The Lions have won the third match of their tour of South Africa after a two-point victory over the Free State Cheetahs at Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein. Read Ed Leahy's matchtracker here on RTE.ie.
FULL-TIME: Cheetahs 24-26 Lions
3.38pm - It's all over. Cheetahs try to set up a final drop-goal chance but cannot get the ball back and Lions win penalty. Kicked to touch to finish the game with a narrow victory.
Lions just hold on to maintain their 100 per cent record. Plenty of food for thought for Lions coaching staff ahead of Wednesday's game against the Sharks.
3.36pm - Audacious Cheetahs drop-goal attempt from way-out slides just wide as Lions breathe easy. Byrne then gives Cheetahs another chance as he knocks forward.
3.34pm - D'Arcy straight into the action as the Lions try to break through the Cheetah defence. Well held up by the home side as they snatch possession and win a penalty to clear danger. Next score the winner, I'd imagine. Two minutes to play. Cheetahs on the attack.
3.32pm - A two-point game as the Lions look rattled. Gordon D'Arcy onto the pitch for his first taste of Lions 2009 action.
Cheetahs 24-26 Lions
3.30pm - TRY Cheetahs - the Welsh winger offloads but the ball is intercepted by Uys who runs the length of the pitch to score. Easy conversion for Strydom.
3.28pm - Byrnes high kick not dealt with by Daniller and Lions increase pressure with Ellis and O'Callaghan doing well before the ball gets to Williams and then...
3.25pm - Cheetahs win penalty after Ellis gets himself offside in the tackle. Another chance wasted for Cheetahs as the kick falls well wide.
3.21pm - It's all Lions at the moment and it's all about the pack gaining possession. Eventually goes out wide with good play by Fitzgerald who feeds Earls. Back across and into the forwards as O'Connell bursts clear. Lions stopped on the try-line and the ball is stolen by Strauss and Cheetahs clear... phew! Exhausting passage of play and all I'm doing is typing - slowly...
3.18pm - Bloemfontein Celtic jerseys by all accounts. The football side play here at Vodacom Park as well - you'll see more of this stadium at next year's football World Cup.
Ferris bursts out of the pack once more and feeds Earls who nearly skips down the line but gets bumped into touch. Two subs for the Lions. Rees & Jones on.
3.15pm - Not very entertaining second half, it has to be said - tempted to have a sneaky look at the Twenty20 cricket on the other channel. Good crowd shots of green and white hooped jerseys dancing keeps me in Bloemfontein as the Lions gain some momentum.
3.12pm - Game comes to life thankfully after some great play by Brussow to win possession back for the Cheetah who then kick down the right wing to push the Lions back into their own 22.
3.10pm - Byrne kicks over the top and gets a hand on the ball as it drops but fails to hold on and Cheetahs take possession. Lions prevent Cheetahs in midfield but sloppy play as Cheetahs win scrum.
3.08pm - Cheetahs break clear again dwn the left. Worsley tackles but doesn't roll away and penalty awarded to Cheetahs. Potgieter kicks but fails to score.
Cheetahs 17-26 Lions
3.06pm - PENALTY Lions - Hook kicks over once more although it looked close as the ball began to drift as it neared the posts. Impressive kicking from Hook all the same.
3.03pm - Sloppy line-out ball by Lions gives possession back to Cheetahs who clear over the half-way line. Intensity appears to have dropped considerably since the break. Sloppy play in midfield from both sides. Lions win penalty as scrum advances.
2.59pm - Lions know they are in a game now and they keep the ball in the pack and edge into Cheetah territory. Good play from O'Connell and Powell. Lions scrum but good Cheetah play turns over possession and kick to touch.
Cheetahs 17-23 Lions
2.55pm - PENALTY Cheetahs - Great kick from distance by Potgieter sails over the bar to reduce the defecit to six points.
2.54pm - And we're back. Cheetahs win a penalty close to the half-way line - looks like Potgieter fancies a pop at the posts.
HALF-TIME - Cheetahs 14-23 Lions
2.43pm - O'Callaghan wins good line out ball and the Lions break as the 40-min mark passes. Cheetahs get possession and clear to let the ref blow for half-time.
Cheetahs 14-23 Lions
2.42pm - PENALTY LIONS - Hook kicking for fun as he knocks one over from 40 yards out.
2.40pm - Ferris' abscence gave the Cheetah a way back in and now there is a game on as the sin bin runs out and it's 15 v 15 once again.
Cheetahs 14-20 Lions
2.37pm - TRY Cheetahs - Lions scrum turned over as Powell is stopped and du Preez charges over to touch down. Potgieter converts again.
