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Edinburgh went down to a third successive defeat by a South African side in the United Rugby Championship after a powerful Lions side prevailed 22-19 thanks to a late Gianni Lombard penalty in the Scottish capital.
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Both teams scored three tries in a bruising battle that burst into life after a largely uneventful first half, but the Lions just deserved the win thanks to their apparently endless reserves of energy.
After stand-off Lombard was off target with a penalty attempt and then a drop-goal effort, the stalemate was broken midway through the first half after Blair Kinghorn sent a penalty to touch.
Lineout ball was cleanly won and the Edinburgh maul eventually got over the line, with Bill Mata finishing off.
Kinghorn curled his conversion attempt wide, and Lombard then missed another attempt to get the Lions off the mark with a penalty.
The visitors drew level five minutes before the break following their one sustained attack in the first half.
Some powerful carries forced Edinburgh – beaten by the Bulls and the Stormers on their recent tour to South Africa – to funnel in towards the posts, and eventually enough space was created for full-back Andries Coetzee to finish off. Lombard’s conversion came back off a post.
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Edinburgh regained the lead 10 minutes into the second half after a move down the line ended with Emiliano Boffelli passing to Darcy Graham.
The winger beat the first man then dived over the line as two more defenders leapt in to try to force him into touch. Boffelli, who had crucially come off his wing to provide the extra man, converted to give Edinburgh a 12-5 lead.
The Lions quickly hit back, however. A move in midfield appeared innocuous enough when Henco van Wyk collected a pass, but when Matt Currie and James Lang both failed to put him down, space opened up in front of him and he raced clear to the line. Lombard’s conversion levelled the scores.
Right on the hour mark Edinburgh went in front again when Ben Muncaster finished off a lineout maul. Boffelli added the two points again.
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There was still a lot of fight left in the Lions, though, and they got their own third try five minutes later when number eight Francke Horn finished off from close range. Lombard’s conversion drew the Lions level once more.
Seven minutes from time a hack ahead deep into Edinburgh territory ended with Graham being penalised for not releasing – and also limping off injured. Lombard scored to make it 22-19 to the Lions, and that was enough.
