Lions coach happy tough half-time talk did the job against Griffons

The Lions desperately needed a win after starting their Currie Cup campaign with back-to-back defeats, but for a while at least, it seemed as if there might be yet anoter loss on the cards.

The Gauteng outfit conceded two tries in the first half as they stared down a 12-23 deficit at the break.

But a hat-trick of second-half tries from Nico Steyn helped Nkosi's side erase that deficit and ultimately cruise to a relatively decisive 41-26 victory.

"It is a win, but it was a terrible performance," Lions coach Nkosi said after the match.

"It is not a performance we can be proud of, obviously we take the five points.

"We started off poorly and had to dig ourselves out of a hole and that has probably been the story of our season.

"But we have to change it sooner rather than later."

The coach admitted he gave the team a tough talking-to at half-time.

"What was said at the break is probably not suitable for family viewing and hearing but it was nothing that wasn't the truth.

"We glad we got the win but it was too close for comfort."

He added: "We have to keep going.

"There are 11 weeks to go so we are still excited and we just have to make sure our performance is much better."

Meanwhile, hat-trick hero Steyn said he hoped their second-half performance can be a catalyst for the rest of the season.

"It was a massive one," said the scrumhalf.

"As a team, we knew we had to get a W somewhere and if there was one game we can get one we knew it was this game.

"We were our own enemies in the first half but the players put up their hands in the second half and put in a good performance."

"The first win of the season as a Union it was something special and we will definitely feed off this one."

The Lions next face the Sharks in Round four of the Currie Cup on April 1.