URC result: Lions too good for Glasgow, move up to fourth on the log
The home team consolidated their position in the top eight and remained on course for a first quarter-finals appearance.
The Lions produced arguably their best performance of the United Rugby Championship season, and maybe their best in a few years, at Ellis Park on Saturday when they beat the top-of-the-table Glasgow Warriors 54-12.
It was just the fourth defeat in the URC for the visitors this season. In the corresponding fixture last season Glasgow beat the Lions 42-0 in Scotland.
It was a much-changed Glasgow side, after their defeat to Toulon in the Champions Cup a week previously.
It was the fifth straight win at home by the Lions in the last few rounds of the URC, and their ninth overall in 15 matches.
Ivan van Rooyen and his team are now in fourth place on the URC log with 48 points and on track to feature in the top eight and playoffs for the first time after the regular season.
However, they have three tough games remaining – against Connacht, who beat the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday, at home next week, and then they face Irish giants Leinster and Munster away to complete their round robin fixtures.
In securing their ninth victory of the 2025/2t6 URC season at Ellis Park on Saturday, Van Rooyen’s team ran in eight tries to Glasgow’s two.
Henco van Wyk got two, with the others coming from Erich Cronje, SJ Kotze, Ruan Venter, Morne van den Berg, Siba Mahashe and Quan Horn.
The Lions were excellent in all departments, with the standout players being Quan and captain Francke Horn, Cronje, Van Wyk, Van den Berg, Venter and Asenathi Ntlabakanye. But the win was a team effort, with all the players contributing greatly to the performance.
Glasgow’s tries came from Dan Lancaster and Stafford MacDowall. They face the Stormers in Cape Town next weekend.
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