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Incredible defence sees Lions squeak home against Zebre

football19 October 2024 14:00
By:Brenden Nel
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The Emirates Lions kept their unbeaten run in this year’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship going, showing incredible defence and resolve to end on the right side of a 10-9 nailbiter against Italian side Zebre Parma on Saturday.

Played in driving rain and wet underfoot, the game was never going to be a classic. But both sides ground away in a wet arm wrestle that won’t be easily remembered past this weekend.

In the end, it was the side that held their resolve that won the day, as Zebre missed two kickable penalties and the Lions never gave up to hold the Italian side out in the end.

The fact that Zebre may finish at the bottom of the table in a few months meant little in this match. The leveler was rain which made the Lions’ normal expansive game all but impossible, and left those who assemble highlights reels with very little to work with.

But there is something to be said about Ivan van Rooyen’s side and the fact they held out in the end. Coaches will often say if you don’t play well and still win, that is something to celebrate. And if there was one coach on the Lions’ management that would have been celebrating, it would have been defence coach Jaque Fourie.

Because at the end of the day, it was defence that won the Lions the game. Their ruthless never-say-die attitude in the latter part of the game while under the pump was something to behold.

There was no way anybody with a yellow jersey was going to get through. While Zebre dominated those last minutes of the game, they simply were never able to break the Lions down.

In retrospect, there are still some questions of Sanele Nohamba at flyhalf after this game. While last season’s URC Player of the season is an exceptional attacking force on a dry field, in this game he could have been served better by more options that belong to a classical 10 to keep his side on the front foot.

PUNCHING UP THE MIDDLE

The Lions started well but seemed to force the game wide too often, and only really looked more comfortable when they used their forwards to punch up the middle.

Francke Horn was everywhere again, as was JC Pretorius and Jarrod Cairns, and PJ Botha provided some much-needed spark when he came on in the second half. But in the rain there were too many errors, not enough momentum, and the Lions never really got hold of the game.

The home side took the lead with two penalties from Giovanni Montemauri to give them an early 6-0 advantage.

But the Lions hit back a few minutes later after pounding the Zebre line for several phases, and then sending the ball wide for a fairly simple try to Bok winger Edwill van der Merwe, who received the ball in a standing position, but used his feet to flummox Jacopo Trulla and beat him on the outside with relative ease.

That was the state of things with the Lions heading off into the break with a one-point lead. Nohamba added a penalty to put them up by four early in the second half before Montemauri made it a one-point game again with a penalty in the 46th minute.

That was the sum of the scoring as rain, solid defence and several handling errors dominated the next 34 minutes.

The Lions came out on top and that shows character, and they know they will need it all as they head to Dublin next weekend to face Leinster in their backyard.

Scorers

Zebre Parma - penalties: Giovanni Montemauri (3).

Emirates Lions - try: Edwill van der Merwe. Conversion: Sanele Nohamba. Penalty: Nohamba.

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