Lions fall short in Belfast after strong start

MATCH REPORT: The Lions ended their four-match United Rugby Championship tour with a 17-24 defeat to Ulster in Belfast on Friday.

It means the Johannesburg side will head back to South Africa with just one win and that was a 24-23 victory against the Scarlets in Round Four.

However, with three close defeats, the Lions notched up a neat total of seven log points on tour.

Ivan van Rooyen’s side dominated the first half against Ulster at Ravenhill Stadium and they found themselves securing a seven-point lead at the break.

However, they could not keep up that momentum in the second half with the home side eventually fighting back to secure the four points.

The Lions were playing a great brand of rugby in the opening 10 minutes and they eventually opened the scoring when Sanele Nohamba found Richard Kriel with a fantastic crossfield kick before the wing went over for the first try.

The Lions’ other wing, Edwill van der Merwe, also deserves some credit for his fantastic run in the build-up to that score.

Nohamba added the extra two points with the conversion.

Centre Henco van Wyk thought he was over for his team’s second try in the 24th minute after showing some serious speed to chase the ball down after a kick. However, the ball was lost forward earlier in the play.

Ulster started to look more threatening as they got more of the ball and they eventually found a way through the Lions’ defence with James Hume powering over for a try in the 29th minute. Nathan Doak levelled the scores with his conversion.

However, a few minutes later the Lions found themselves back in front when Hanru Sirgel crashed over the Ulster tryline after some sustained pressure. Nohamba was successful with the conversion again.

It meant the Lions went into the break 14-7 in front.

Ulster made a great start in the second half with the ball going through the hands to Jacob Stockdale to run in for his team’s second try.

Doak levelled the scores once again with a sensational conversion.

Some sloppy play from the restart gave the Lions a penalty and it was Nohamba who put his team back in front with a three-pointer.

However, the home side took the lead for the first time in the game in the 47th minute after hooker Rob Herring found his way to the tryline after a powerful driving maul inside the Lions’22. Doak added the extra two points with the conversion.

With the rain coming down hard, Nohamba had a chance to reduce Ulster’s lead to one point in the 62nd minute with a penalty, but he didn’t have the direction or distance.

Instead, it was John Cooney who made it a seven-point ball game with a penalty of his own in the 68th minute.

The Lions had their chances in the closing stages of the game, but they didn’t have enough patience on attack.

Man of the match: Sanele Nohamba started the game well for the Lions, but he faded away a bit in the second half. The award goes to Ulster scrumhalf Nathan Doak, who had some nice touches with ball in hand on attack and his goal-kicking was great as well.

The scorers:

For Ulster:
Tries: Hume, Stockdale, Herring
Cons: Doak 3
Pen: Cooney

For Lions:
Tries: Kriel, Sirgel
Cons: Nohamba 2
Pen: Nohamba

Teams:

Ulster: 15 Stewart Moore, 14 Rob Baloucoune, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Jacob Stockdale, 10 Jake Flannery, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 David McCann, 7 Reuben Crothers, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Iain Henderson (Captain), 4 Alan O’Connor, 3 Scott Wilson, 2 Rob Herring, 1 Andrew Warwick.
Replacements: 16 John Andrew, 17 Eric O’Sullivan, 18 Marty Moore, 19 Harry Sheridan, 20 Lorcan McLoughlin, 21 John Cooney, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Aaron Sexton.

Lions: 15 Quan Horn, 14 Richard Kriel, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Marius Louw (captain), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sanele Nohamba, 9 Morne van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Hanru Sirgel, 5 Willem Alberts, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Corne Fourie.
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 JP Smith, 18 Ruan Smith, 19 Ruan Delport, 20 Ruan Venter, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Jordan Hendrikse, 23 Rabz Maxwane.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Frank Murphy (Ireland), Padraic Reidy (Ireland)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ireland)