Jordan Hendrikse scored 20 points as the Lions defeated the Dragons 30-25 to qualify for the Challenge Cup playoffs.
Due to the dangerous condition of the Rodney Parade playing field, Dragons RFC and EPCR reached an agreement to move the match to a different location. The match was relocated to the Ystrad Mynachon CCB Centre of Sporting Excellence.
The Welsh hosts conceded too many kickable penalties, which Hendrikse converted into points to keep the scoreboard moving. Despite scoring four tries to two and keeping the Lions pinned in their own half for the majority of the game, the Welsh allowed too many kickable penalties, which Hendrikse converted into points to keep the scoreboard moving.
Hendrikse kicked the first of his six penalty goals in the second minute, followed by four more successful efforts in the first half; his lone penalty goal in the second half was the only points scored by the visitors after the interval, when the Dragon began their comeback.
After Quan Horn and Edwill van der Merwe scored consecutive tries in the first quarter, the Lions lead 18-5 after 20 minutes and 27-5 at halftime after Hendrikse added three more penalty goals.
However, the Dragons exploded in the second half, scoring three more tries as they fought hard for a great finish that would also secure their spot in the playoffs, but they simply lacked the time to catch up to the Johannesburg visitors.
Try: Will Reed, Aki Seiuli, Jordan Williams, and Rio Dyer. Reed is a convert. Penalty goal: JJ Hanrahan.
Lions – Tries: Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse. Penalty goals: Hendrikse (6).
15 Jordan Williams, 14 Rio Dyer, 13 Steff Hughes (captain), 12 Max Clark, 11 Ashton Hewitt, 10 Will Reed, 9 Lewis Jones, 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Taine Basham, 6 George Nott, 5 Ben Carter, 4 Joe Davies, 3 Lloyd Fairbrother, 2 Bradley Roberts, 1 Rob Evans make up the Dragons.
Brodie Coghlan (16), Aki Seiuli (17), Leon Brown (18), Sean Lonsdale (19), Aaron Wainwright (20), Rhodri Williams (21) and JJ Hanrahan (23).
Lions — 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Quan Horn, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 André Warner, 8 Emmanuel Tshituka, 7 Emile van Heerden, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Willem Alberts, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Michael van Vuuren, 1 JP Smith.
Subs: 16 PJ Botha, 17 Morgan Naude, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Pieter Jansen van Vuren, 20 Ruhan Straeuli, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Morné van den Berg, 23 Rynhardt Jonker.
Challenge Cup match between Lions and Dragons
»Recap of the Challenge Cup: Hendrikse propels the Lions into the playoffs«