Emirates Lions 24-21 Munster

A VALIANT FIGHTBACK from the Emirates Lions saw them earn arguably their biggest win to date in the United Rugby Championship with a hard-fought 24-21 victory over Munster at Emirates Airlines Park.

The Johannesburg side came back from 14-0 down to earn what is just their fourth win in the competition, while Munster will board the flight back to Ireland with back-to-back defeats in South Africa. On both occasions Munster could have and, one would feel, should have won.

Munster opened the scoring on the Highveld in the eighth minute of the game when the tighthead prop, John Ryan, powered his way over the tryline and out-half Jack Crowley made no mistake in adding the extra two points.

Six minutes later, Josh Wycherley got himself on the scoreboard with a try following a string of good and solid phases to put the Lions on the back foot, and Crowley once again made no mistake with the conversion.

It took the Lions a total of 33 minutes to get themselves on the scoreboard, and it took something special as well with winger Edwill van der Merwe sprinting down the left touchline with little space to work with for his third try in the space of seven days. The 20-year-old Lions out-half Jordan Hendrikse successfully landed the conversion from right on the touchline.

Hendrikse made it a four-point game when he converted a penalty with four minutes remaining on the clock in the first half.

But on the stroke of half-time, Fineen Wycherley scored for Munster to complete the double for the brothers, and Crowley converted for a 21-10 lead at the break.

Hendrikse landed an important penalty to open the scoring after the restart, and this also got the Lions fightback attempt in motion.

Just two minutes later the former Junior Springbok centre Wandisile Simelane scored for the Lions and Hendrikse converted to cut Munster’s lead to the bare minimum.

Munster were denied a bonus-point try on 50 minutes when TMO Chris Busby deemed that Neil Cronin’s pass to Niall Scannell at the start of the phase was clearly forward.

Hendrikse successfully converted his third penalty of the afternoon with less than five minutes left on the clock to hand the Lions the lead for the first time in the match, and it ultimately proved to be the winning points.

While Munster started like a house on fire in the first 20 minutes, one has to wonder if the heat, humidity and altitude in the City of Gold didn’t take its toll on them.

Munster will depart South Africa on Saturday and their preparations will begin ahead of hosting Benetton at Musgrave Park next Friday night.

Scorers for Lions:Tries: Edwill van der Merwe, Wandisile Simelane

Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse [2/2]

Penalties: Jordan Hendrikse [3/3]

Scorers for Munster:Tries: John Ryan, Josh Wycherley, Fineen Wycherley

Conversions: Jack Crowley [3/3]

Lions

15. Quan Horn
14. Stean Pienaar
13. Wandisile Simelane
12. Burger Odendaal (captain)
11. Edwill van der Merwe
10. Jordan Hendrikse
9. Morné van der Berg

1. Sithembiso Sithole
2. Jaco Visagie
3. Carlu Sadie
4. Ruben Schoeman
5. Reinhard Nothnagel
6. Sibusiso Sangweni
7. Vincent Tshituka
8. Francke Horn

Replacements:

16. PJ Botha
17. JP Smith
18. Ruan Dreyer
19. Ruan Venter
20. Emmanuel Tshituka
21. Nico Steyn
22. Manuel Rass
23. Tiaan Swanepoel

Munster

15. Mike Haley
14. Calvin Nash
13. Chris Farrell
12. Damian de Allende
11. Shane Daly
10. Jack Crowley
9. Neil Cronin

1. Josh Wycherley
2. Niall Scannell
3. John Ryan
4. Jean Kleyn
5. Fineen Wycherley
6. Jack O’Donoghue (captain)
7. John Hodnett
8. Alex Kendellen

Replacements:

16. Scott Buckley
17. Mark Donnelly
18. Keynan Knox
19. Eoin O’Connor
20. Chris Cloete
21. Paddy Patterson
22. Ben Healy
23. Liam Coombes

Referee: Adam Jones

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