Lions adapt to conditions to earn gritty URC draw against Ospreys

THE LIONS left Swansea with a few valuable Vodacom United Rugby Championship points after a hard-fought 24-all draw against Ospreys on Friday night, a result that underlined their growing adaptability in difficult conditions.

Played in driving rain and strong wind, the match demanded far more than expansive attacking rugby. While the Lions have built a reputation as a running side, this contest showed a willingness to vary their approach when conditions made that difficult.

Although they enjoyed just 34% attacking possession, the Johannesburg side stayed in the contest through defensive effort, tactical adjustments and opportunistic finishing, securing both a draw and a try-scoring bonus point.

A second consecutive stalemate followed last week’s 20-all draw in Perpignan, but unlike that result, which ended their EPCR Challenge Cup campaign, this outcome left the Lions with something tangible to take home from Europe.

Strong start, pressure swings

The Lions struck first after a positive opening spell, with captain Francke Horn squeezing over in the right corner following sharp passing from the back row. The try went unconverted.

Ospreys then capitalised on the wind advantage and built momentum, scoring three tries through James Ratti, Iestyn Hopkins and Morgan Morse to open up a 19-5 lead. Dan Edwards converted two of those efforts.

Just before halftime, the Lions clawed their way back into the contest. After sustained pressure beyond the hooter, Horn crossed for his second try, which Chris Smith converted to reduce the deficit to 19-12 at the break.

Momentum shifts after halftime

The visitors continued to apply pressure early in the second half and scored again eight minutes after the restart. Smith missed the conversion, leaving the Lions two points adrift.

Eleven minutes later, fullback Quan Horn finished off the Lions’ fourth try, earning the bonus point and pushing his side into the lead. Smith added the conversion to make it 24-19 heading into the final quarter, with the wind now behind the South African team.

Despite that advantage, the Lions were unable to shut the game down. Daniel Kasende crossed in the 63rd minute for Ospreys, with Edwards’ conversion levelling the scores at 24-all.

Late drama and talking points

The closing stages delivered drama at both ends. Edwards missed a late penalty in difficult conditions and later pushed a drop-goal attempt wide after time had expired.

From the final passage of play, the Lions ran the ball from deep, with Smith breaking through before kicking ahead for Angelo Davids. Davids won the race but knocked on as he attempted to ground the ball, bringing the match to an end.

A major talking point was the yellow card shown to Dewi Lake for a shoulder-to-chin tackle on Asenathi Ntlabakanye, an incident that could have carried a harsher sanction under modern interpretations.

Both teams finished with four tries apiece in an entertaining contest given the conditions. The result lifts the Lions to seventh on the URC log with 24 points, while Ospreys sit eighth on 21 points, having played one more match.

Scores

Ospreys 24 - Tries: James Ratti, Iestyn Hopkins, Morgan Morse and Daniel Kasende; Conversions: Dan Edwards (2).

Lions 24 - Tries: Francke Horn 2, PJ Botha and Quan Horn; Conversions: Chris Smith (2).