In the Currie Cup match held on Friday at the University of Witwatersrand, the Boland Cavaliers team managed to stage a remarkable comeback to defeat the Lions with a score of 38-29.
At the start of the game, the Lions held an advantage over the Boland Cavaliers, but in the second half, the visitors were able to completely change the course of the match. The game started difficult for the visitors: they conceded four penalties in the first two minutes, and in the fifth minute, Lewis Nkshele was sent off for repeated infringements.
The Lions capitalized on the numerical advantage, and flyhalf Sam Francis scored the first points. Then, centre Exouse Kevani made a brilliant break from his own half, allowing Keegan Smith to score a touchdown in the tenth minute. Captain Jarrod Cairns scored three minutes later when the Cavaliers' defence was stretched, and the Lions took the lead with a score of 17-0.
Nevertheless, Boland refused to give up. Loosehead prop Mtokozisi Gumede scored the first touchdown for his team in the eighteenth minute. Gumede subsequently received a yellow card for a high tackle, but the Cavaliers continued to apply pressure thanks to powerful mauls and pick-and-drives.
When Mahle Sithole was sent off, the Lions' numbers were reduced to fourteen. Boland seized this moment when Gift Sithole crossed the line just before halftime, leaving the opposition trailing 17-14.
Although the Lions started strongly in the second half while playing short-handed, it was Boland who took control of the game. Substitute Sibusiso Sangweni scored a try under the posts in the forty-sixth minute, putting the Cavaliers ahead for the first time with a score of 21-17. The visitors dominated in collisions and territorial battles, and Diandre Leonard also scored a try, increasing Boland's lead to 28-17.
The Lions responded almost immediately when Smith scored his second try in the corner, narrowing the gap to six points. The final quarter of the match was very tense: Boland scored a second try by Gumede, and then Lions centre Reinhard Jonker crossed the line, making the score 35-29 five minutes before the end.
The Lions made every effort in their last attempt to equalize, but the Cavaliers' defence held firm. In the eighty-first minute, Tedder converted a penalty kick, setting the score at 38-29 and finally determining the result. This victory was a stunning turnaround for Boland, who were trailing 17-0 but managed to come back into the game and win a valuable Currie Cup victory, rising into the top four. Gumede's two tries and his powerful all-around play earned him the man of the match award.
