Matt's the way to do it!

THE magnificent British Lions made the mighty Springboks look like a pack of dummies with one of the great Test tries as they roared to a sensational win in this crucial series opener.

After surviving a fierce second half onslaught from the Boks with nail- biting defence, they bounced back from a 16-12 deficit to claim victory.

The magical moment came in the 74th minute when English scrum half Matt Dawson - thrown into the first Test cauldron after the loss of Welsh wizard Robert Howley - embarrassed the South African back row by storming down the blindside from a scrum, outrageously faking a pass and almost arrogantly touching down in the corner.

Pontypridd goalkicking machine Neil Jenkins missed the conversion, but the win was sealed in true style on 80 minutes when the Lions spread the ball and Scotland's former RL star Allan Tait raced over for try number two.

Jenkins failed to convert again, but he'd already landed five crucial penalties to put the icing on the cake of a triumph which harked back to the glory days of the Lions visit to South Africa in 1974.

The tourists knew they had to dig deep right from the kick off. A deep touchfinder from Springbok outside half Henry Honiball put them under pressure - and the first three minutes were spent with the Lions scrummaging for their lives against monsters like 19-stone Os Du Randt.

The Lions were soon penalised for bringing the scrum down and Edrich Lubbe, in only his second Test, popped over the kick for a 3- 0 lead.

When referee Colin Hawke awarded the Lions their first penalty, Neil Jenkins made no mistake from 20 yards. That was a signal for the big hits to fly in front of the watching Nobel peace prizewinner Archbishop Desmond Tutu - resplendent Nelson Mandela-style in his green-and-gold jersey.

In a bitterly cold gale, this was no place for faint hearts, and the Lions - whose ability to produce the tough stuff has been questioned on this tour - were giving as good as they got.

Lubbe missed a kickable penalty after 14 minutes, but the Boks continued to keep the Lions under pressure with a series of astute tactical kicks from the world's top scrum half Joost van der Westhuizen.

Only superb tackling by the Lions - particularly Gibbs and Dawson - kept the Boks out.

But the forwards were taking a pounding and when the Boks were awarded another penalty, they chose not to kick, took the lineout option and that man Os - that's Ox in English - bulldozed his way through the Lions pack to score the first try after 23 minutes. Lubbe missed the conversion, but it was 8-3 and the warning signs were flashing.

The Lions knew the boot of Jenkins would be their main weapon, but even Mr Reliable can misfire and he failed from just 30 yards with a penalty which would have closed the gap to two points.

With Lions skipper Martin Johnson waging a verbal battle with the referee, the tourists were struggling to hold their own in the scrum. Given the ball, the British backs looked lethal - but they simply weren't getting enough possession.

With 10 minutes left before the break, the Lions finally established themselves in the South African half. But when No.10 Gregor Townsend tried a dropped goal he made a mess of it. Jenkins had the next chance to reduce the arrears seconds later and this time he took it, landing a penalty from 25 yards to make it 8-6.

A rare mistake by Boks full back Andre Joubert from a Ieuan Evans up- and-under gave Jenkins another easy penalty. The Lions were suddenly 9- 8 ahead - and the Barmy Army were in full cry in the stands.

Joubert, tentative and only recently recovered from injury, was less than confident and the uncertainty was beginning to spread through the green jerseys. Just before the break, England No.8 Tim Rodber produced the kind of tackles which epitomised the Lions' first half grit, helping to secure the half time advantage.

Jenkins didn't take long to add to the Lions' tally after the break. A 35-yard penalty made it 12-8, but the Boks - stung by a stiff talking- to and finally realising they were up against world- class opposition - struck back in devastating fashion.

Replacement Russell Bennett, only on the field for a couple of minutes, produced the South Africans' second try after Gibbs had missed his first tackle of the match on captain Gary Teichmann. Honiball missed the conversion, but soon added a penalty to put the Boks 16-12 up.

Jenkins, who missed another kickable attempt in between, stepped up for a 39-yard effort on the hour - and the boot the Boks feared so much put the Lions back to within one point.

But the Lions were still forced to show their steel in defence with Gibbs stopping Ruben Kruger right on the line with the kind of tackle that makes the earth move. And supersub Bennett nearly scored a sensational second try, but it was ruled out for a forward pass.

Then came that remarkable Lions finish - guaranteeing that next Saturday's second Test will be at boiling point before it even starts.

SOUTH AFRICA

A Joubert, J Small, J Mulder, E Lubbe (rep. R Bennett), A Snyman, H Honiball, J van der Westhuizen, O du Randt, N Drotske, A Garvey, H Strydom, M Andrews, R Kruger, G Teichmann (capt), A Venter.

SCORERS: Tries, Du Randt, Bennett; Pens, Lubbe, Honiball

BRITISH LIONS

N Jenkins, I Evans, S Gibbs, J Guscott, A Tait, G Townsend, M Dawson, T Smith (rep. J Leonard), K Wood, P Wallace, M Johnson (capt), J Davidson, L Dallaglio, T Rodber, R Hill.

SCORERS: Tries, Dawson, Tait; Pens, Jenkins (5)

REFEREE: C Hawke (New Zealand)

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