Coach Ivan van Rooyen was left lamenting a handful of missed opportunities after the Lions fell to a late 14-10 EPCR Challenge Cup defeat to the Newcastle Red Bulls.
The match was played in brutally difficult conditions at Kingston Park in England’s north east, with icy temperatures and swirling winds.
It was a contest the Joburg-based side largely controlled – right up until the 78th minute when the hosts crashed over to take the lead for the first time in the match.
REPORT: Red Bulls break Lions hearts
For Van Rooyen, the frustration lay not in effort or dominance, but in a failure to turn pressure into points when it mattered most.
“Obviously, it was tough conditions – really, really windy, something we’re not used to,” he said. “But even with that, I felt we created more than enough opportunities to get the result.”
The Lions led for almost the entirety of the match and enjoyed long spells inside the Newcastle 22, particularly late in the first half. However, despite camping on the hosts’ tryline for extended periods, they were unable to add to earlier scores and went into the break just 10-7 ahead – a moment the coach believes proved decisive.
“In the last five or six minutes of the first half, we didn’t capitalise when we had all the possession in their 22,” he said. “Against the wind, you know you’re going to spend a lot of time on the back foot in the second half. One score there and I think the game would have been totally different.”
DOBBO: Stormers seduced by great start
Van Rooyen pointed to the impact of the conditions after the break, with the wind dictating territory and making errors especially costly.
“In the first half we managed to get five or 10 metres out regularly,” he said. “In the second half, we barely got there. If you make an error, the other team just kicks downfield with the wind. It forces that kind of game.”
Despite the disappointment, the Lions coach highlighted several strong individual performances and their forward effort.
“I think we dominated pretty much all the stats,” he said. “Our tight five were exceptional in the set-piece and in the loose. Siba [Qoma] was outstanding. Both centres [Richard Kriel and Manuel Rass] played really well, Gianni [Lombard] played well, Nico [Steyn] played well. There were a lot of positives.”
JP: Andre, Ethan like extra forwards for Sharks
But Van Rooyen returned to the key moments that slipped away.
“If we finish the opportunities at the end of the first half, and that linebreak from Richard in the second half, it’s a very different game,” he said.
Defeats to Benetton and now Newcastle have left the Lions’ Challenge Cup campaign on the brink with pool matches against Lyon (home, 10 January) and Perpignan (away, 17 January) to come.
Photo: Mike Driver/INPHO
The post Cash rues Lions’ costly missed opportunities appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.