The Crusaders kept themselves in contention for the Super 14 play-offs after picking up a 32-20 bonus point win against the Lions in Johannesburg on Friday.

Most rivers in South Africa are seasonal - full of eager water in the rainy season but when the rain stops they dry up rapidly and become bowls of dust. The Lions, it seems, are a seasonal river. They are full of enthusiasm in the first half and then their source of energy dries up and they end with dust.

In the first half they were more than competitive. They had the majority of possession and the better chances to score, ending that half just two points adrift.

The second half was a completely different matter. Their possession virtually dried up, reduced to 21%, almost all of it on defence. And what they got they kicked away.

A kick becomes a good kick if it scores points; otherwise it should be judged by when and where you next get the ball. Louis Ludik kicked and the Crusaders scored. Jaque Fourie got a turnover ball and kicked it dead. Earl Rose kicked and the Crusaders were battering at the line.

But the worst really came from André Pretorius, a Springbok who bears the label experienced. He kicked a free kick directly into touch. He kicked a kick-off directly into touch. He kicked to Leon Macdonald and the Crusaders scored.

He kicked a free kick to MacDonald from some 30 metres from his line and the Lions were forced to battle for possession 10 metres from their line. The siren had gone and his side had the ball. Pretorius chipped to MacDonald who had some sort of magnetism that attracted kicks.

And yet it had all started with so much promise.

The first time the Crusaders kicked the ball, the Lions countered. The first time the Lions kicked the ball, the Crusaders countered. It seemed that that would be the way the match was going to run, and that is how much of the first half went. It was enthusiastic and exciting.

The Crusaders attacked and knocked on and the Lions broke out in counterattack as Deon van Rensburg raced down the right wing. Jano Vermaak was there to take a pass and grubber infield where Andrew Ellis saved but the Lions were on the attack and when Jannie Boshoff on the left wing beat three defenders they were close.

Instead it was the Crusaders who scored. Pretorius kicked downfield to MacDonald who started a counterattack. Colin Slade was the effective runner, brushing off Van Rensburg right on the touch-line to keep the ball in play and give to lively, rangy Isaac Ross who scored far out. From far out MacDonald converted. 7-0 after 8 minutes.

Doppies la Grange, as he did again in the second half, broke sharply and gave to Fourie but for the second time Jared Payne did well on defence. The Lions' handling was not always secure.

The Crusaders attacked but knocked on in Van Rensburg's heavy tackle. Pretorius footed ahead. Slade was back but fumbled as Pretorius footed again then picked up and in the same movement flicked it to Ludik who did a switch with Vermaak who was over in the right corner. Pretorius converted from touch. 7-7 after 14 minutes.

The Lions took the lead as they attacked the Crusaders hither and tither till young debutant Johan van Rensburg beat three defenders to score a try. 12-7 to the Lions after 21 minutes.

When strong Thomas Waldrom burst past Van Deventer the Crusaders were on the attack but the Lions received a defensive scrum. Vermaak passed to Ludik who ran forward and kicked. In a flash Stephen Brett was up to charge down the kick. The ball bounced benignly and he accepted its gift with a try which MacDonald converted. 14-12 after 26 minutes.

When Ernst Joubert came in at the side of a tackle, MacDonald made the score 17-12 and when Brad Thorn tackled Fourie High Pretorius made it 17-15. Just on half-time MacDonald missed his easiest kick of the half.

The Crusaders took possession of the second half. They attacked incessantly. Tim Bateman was with in a millimetre or two of scoring when Joubert stopped him. Thorn had an open line when the ball bounced, did an offbreak and went into touch. A try had to come.

From an attacking scrum on the left the Crusaders went lright, getting quick ball after quick ball till Thorn charged, bounced off the padding and scored. 24-15.

Then the Lions got a try of great surprise. They actually got out of their territory. Ludik collected a kick, kicked high himself and then leapt up for the ball, knocking it back. The next thing the ball was in the hands of big Anton van Zyl near the touch-line on his left. The huge Oxford Blue grubbered and chased in touch as the ball, miraculously, held its line just in from touch. Foot near the touch-line Van Zyl picked up and scored a try, which delighted him. 24-20 with 16 minutes to play.

Would the altitude have an effect? If it affected anybody it affected the Lions. Maybe it was that they have been travelling for so long that the altitude caught them out. Those last 16 minutes belonged to the Crusaders.

MacDonald grubbered towards the goal-line and Michael Killian, covering from the left wing, was forced to run the ball out. Crusaders' ball. Dan Perrin threw in to Jonathan Poff near the front of the line-out. Waldrom came peeling round towards the front and flicked a quick, clever pass back to Perrin who had an easy run to the line. 29-20 with 14 minutes to play. That was a bonus-point try.

After Rose had kicked downfield MacDonald countered with no more subtlety than running straight down the field, ignoring Rose entirely, to set up another powerful attack. Rose was penalised for being offside and MacDonald goaled to end the scoring.

Man of the Match: Thomas Waldrom is an obvious candidate - so energetic and strong, a deceptive player. But the Man of the Match whose class stood way out above all the rest was fullback Leon MacDonald.

The Scorers:

For Lions:
Tries: Vermaak, van Deventer, van Zyl
Con: Pretorius
Pen: Pretorius

For Crusaders:
Tries: Ross, Brett, Thorn, Perrin
Con: MacDonald 3
Pen: MacDonald 2

Lions: 15. Louis Ludik 14. Deon van Rensburg 13. Jaque Fourie 12. Doppies la Grange 11. Jannie Boshoff 10. André Pretorius 9. Jano Vermaak 8. Willem Alberts 7. Ernst Joubert
6. Cobus Grobbelaar (C) / Johan van Deventer 5. Anton van Zyl 4. Jannes Labuschagne 3.Lawrence Sephaka 2. Willie Wepener1. JC Janse van Rensburg Replacements: 16. Hans van Dyk 17. Gert Muller 18. Gerhard Mostert 19. Robert Kruger 20. Chris Jonck 21. Earl Rose 22. Michael Killian

Crusaders: 15 Leon MacDonald, 14 Jared Payne, 13 Tim Bateman, 12 Ryan Crotty, 11 Colin Slade, 10 Stephen Brett, 9 Andy Ellis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Jonathan Poff, 6 Kieran Read (captain), 5 Isaac Ross, 4 Brad Thorn, 3 Owen Franks, 2 Jason Macdonald, 1 Wyatt Crockett.
Replacements: 16 Dan Perrin, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Ross Filipo, 19 Michael Paterson, 20 Kahn Fotuali'i, 21 Adam Whitelock, 22 Hamish Gard.

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