The second of Saturday’s Super Rugby semi-finals provided a frenetic opening forty minutes which saw the Lions and Waratahs bag three tries a piece.
The visitors started the stronger of the two sides and raced into a 14-0 lead with less than 10-minutes on the clock courtesy of tries from Ned Hannigan and the ever impressive Israel Folau, who bagged the fiver-pointers
The Lions then awoke from their slumber with Kwagga Smit spearheading their renaissance. The flanker went over for the Lions first five-pointer. Soon after, Springbok winger Aphiwe Dyanti bagged the Lions second, with the flying winger collecting his own chip and chase and dotting down.
Elton Janjties converted the second of his attempts at goal to bring the Lions within two points of their opponents.
The hosts would then take the lead through Malcolm Marx who crashed over from a driving maul just two minutes before half-time.
The Waratahs would provide more drama before the end of the first stanza as a sharp line-out move saw Tom Robertson crash over. Bernard Foley missed the conversion which saw the sides go in to the sheds with the scores at 19-19.
The Lions got their act together in the second stanza with Malcolm Marx and Kwagga Smith leading from the front and bagging the first two tries of the second-half.
The tries from the Lions forward and a penalty from Elton Janjties, saw the Lions take a 33-19 lead headed into the last 15-minutes of the contest. And while the Waratahs would hit back through a Jake Gordan try, the Lions would eventually run-out comfortable 44-26 victors, with Cournall Skosan adding gloss to the scoreline with a try in the final minute.
