Challenge Cup result: Lions overpower Newcastle Falcons

A strong forward driven performance helped the Lions eventually overpower a valiant Newcastle Falcons side 35-13 in their Challenge Cup clash at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was a scrappy performance from the hosts, after they were expected to pick up an easy win over the English Premiership struggles, but were instead pushed all the way by the young Falcons side until they ran away at the death.

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The Falcons made a nuisance of themselves throughout the match, and their try in the 59^th minute made it 21-13 with them still well in the game, but the Lions forward dominance eventually told as they scored to late tries for a comfortable win in the end.

Slow start

It was a slow start to the match for the home side, with the Falcons taking advantage as their positive early play was rewarded when flyhalf Brett Connon slotted an eighth minute penalty to give them a 3-0 lead.

However the Lions started to find their feet as their pack started to gain ascendancy and were soon in with their opening try in the 18^th minute.

They setup a lineout deep in the Falcons 22m, with the maul then stopped just short as hooker JP Smith broke off the back, spun off a tackle attempt and dived over to score, with flyhalf Sanele Nohmaba adding the extras to move into a 7-0 lead.

That became 14-0 in the 28^th minute as the Lions almost repeated the first score, with a lineout in the Falcons 22m, maul stopped short and then prop JP Smith picked up and crashed over from close range.

The Falcons managed to reduce the deficit to 14-6 at halftime as Connon slotted a long range effort in the 32^nd minute.

But the visitors were desperately holding on going into the break after two yellow cards, to flanks Josh Bainbridge, for repeated infringements, and Phillip van der Walt, for a dangerous tackle, in the final five minutes reduced them to 13 men.

Superb defence

The Falcons defended superbly at the start of the second half to not concede while two men down, but just after returning to their full complement the pressure told as the Lions scored their third try.

In the 50^th minute from another lineout on the Falcons 5m the ball was popped straight to flank Emmanuel Tshituka looping around at pace for him to power through a couple of tackle attempts and over, with Nohamba’s conversion giving them a 21-6 lead.

The Falcons had put in a valiant effort and were once again rewarded in the 59^th minute when they took play into the Lions 22m, earning a penalty on the 5m with the quick tap then seeing replacement loose forward Freddie Lockwood crashing over for the converted score.

The Lions finally secured the win and bonus point in the 69^th minute as they attacked from a scrum near the half way, breaking into the Falcons 22m where the final offload found captain Marius Louw following up to go over for the converted try and 28-13 lead.

A scrum deep in the Falcons 22m in the 76^th minute then allowed the Lions to finish with a flourish as they attacked from it and Tshituka powered over for his second try to seal a comfortable win in the end.

Scorers

Lions: Tries – PJ Botha, JP Smith, Emmanuel Tshituka (2), Marius Louw; Conversions – Sanele Nohamba (5)

Newcastle Falcons: Try – Freddie Lockwood; Conversion – Brett Connon; Penalties – Connon (2)