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European Challenge Cup
Newcastle Red Bulls (7) 14
Tries: Hearle, McCallum Cons: Chamberlain, Connon
Lions (10) 10
Tries: Davids Cons: Francis Pens: Francis
Christian Wade went off with a head injury on his Newcastle Red Bulls debut as his new team squeezed past Johannesburg Lions in the European Challenge Cup.
Wade lasted just over 30 minutes when he was floored by a poor challenge from Lions winger Angelo Davids.
He caught Wade with a swinging arm on the blindside for which he was shown a yellow card and caused the ex-Wasps and Gloucester man to leave the field after a few minutes of treatment.
After early tries from Davids and Newcastle’s Alex Hearle, the South African side led by three points for over 50 minutes until Murray McCallum’s 79th-minute try won a confrontational encounter.
It was Red Bulls’ second win out of two in the competition, leaving them second in Pool 2 and well placed to make the knockout stage.
On a windy evening at Kingston Park, Davids ran in an interception try to get the scoreboard running, before Boeta Chamberlain burst through Lions’ defensive line, passing to Hearle, who levelled it up.
A Sam Francis penalty put the visitors in front again, before Wade had his first chance to run at the Lions defence.
The ex-Wasps and Gloucester player will be especially disappointed to have been forced off through injury with his eyes on Chris Ashton’s all-time try-scoring record in the Prem.
Newcastle prop Ollie Fletcher was sin-binned shortly after his team-mate’s injury, as his side survived wave upon wave of pressure near their own line.
With Lions unable to get through, Red Bulls remained in the fight although Chamberlain drilled a penalty wide that would have brought the scores level.
However, they turned things in their favour in the final 10 minutes as they battered away at the line until replacement prop McCallum piled over from close range to ensure Newcastle came from behind to win late on for a second week running.
‘I was delighted with the attitude’ – Dickens
Newcastle Red Bulls head coach Alan Dickens told BBC Radio Newcastle:
“I was delighted with the attitude, certainly first half with our defence.
“We got the yellow card at the end of the first half, and to hold them out for that period was fantastic.
“It really sets us up nicely for next week, but we’ve got to rest up, recover, come back in on Tuesday ready to go for the challenge we face against Bath.
On Christian Wade: “He got hit on the jaw from a swinging arm, but then hit his head on the floor as he hit the ground.
“Thankfully, I spoke to him in the changing room at half-time and then at the end of the game, but he’ll go through the HIA protocols over the next week or two.”
Newcastle Red Bulls: Chamberlain; Wade, Hearle, Hutchison, E Obatoyinbo; Grayson, Stuart; Brocklebank, Fletcher, Palframan, Usher, Baker, Gordon, Christie, Leatherbarrow.
Replacements: McGuigan, Rewcastle, McCallum, Hodgson, de Chaves, Elliott, Connon, H Obatoyinbo.
Yellow card: Fletcher (39)
Johannesburg Lions: Lombard; Maxwane, Rass, Kriel, A Davids; Francis, Steyn; E Davids, Brandon, RF Schoeman, Sjoblom, R Schoeman, du Plessis, Qoma, Steenkamp.
Replacements: Botha, Lyons, van Vuuren, Delport, Cairns, Pead, Dobela, Jonker.
Yellow card: A Davids (31)
Referee: B Rousselet (Fra)
