It was yet again a case of so near and yet so far for the Lions against an Irish team as they were unable to convert their scrum dominance into a victory as they went down 17-10 to Munster in a cold Limerick on Saturday night.
After a four-game unbeaten start to the United Rugby Championship, the Johannesburg side lost 24-6 to Leinster in Dublin before the November Test window, and have followed it up with another disappointing defeat at Thomond Park.
Coach Ivan van Rooyen will wonder what more the Lions needed to do to cross the whitewash in the second half as the visitors camped inside the Munster 22 for long periods.
But their downfall was relying too much on pick-and-go carries by the forwards at close range, instead of making greater use of attacking threats such as Quan Horn, Edwill van der Merwe and Henco van Wyk out wide.
In a cagey opening quarter, it was former Junior Springbok fullback Thaakir Abrahams who made the breakthrough for Munster, with the No 11 forcing his way over after a strong build-up by the hosts in the 16th minute.
Former Paarl Boys’ High star Abrahams was a constant threat for the Lions defence, with his electric pace and stepping skills hard to contain.
But the Lions should’ve made much more of their advantage upfront, especially in the scrums, where powerhouse tighthead prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye made it a nightmare outing for former Western Province and Sharks loosehead Dian Bleuler.
The Lions wasted a five-metre driving maul in the 21st minute, when hooker PJ Botha was stopped by Munster No 8 Gavin Coombes, and shortly afterwards, Ntlabakanye went close – only for the hosts to grab another breakdown turnover.
It took something special for the Joburgers to get onto the scoreboard, and it should be a Try of the Year contender.
Outside centre Henco van Wyk received the ball from flank Jarod Cairns about 12 metres inside the Munster half, and the No 13 proceeded to step past five players before holding off two more defenders to score a remarkable five-pointer in the 28th minute.
Henco van Wyk has it all 🏉✨
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) November 30, 2024
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Flyhalf Kade Wolhuter added the conversion and a penalty five minutes later, and the Lions would have been satisfied with a 10-7 halftime lead – even though they left a few points out on the pitch.
Munster would’ve been feeling the heat in the change-room as they were under pressure and trying to save face following the recent departure of long-serving coach Graham Rowntree, and they responded positively to interim boss Ian Costello after the break.
It was that man Abrahams who ignited the Munster attack once more as he burst through and handed off his former Paarl schoolmate, Lions No 8 Francke Horn, before delivering the scoring pass for replacement back Shane Daly to regain the lead at 12-10.
About 10 minutes later, the Munster pack rolled up their sleeves with a series of carries, and openside flank Alex Kendellen somehow found his way over under a host of bodies.
The Lions were still in the game at 17-10 behind with 25 minutes to go, and managed to exert tremendous pressure on the Munster defence.
First 40 minutes in images 📸#MUNvLIO#ForOurCity@vodacom #URC | #HitsDifferent#LionsPride🦁 pic.twitter.com/bLHPwheZIh
Their spirit seemed to break in the 66th minute, though, when they again adopted a pick-and-go strategy with the forwards a few metres from the Munster tryline, only for a loose ball to be hacked away by Abrahams.
The Lions’ last real chance to draw level came in the 73th minute when they reached the Munster 22, but replacement tighthead prop RF Schoeman was isolated with the ball and conceded a breakdown penalty.
Next up for the Lions is a trip to Swansea to take on the Ospreys in the EPCR Challenge Cup next Sunday.
Points-Scorers
Lions 10 – Try: Henco van Wyk. Conversion: Kade Wolhuter (1). Penalty: Wolhuter (1).
Munster 17 – Tries: Thaakir Abrahams, Shane Daly, Alex Kendellen. Conversion: Billy Burns (1).