2.35pm - Lions regain composure and enjoy some good phase play but Cheetahs break again with demas who looked certain to score until his kick through took a wicked bounce to go over the dead-ball line - despite Demas' superman style dive.
2.23pm - Cheetahs seem to have found a bit of confidence with the some good play in their own half allowing Demas to push past the halfway line. Crowd - seems to be a bit bigger now - reacts to the good play and get behind their side.
Cheetahs 7-20 Lions
2.28pm - TRY Cheetahs - good pressure by de Bruyn and Bosman and ball moves out wide to Demas who gets in to score. Fine kick by Potgieter to convert. Good use of the extra man there by the Cheetahs.
2.26pm - Line-out for Cheetahs five yards out - Paul O'Connell pressure breaks up the play but Cheetah regroup to win scrum.
2.24pm - Ferris off to the sin bin for deliberately staying on the wrong side in the tackle. Chance for the Cheetahs to attack. Good pressure but not so good cross-field kick and ref brings play back for a Cheetah penalty.
Cheetahs 0-20 Lions
2.22pm - PENALTY LIONS - Hooks kicks again - straight through.
2.20pm - Williams goes on a mazy run but great defence by the Cheetah hooker to catch the Welsh winger and he gets bumped into touch.
Lions put more pressure and attempt a drop-goal, which goes wide - makes no difference as the ref had a penalty coming.
Cheetahs 0-17 Lions
2.17pm TRY LIONS - Hook chips through and Keith Earls collects and beats two and powers over to exorcise all those debut demons. Good call by the coach to get the young Munster man back into action. Hook converts.
2.15pm - Cheetahs really having difficulty in the scrum and struggle to clear from their try line. Eventually break up the right wing and push Lions back to the half-way line.
2.14pm - Scrum problems for the Cheetahs on the halfway line and ref gives Lions penalty. Kicked to touch for Lions possession. Powell makes up some ground but Cheetahs win scrum to ease pressure.
Cheetahs 0-10 Lions
2.10pm - TRY LIONS - Hook kicks long and high to put pressure back on Cheetahs. Lions pressure quickly and Ferris is first to the loose ball and powers thirty yards at a decent pace to touch down under the posts. Hook converts.
2.09pm - Cheetahs pressure Lions taking them on at their own game in the forwards. Worsely gets on wrong side and hands scoring opportunity to the hosts. Penalty kicked wide.
Cheetahs 0-3 Lions
2.07pm - Penalty Lions - Hook kicks from distance straight through the posts
2.06pm - demas nearly breaks down the wing but is well stopped and Lions regroup and win a penalty.
2.04pm - First fight of the day but lots of wrestling and no proper punches throw. Ref warns the offenders and gets on with it.
2.00pm - Underway in Bloemfontein and immediately the Lions put pressure on the hosts with some good forward pressure. Very strong Lions pack on show - should dominate all day.
Ball goes out the back line until it comes to O'Callaghan who knocks forward to give possession away with a scrum to the Cheetahs. Donncha may be advised to stay out of those attacking lines in future...
1.50pm - Well here we go - another match in the very long build up to the three-match Test series with the Sprinkboks and this time it's the Free State Cheetahs who will test themselves against the travelling Lions.
The crowd looks a bit sparse in the impressive Vodacom Stadium and the weather appears to be pretty hot with the match taking place over 4,000 feet above sea level.
Paul O'Connell leads the team out with his toy Lion mascot held by the scruff of his neck...
Cheetahs are at full strength and should give the Lions a tougher test than they got on Wednesday against the Golden Lions.
Teams:
Cheetahs: H Daniller; D Demas, C Uys, M Bosman, J W Jonker; J-L Potgieter, T de Bruyn; W Du Preez, A Strauss, K Calldo, N Breedt, D de Villiers, H Brussow, F Uys, H Scholtz (capt).
Replacements: R Strauss, W P Nel, F Viljoen, K Floors, G Odendaal, L Strydom, F Juries.
British and Irish Lions: L Byrne (Ospreys and Wales); L Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues and Wales), K Earls (Munster and Ireland), L Fitzgerald (Leinster and Ireland), S Williams (Ospreys and Wales); J Hook (Ospreys and Wales), H Ellis (Leicester and England); A Sheridan (Sale Sharks and England), R Ford (Edinburgh and Scotland), E Murray (Northampton and Scotland), D O'Callaghan (Munster and Ireland), P O'Connell (Munster and Ireland, capt), S Ferris (Ulster and Ireland), J Worsley (Wasps and England), A Powell.
Replacements: M Rees, A Jones, S Shaw, N Hines, M Blair, R O'Gara, G D'Arcy.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England).
