Jordan Hendrikse missed a penalty after the hooter to hand the Bulls a 30-28 victory in a thrilling United Rugby Championship derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Lions replacement flyhalf had slotted a long-range three-pointer just a few minutes earlier to put the Johannesburg side 28-27 ahead, and it seemed as if the visitors had done enough to pull off a second consecutive triumph in Pretoria.
Embrose was everywhere đ€
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But Bulls No 10 Johan Goosen stepped up with a minute left on the clock to boot over a penalty from just inside his half to put the hosts in front by two points.
The Lions â as they did throughout the game â still refused to give up and earned another breakdown penalty, but this time around, Hendrikse was unable to get it on target from around the halfway line.
The Bulls moved up to fourth position on the URC log with 30 points, while the Lionsâ losing bonus point puts them 10th on 24.
It was a fitting end to a helter-skelter encounter, with the Bulls leading 13-12 at halftime. The home side wasted a number of opportunities inside the Lionsâ 22, and it nearly cost them the victory.
The Lions rocked up with greater intensity initially, with their front row of JP Smith, Jaco Visagie and Asenathi Ntlabakanye dominating Bulls big men Simphiwe Matanzima, Akker van der Merwe and Mornay Smith.
But it was livewire flyhalf Sanele Nohamba who once again sparked their attack, producing a stunning line-break as he zipped past Harold Vorster from inside his own half, before captain Marius Louw finished off in the fifth minute.
Nohamba and Goosen exchanged penalties, and then Louw was again on the scoreboard in the 18th minute â this time stepping past Goosen from a long lineout throw by Visagie.
The Bulls never quite got going with ball-in-hand in front of a 21 000-strong crowd as they were impatient instead of building phases on attack. They tried to go for the knockout punch too early, but were eventually rewarded for their efforts when hooker Van der Merwe dotted down on the line.
Two further unforced mistakes, with scrumhalf Embrose Papier knocking on from a lineout inside the Lions 22, and then Goosen kicking a penalty into touch in-goal, halted the Bullsâ momentum once more.
Goosen, though, banged over a penalty to give the Bulls the lead at the break, and then the hosts got more points soon after halftime when Papier dotted down after a surge forward by Van der Merwe off a maul.
That man Nohamba, though, spearheaded the Lions comeback with a well-taken drop goal and penalty to reduce the deficit to 20-18.
Bulls coach Jake White introduced most of his replacements with about 25 minutes to go, and the injection of pace and power helped spark them into life.
The scrum seemed to become solid, and impressive No 8 Mpilo Gumede benefited as his charge off the back saw him go all the way to the line â despite the Lionsâ protestations that referee Jadezweni had got into the way of scrumhalf MornĂ© van den Berg.
The Bulls, though, again allowed the Lions back into the game when, after a brilliant turnover near their own line, centre David Kriel had the ball ripped in the tackle by flank Emmanuel Tshituka, and replacement prop Morgan Naudé scored to make it 27-25.
The visitorsâ scrum earned another penalty to set up Hendrikseâs late three-pointer, but after Goosen landed his long-range effort, the Lionsâ replacement pivot sliced his penalty to the right.
Points-Scorers
Bulls 30 â Tries: Akker van der Merwe, Embrose Papier, Mpilo Gumede. Conversions: Johan Goosen (3). Penalties: Goosen (3).
Lions 28 â Tries: Marius Louw (2), Morgan NaudĂ©. Conversions: Sanele Nohamba (2). Drop goal: Nohamba (1). Penalties: Nohamba (1), Jordan Hendrikse (1).
IOL Sport