A dead rubber often produces entertaining matches, and the Lions’ United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with Zebre Parma was no exception.
The 13-try thriller at Loftus Versveld finished 50-35 in the Lions’ favour as they bid farewell to retiring flanker Jaco Kriel in style.
Eight tries were scored in the opening 40 minutes of the match, with Zebre winger Simone Gesi scoring a first-half hat-trick.
After the Italian international completed his treble, the Lions looked to respond quickly, with winger Rabs Maxwane claiming the restart.
He sprinted into the Zebre 22 before the Lions attacked to the opposite edge of the pitch.
While under penalty advantage, Lions centre Marius Louw received the ball in the pocket and comically miss-hit his cross-kick as it just about floated over the medics attending to a player.
It bounced unkindly for Zebre wing Kobus van Wyk and sat up perfectly for Louw’s teammate Edwill van der Merwe.
The Lions speedster sprinted to the corner and inexplicably put in an unnecessary, yet brilliant, acrobatic dive into the corner to score.
😂 Marius Louw with the worst cross-kick try assist ever!
But hey if it works it works and it was a NUTMEG! pic.twitter.com/5n9wa0LaDM
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) April 22, 2023
“Now that is hilarious! Superb take of the restart by Rabs Maxwane puts Lions on attack. They go centre field & then Marius Louw tries a crosskick but it’s an ugly grubber. But it somehow nutmegs Kobus van Wyk, going through his legs & reaching Edwill van der Merwe for the try,” tweeted Ken Borland.
“Crazy try for the Lions there. Going nowhere. Marius Louw puts in a shocker of a cross kick, which ends up bouncing into VD Merwe’s hands and a try.” G-Mac added.
Eight first-half tries
Gesi scored all of Zebre’s first-half tries, grabbing the first two in the first minute and 27th minute, respectively.
The Lions responded through Sanele Nohamba before Van der Merwe scored his first.
Kriel scored in his final professional game before hanging up his boots, with Van der Merwe grabbing his second and Quan Horn extending the Lions’ lead to 31-22 at half-time.
Both teams had nothing to play for in the final game of the season.
They were both out of the URC play-off race, but that did not stop them from producing an extremely entertaining encounter.
The Lions would take their try tally to eight in the second half, with Nohamba grabbing a second with Andries Coetzee and Rhynardt Rijnsburger crossing the whitewash.
Jacopo Trulla and Juan Pitinari claimed consolation tries for the Italians as they completed a winless season losing all 18 URC fixtures.
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