Stade Francais vs Lions.
Stade Francais vs Lions
Three yellow playing cards in the second half and missed alternatives in the primary, noticed the Lions sink to a 17-7 (halftime 0-7) Challenge Cup defeat by the hands of Stade Francais in moist and windy Paris on Saturday.
The guests have been nicely price their 7-0 halftime lead however have been unable to withstand a second-half fightback by the French crew, though their activity was eased by the Emirates Lions as they collected yellow playing cards through flyhalf Gianni Lombard, prop JP Smith and centre Henco van Wyk.
To rub salt in their wounds Stade Francais kicked a fourth penalty in the half, with two minutes remaining, to disclaim the Lions what would have been some reward in the type of a shedding bonus level.
The Lions had begun so nicely – taking part in in an alternate royal blue and yellow jersey with black shorts and socks – and have been nicely price their halftime lead and would solely have been disillusioned that it wasn’t by a better margin than seven factors (7-0).
The solely rating of the half got here from a maul attempt – accomplished by No 8 Emmanuel Tshituka – transformed by flyhalf Gianni Lombard in the 15th minute, however the latter additionally missed two different penalty makes an attempt, the second a snatched affair from 22 metres and just about straight in entrance.
Scrumhalf Morne van den Berg had additionally knocked a few metres wanting the road in the fourth minute whereas JP Smith was held up over the road from one other pushed maul in the primary half.
By distinction, Stade Francais didn’t have even a shot at purpose to point out for his or her first half half efforts in damp and blustery situations on their 4G pitch. Worse, centre Alex Arrate was yellow carded seven minutes earlier than the break for not releasing in the deal with, gathering a card after an earlier crew warning for such offences.
The dwelling aspect lastly broke their duck seven minutes after the restart when flyhalf Joris Seconds popped over a close-range penalty when a succession of drives had been emphatically thwarted by the Emirates Lions till they have been caught offside.
As the situations worsened – the wind and rain changing into extra insistent – so did issues for the Emirates Lions. Lombard was despatched to the sin bin for a harmful deal with in the air on left wing Stephane Ahmed with 28 minutes remaining and the four-point lead beneath menace.
The speedy menace was averted – a pushed maul from the ensuing penalty was held up over the road by Van den Berg – however from the following part of play the Lions have been diminished to 13 with JP Smith becoming a member of Lombard for head contact in a deal with on flank Julien Ory.
Seconds closed the hole to at least one level together with his second penalty from 40 metres (7-6) however two minutes later he missed together with his third try – when the Lions conceded a scrum penalty – which might have given the house crew the lead for the primary time.
But it was solely a lead delayed. Stade Francais have been again in the Lions’ 22 inside moments, forcing one other attacking lineout from which substitute hooker Laurent Panis duly emerged from the maul to assert his crew’s attempt.
Seconds was nicely large together with his conversion however Stade now had the lead with 17 minutes remaining (11-7) and commenced to show the screw because the Lions have been restored to fifteen after which diminished as soon as extra to 14 when centre Henco van Wyk was yellow carded for cynically collapsing a motoring midfield maul.
By then Stade had added three factors to their lead from the boot of substitute flyhalf Arthur Colville who delivered the ultimate nail in the Lions’ coffin with two minutes to go.
Scorers:
Stade Francais 17 (0) – Try: Laurent Panis. Penalties: Joris Seconds (2), Arthur Colville (2).
Emirates Lions 7 (7) – Try: Emmanuel Tshituka. Conversion: Gianni Lombard.