Lions rue missed chances as late Newcastle surge seals 14-10 Challenge Cup victory

The Lions’ woes on their European tours continued with a narrow 14-10 Challenge Cup defeat to the Newcastle Red Bulls in their round two clash at a bitterly cold and blustery Kingston Park Stadium in Newcastle on Saturday evening, with the match decided in the dying minutes.

The visitors were left to rue their inability to convert prolonged dominance of territory and possession into points in a contest they should have put out of sight long before a nervy closing spell.

Lions flyer Angelo Davids was gifted the opening try in the fourth minute after intercepting a loose pass, with Sam Francis adding the extras to give the visitors an early 7–0 lead.

The Lions then kept the home side pinned in their half with a series of huge hits in midfield, as Siba Qoma and Ruan Venter repeatedly lined up Newcastle’s attackers. The forwards were also strong in the carry and at the collision point, while the breakdowns were fiercely contested.

However, a lapse in midfield defence in the 14th minute allowed Newcastle back into the contest, with Alex Hearle crossing after several slipped tackles. Boeta Chamberlain converted to level matters at 7–7.

The Lions responded with a spell of sustained pressure, carrying through multiple phases inside the Newcastle 22. Their reward came in the 20th minute when Francis slotted a penalty to restore their lead at 10–7 after desperate defence from the hosts.

Another chance to extend the advantage soon followed, but the Lions opted for a tap penalty five metres out rather than a shot at goal. The move came unstuck when Manuel Rass was wrapped up going left, allowing a Newcastle jackal to win a crucial turnover.

The Lions were well on top for the opening 25 minutes and unfortunate not to be further ahead as they dominated the early territory battle. While the lineout remained inconsistent in the swirling breeze, the scrum held up well by comparison.

Lions try-scorer Davids saw yellow for a swinging arm in a tackle on Christian Wade with less than 10 minutes to go in the half.

Even with 14 men the Lions had the better of the exchanges, moving the ball through the hands and employing clever grubber kicks to turn the Newcastle defence. Newcastle were penned back in their 22 as the Lions attacked in waves, keeping the ball tight and earning a number of penalties as they laid siege to the Newcastle try line.

The pressure eventually led to a yellow for the home side but not the five-pointer the Lions were desperately looking for before half-time.

The score remained 10-7 at the break.

The Lions were quickly on the front foot and running the ball from all angles as the second half took on the same pattern as the first. Powerful forward Ruben Scheman was immense in the tight phases, while lock partner Dylan Sjoblom also put in shift, popping up all over the park. 

For all their dominance, Ivan van Rooyen's Lions were unable to make further progress on the scoreboard, with promising half-breaks often interrupted by handling errors. 

The home side had the chance to get the first points of the half, after a rare spell of pressure, but Chamberlain dragged his penalty kick wide. They built momentum again with eight minutes left in the contest and the Lions hanging on to their slim lead. They did well to repel a lineout maul and to hold the ball up over the line a few phases later with time running out.

Cameron Hutchison spilled the ball when he was over the line, but the dam wall eventually broke, with Murray McCallum barging over, and Brett Connon converting to give his team the 14-10 win.    

Points-scorers
Lions 10 (10)
Tries: Davids. Conversion: Francis Penalty: Francis

Newcastle 14 (7)
Tries: Hearle, McCallum … Conversion: Chamberlain, Connon