WELLINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) - Wikus van Heerden planted a last-minute try to hand the Lions a dramatic upset win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday and put the New Zealand side's Super rugby playoff hopes in jeopardy.
The Highlanders, clinging to sixth in the standings and the final wildcard place for the post-season, held a 22-19 lead in the dying moments but were stunned when lock Van Heerden barged over the line under a pile of players in the left-hand corner to seal the win with a minute to spare.
The victory was the Lions' third only for the season but the result could mean the Highlanders slip to eighth with three rounds to play in the southern hemisphere competition.
"We got into their 22 and we just got frustrated. We didn't get clean ball from the rucks...it was pretty disappointing," Highlanders skipper Jamie Mackintosh said in a televised interview. "We were in a great position to run through but then we're thrown a banana skin."
Despite carrying a 16-9 lead into the second half, the Highlanders were made to pay for their listless performance in a scrappy and occasionally spiteful contest.
Tensions boiled over with the score level 19-19 in the 59th minute after Lions flanker Michael Rhodes pulled winger Siale Piutau out of a ruck on the Lions' try-line using a headlock.
Incensed, Piutau retaliated by striking Rhodes in the head and players from both sides charged in swinging in a messy exchange sure to attract the attentions of the disciplinary review panel.
ACCURATE SOPOAGA
Coming off a bye, the Highlanders stuttered through a first quarter littered with wayward passes and handling errors as the Lions' endeavour was rewarded with a pair of penalty goals to flyhalf Elton Jantjies.
A sustained assault inside the Lions' 22 was rewarded, however, when Highlanders' inside centre Shaun Treeby swooped on an inside pass from flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and rocketed over the line right of the posts.
Sopoaga's conversion put the Highlanders' 10-6 up in the 19th minute.
Jantjies trimmed the deficit to one a few minutes later, but Sopoaga slotted another two penalties in the 10 minutes before halftime to give the Highlanders a 16-9 lead at the break.
Despite dominating possession, the Highlanders failed to twist the knife and their defence were caught napping 10 minutes after halftime when Lions' Josh Strauss took a quick tap from a ruck metres from the try-line.
The bushy-bearded number eight barged his way under a trio of defenders to score the Lions' first try and Jantjies converted to level the score 16-16.
The flyhalf slotted his fourth penalty goal seven minutes later to put the Lions three points up.
Sopoaga, laser-sharp all night, coolly slotted two more penalties, the second to give the Highlanders a three-point break with just over 10 minutes left.
A dreadful clearing kick in the last few minutes cost the home side dearly, however, the ball scooped up by the Lions inside the touch-line and carried forward in a last desperate drive that Van Heerden capped with the winning try.
"It's awesome, an awesome feeling," said Lions skipper Doppies la Grange. "I think the guys will get a lot of self confidence from this game and hopefully we can carry this forward."
The Highlanders, clinging to sixth in the standings and the final wildcard place for the post-season, held a 22-19 lead in the dying moments but were stunned when lock Van Heerden barged over the line under a pile of players in the left-hand corner to seal the win with a minute to spare.
The victory was the Lions' third only for the season but the result could mean the Highlanders slip to eighth with three rounds to play in the southern hemisphere competition.
"We got into their 22 and we just got frustrated. We didn't get clean ball from the rucks...it was pretty disappointing," Highlanders skipper Jamie Mackintosh said in a televised interview. "We were in a great position to run through but then we're thrown a banana skin."
Despite carrying a 16-9 lead into the second half, the Highlanders were made to pay for their listless performance in a scrappy and occasionally spiteful contest.
Tensions boiled over with the score level 19-19 in the 59th minute after Lions flanker Michael Rhodes pulled winger Siale Piutau out of a ruck on the Lions' try-line using a headlock.
Incensed, Piutau retaliated by striking Rhodes in the head and players from both sides charged in swinging in a messy exchange sure to attract the attentions of the disciplinary review panel.
ACCURATE SOPOAGA
Coming off a bye, the Highlanders stuttered through a first quarter littered with wayward passes and handling errors as the Lions' endeavour was rewarded with a pair of penalty goals to flyhalf Elton Jantjies.
A sustained assault inside the Lions' 22 was rewarded, however, when Highlanders' inside centre Shaun Treeby swooped on an inside pass from flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and rocketed over the line right of the posts.
Sopoaga's conversion put the Highlanders' 10-6 up in the 19th minute.
Jantjies trimmed the deficit to one a few minutes later, but Sopoaga slotted another two penalties in the 10 minutes before halftime to give the Highlanders a 16-9 lead at the break.
Despite dominating possession, the Highlanders failed to twist the knife and their defence were caught napping 10 minutes after halftime when Lions' Josh Strauss took a quick tap from a ruck metres from the try-line.
The bushy-bearded number eight barged his way under a trio of defenders to score the Lions' first try and Jantjies converted to level the score 16-16.
The flyhalf slotted his fourth penalty goal seven minutes later to put the Lions three points up.
Sopoaga, laser-sharp all night, coolly slotted two more penalties, the second to give the Highlanders a three-point break with just over 10 minutes left.
A dreadful clearing kick in the last few minutes cost the home side dearly, however, the ball scooped up by the Lions inside the touch-line and carried forward in a last desperate drive that Van Heerden capped with the winning try.
"It's awesome, an awesome feeling," said Lions skipper Doppies la Grange. "I think the guys will get a lot of self confidence from this game and hopefully we can carry this forward."
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