), Xolani Nkosi (Hendrik Verwoerd).

Fixtures to follow later today:
2.10pm: Western Province v Eastern Province
3.30pm: Boland v Griffons