Reds’ intensity shocked Lions

A great finish by the Lions could not quite make up for a dismal opening half, coach Swys de Bruin lamented, after they went down to the Reds in Brisbane in their Super Rugby clash at the weekend.

The Lions suffered their fourth loss but remained second overall after 10 games, holding an 11-point advantage at the top of the South African Conference.

Having lost 27-22 to the Reds, De Bruin admitted their failure to respond to the home team’s 24 points in the first half was a killer blow, with the Lions showing a lack of urgency and being forced into countless mistakes.

“I’m always positive and it was a good comeback, but not good enough,” Dr Bruin said.

“We didn’t start well enough and that was the reason we lost.”

The Lions scored their first points of the game in the 55th minute when hooker Malcolm Marx barged over for the first of his two tries, while replacement flanker Marnus Schoeman crashed over twice in the last two minutes.

Three missed conversions by flyhalf Elton Jantjies (below) proved to be the difference in the end.

“We’ll have to go back and look at the reasons why we didn’t start well, but the impact players did well,” De Bruin said.

Despite the Reds having an upand-down season, De Bruin said they had arrived highly charged with their intensity at the collisions and on defence, which had rattled the Lions.

“They played very well and were very hungry and almost desperate,” he said.

While the Lions outscored the Reds by 22 points to just three in the second half, the damage was done in the first period.

“I’ve been in this game many years and I can see when a team is very hungry, and I told my assistants so,” De Bruin said.

“They hit the rucks harder, they were first at the breakdowns and they had more intensity in the pressure situations.”