Scrappy Lions stay alive in playoff fight with crucial bonus point Cardiff win

STILL PUNCH AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: Lions lock Willem Alberts, 40, wins ball possession during the United Rugby Championship clash against Cardiff at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. Thanks to yet another frustratingly disjointed performance - where they squandered early dominance to open themselves to the possibility of a late upset - the Lions kept their slender hopes of making the United Rugby Championship play-offs with a 34-13 win over Welsh side Cardiff.

Playing against a side which had not won a game since Boxing Day, the Lions almost fell to the complacency of a first half in which they were in control, with the visitors clawing a 17-3 halftime deficit to a squeaky bum-esque 20-13 with a quarter remaining. But the hosts held their nerve long enough to score two crucial tries by replacement flanker Emmanuel Tshituka in the last 10 minutes to keep themselves in touch of the top eight spots with what is expected to be a tough outing against log leaders Glasgow on Saturday. South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we're about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism.

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