Newcastle Red Bulls edge Lions 14-10 with late surge in European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
Newcastle Red Bulls (7) 14
Tries: Hearle, McCallum Cons: Chamberlain, Connon
Lions (10) 10
Tries: Davids Cons: Francis Pens: Francis
Christian Wade departed Newcastle Red Bulls’ debut with a head injury as his side earned a hard-fought victory over Johannesburg Lions. Wade was on the field just over 30 minutes before a dangerous challenge from Lions winger Angelo Davids forced him off. Davids connected with a swinging arm on the blindside, earning a yellow card and leaving Wade requiring treatment before exiting.
The match opened with Davids scoring on an interception and Newcastle’s Boeta Chamberlain soon powering through the Lions’ defence, setting up Hearle to level the scores. A Sam Francis penalty nudged the visitors back in front, before Wade found space to threaten the Lions defence on his first run-out of the game.
Wade, a former Wasps and Gloucester man, will be particularly disappointed to be forced off with eyes on chasing Chris Ashton’s all-time try-scoring record in the Premiership.
Newcastle prop Ollie Fletcher received a yellow card shortly after Wade’s injury, as the Red Bulls weathered repeated waves of Lions pressure near their own line. Despite the Lions’ pressure, Chamberlain’s late penalty attempt missed, keeping the score tied at 10-10.
The decisive moment arrived in the final 10 minutes when Newcastle’s forwards laid siege and replacement prop Murray McCallum grounded the ball from close range, giving the Red Bulls the lead they would not relinquish. This marked Newcastle’s second successive victory in the competition and left them sitting second in Pool 2, well-placed to advance to the knockout stage.
Match comments from Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Alan Dickens:
“I was thrilled by the team’s attitude, especially our defensive effort in the first half. Holding out Lions during that yellow-card period was crucial and sets us up nicely for next week.”
Wade’s status: “He was struck on the jaw by a swinging arm and then collided with the floor on landing. He’ll undergo HIA protocols over the next week or two, but he was lucid in the changing room at half-time and full-time.”
Team line-ups:
Newcastle Red Bulls: Chamberlain; Wade, Hearle, Hutchison, E Obatoyinbo; Grayson, Stuart; Brocklebank, Fletcher, Palframan, Usher, Baker, Gordon, Christie, Leatherbarrow. Replacements: McGuigan, Rewcastle, McCallum, Hodgson, de Chaves, Elliott, Connon, H Obatoyinbo. Yellow card: Fletcher (39)
Johannesburg Lions: Lombard; Maxwane, Rass, Kriel, A Davids; Francis, Steyn; E Davids, Brandon, RF Schoeman, Sjoblom, R Schoeman, du Plessis, Qoma, Steenkamp. Replacements: Botha, Lyons, van Vuuren, Delport, Cairns, Pead, Dobela, Jonker. Yellow card: A Davids (31)
Referee: B Rousselet (France)
