The defending champion Crusaders kept their Super 14 playoff hopes alive with a 32-20 bonus-point victory over the Lions on Friday.

Isaac Ross, Stephen Brett, Brad Thorn and Dan Perrin scored tries for the Crusaders, while Leon MacDonald kicked 12 points at Ellis Park Stadium.

Jano Vermaak, Johan van Deventer and Anton van Zyl collected tries for the Lions, who remain third-last in the standings.

Ross rounded off a counter-attack with a converted try in the first half after receiving a pass from winger Colin Slade to give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead.

The Lions hit back when flyhalf Andre Pretorius kicked through a loose ball for centre Doppies la Grange to pass to Vermaak, who went over in the corner.

The Lions hit the front when Van Deventer sidestepped two defenders to crash over for a try, but Brett then charged down an attempted clearance by fullback Louis Ludik to score.

Pretorius and MacDonald exchanged penalties for the Crusaders to lead 17-15 at halftime.

The Crusaders went further ahead in the 62nd minute when Brett was held up short of the line and Thorn went over in the next play.

Van Zyl kicked ahead and gathered the ball to go over soon after to again narrow the margin. But Perrin put the result beyond doubt by scoring after a lineout inside the Lions' 22-metre area, and MacDonald made sure with a 78th-minute penalty.

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