Highlanders blow big halftime lead

Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph paid credit to the never-say-die attitude of the Lions after giving up a 17-point halftime lead to lose 28-23 in Johannesburg on Sunday.

The Highlanders scored two first half tries to lead 20-3, but only managed a Ben Smith drop goal in the second half as the Lions struck back with some great running and strong mauling to score three tries and take the game.

‘‘We knew the Lions would be a very tenacious, spirited team,’’ Joseph said.

‘‘They’ve done that to a lot of teams in the last couple of seasons. We knew that it was going to be a difficult second half and obviously altitude kicks in for our players, fatigue sets in. I’m not sure it’s got anything to do with game plans or tactics, it’s just came down to ticker in the end really, and levels of fitness after all that travel.’’

The Lions were dangerous from the rolling maul in the second half, their second try to Jaco Kriel coming from a maul which started on the 22m line.

‘‘They are very difficult to stop. We started competing in the air and we stopped the last couple of rolling mauls, but you have to take your hat off to the Lions,’’ Joseph said.

The Highlanders dominated territory in the first half, but it looked as if they wouldn’t have much to show for it.

Marnitz Boshoff opened the scoring with a booming 51m penalty before Lima Sopoaga replied with a penalty and dropped-goal to give the Highlanders a narrow lead.

With time running out in the first half, the Highlanders finally found some better accuracy with their finishing, some excellent drawing and passing sending Gareth Evans over in the corner, with Sopoaga converting from the sideline.

The game lost some structure as the half ended, but it was the Highlanders’ trademark counter-attacking which proved the difference as Richard Buckman managed to glove a ball back at a ruck for Malakai Fekitoa to run close to 70m unopposed for the Highlanders’ second try and a 17-point lead at the break.

After packing a good scrum against the Sharks last week, the Highlanders were put under pressure by the shunting of the Lions pack, although they were able to attack the Lions’ lineout.

Waisake Naholo went close after the break but was knocked into touch by a brave tackle from Boshoff.

The Lions struck back with a try to winger Courtnall Skosan, which had a hint of a forward pass in the buildup, and while Smith landed the Highlanders’ second dropped-goal to give the visitors some breathing room, the Lions were right back in the game at the hour mark when Kriel finished off a long-range rolling maul.

Ross Geldenhuys and John Hardie both made welcome returns off the bench for the Highlanders after suffering long-term injuries, while Elliot Dixon was required to cover at lock for much of the second half.

The Lions grabbed a third try through Harold Vorster with just under 20 minutes left, but Elton Jantjies’ missed the conversion as the Highlanders hung on to a 23-22 lead.

Jantjies made no mistake with a penalty 10 minutes from time as the Lions regained the lead. Another scrum penalty inside the last five minutes from Jantjies pushed that out to five points.

The Highlanders’ next assignment is against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.