Match goes ahead in Johannesburg despite positive coronavirus tests in Lions camp
One player and one management team member test positive
Eight players isolating as close contacts
Duhan van der Merwe and Josh Adams complete try hat-tricks
Louis Rees-Zammit also scores early in second half
Van der Merwe (2), Adams & Bundee Aki bag first-half tries
Owen Farrell started at fly-half as Lions forced to change four backs
Sharks 7-26 Lions
Tadhg Furlong and Rory Sutherland come on for Zanger Fagerson and Mako Vunipola in the front row, while Owen Farrell, whose shoulder looked to be troubling him, is replaced by Finn Russell.
James Venter (con Bosch)
The Lions pay for letting things get loose.
The Sharks zip left and James Venter motors around a wrong-footed Sam Simmonds to score.
Sharks 0-26 Lions
A nice combination between Mako Vunipola and Luke Cowan-Dickie (whose name I seem to be typing a lot) sends the Exeter man up towards the Sharks 22m.
But the Lions get a little offload happy.
Sharks intercept and it takes a good covering tackle from Louis Rees-Zammit to stem the bleeding.
Image source, Getty ImagesSharks 0-26 Lions
Josh Navidi gets a charge down as the Sharks 10 dawdles over an attempted up and under.
The Wales flanker thumps into another tackle. Solid start.
Manie Libbok gets into a little space but is brought down and Luke Cowan-Dickie gets over the top of the tackled man to earn the turnover penalty.
Sharks 0-26 Lions
Owen Farrell clumps a penalty into the corner to give his forwards another chance to get their driving maul purring. They have not managed to get one over the line so far...
Sharks 0-26 Lions
We are back up and running.
Sharks 0-26 Lions
A little zoom in on Sam Simmonds in his first start.
The some-time England back row has made more carries (six) and more metres (30) than any other Lions forward. Only Josh Adams (31m) and Elliot Daly (51m) have made more of any Lions players.
He hasn't shirked defence either. Eight tackles made. Only Iain Henderson, with nine, has made more among the tourists' pack.
Image source, Getty ImagesSharks 0-26 Lions
Match stats
Sharks-Lions
Possession: 48%-52%
Territory: 47%-53%
Carries: 41-43
Metres carries: 179-175
Defenders beaten: 10-16
Clean breaks: 2-5
Tackles made/missed: 46/16-53/10
Turnovers won: 2-4
Penalties conceded 4-8
Sharks 0-26 Lions
Duhan van der Merwe shares a little joke with Josh Adams as he heads for the tunnel.
It has been a performance to lighten the mood.
Bundee Aki (con Farrell)
The Lions driven maul runs out of gas about 10 metres short of the Sharks line. But they have quite the jump-start service. Luke Cowan-Dickie puts his shoulder down and barges up another few yards before Bundee Aki crashes through flanker James Venter for his first Lions score.
Another two for Owen Farrell.
And a very decent first half from the Lions.
Sharks 0-19 Lions
Sam Simmonds with fresh air in his nostrils and thighs pumping. The Exeter man makes a serious dent.
Image source, Getty ImagesSharks 0-19 Lions
I wonder if there was a front-row pep talk for the Lions somewhere after the last set-piece. The Sharks scrum splinters like balsa wood. Much more like it.
And Elliot Daly hoofs the penalty into the Sharks half for another decent attacking platform.
Sharks 0-19 Lions
Thaakir Abrahams, all hot steps and ankle-icing changes of direction, beats a couple of Lions defenders.
A bit of space here, the Lions defensive line scattered to the winds.
But centre Marius Louw's offload flies forward off the shoulder of the charging Phepsi Buthelezi.
Sharks 0-19 Lions
That was nice....
Tom Curry slips an offload out the side door to Luke Cowan Dickie who pops up to Ali Price whose offload....just fails to fall for Adam Beard.
There is a definite all-court vibe to how the Lions are playing.
Sharks 0-19 Lions
A superb low chop tackle from Luke Cowan-Dickie, an absolute shin-splitter, stops the Sharks in their tracks...
Sharks 0-19 Lions
Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber will be making notes about the Lions front row. Another scrum goes the Sharks way as the tourists lose traction and the referee's decision.
They will need to be tougher and tigher come Test time...
Duhan van der Merwe
Oceans of backfield space. Owen Farrell spots it. And pins it with a perfectly-weighted grubber off the instep.
The charge of the red brigade as Elliot Daly and Duhan van der Merwe chase up. Van der Merwe wins the race, controls it deftly and dots down.
The conversion, from way out wide, is just off target from Farrell.
Image source, Getty ImagesSharks 0-14 Lions
That is superb from a Josh Navidi-Owen Farrell tag team. The choke tackle keeps a Sharks forward off the deck and, with the momentum not coming on from the hosts, it will be red put-in to the scrum.
We restart on halfway.
Sharks 0-14 Lions
Mako Vunipola's feet slip at scrum time to allow the Sharks to kick clear with a penalty...
Sharks 0-14 Lions
Luke Cowan-Dickie is denied the score. A clear spill. The Sharks will put into the scrum five out from their own line...