British and Irish Lions: Lions fight back to clinch series opener

The British and Irish Lions drew first blood in the series against South Africa after fighting back from nine points down at half-time to win 22-17.

The tourists were adrift at the break after Handre Pollard's four penalties.

But hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie scrambled over from short range four minutes after the break to change the tide.

Faf de Klerk's scrappy try briefly restored the world champions' cushion but Dan Biggar's boot and the tourists' superior conditioning saw them home.

The Lions survived a late onslaught when Owen Farrell's penalty three minutes from time was followed by a desperate last-ditch attack from the hosts as they searched for a score-tying try in vain.

With the next two Tests to be played at the same sea-level venue, rather than Johannesburg as originally planned, the Lions will return to Cape Town Stadium in seven days looking for the kill and a first series win in South Africa since the iconic 1997 success.

South Africa's winless streak in the city now stretches back to September 2014. The hosts, who have played only one Test in 20 months, will wonder how the match and momentum slipped away from them after a controlled and composed first half.

This article originally appeared on BBC Sport

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