Bad day for SA rugby teams as Lions are also knocked out of the Challenge Cup

The Lions were buoyed and brave in the second half but were ultimately vanquished in Scotland as Glasgow Warriors advanced to the semifinals of the Challenge Cup on Saturday night. 

The Lions, underdogs coming into the fixture, played with more purpose after the half-hour mark but made errors at critical junctures in their 31-21 defeat. 

The Lions downed a weakened Glasgow team at Ellis Park in February to set in motion a four-match unbeaten run in European competition before travelling to Scotland who have drawn confidence from their recent results.  

They expected a bag of tricks from Glasgow coach Franco Smith but in truth, the Glaswegians never drifted far from script. 

They were proficient ball carriers and their superior ball retention allowed them to apply the squeeze on the visiting team in the opening half-hour. 

It didn't help the visitors ' cause that right wing Rabz Maxwane ran into the shoulder of Glasgow flank Matt Fagerson early in the game.  

The Lions player required extended treatment before he was removed from the field. 

The Lions fell 14-0 behind but that seemed to spark them into action. 

Few embodied the Lions' effort quite like tight head prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, while No8 Francke Horn also put in the hard yards.  

Sanele Nohamba was full of plans and running behind the pack but not all the alleys he ran up were sufficiently lit. 

Ntlabakanye was very much in the thick of things, especially with the way in which he carried the ball into the heart of the Glasgow defence. 

A failure to apply the basics however, seriously hamstrung the Lions. 

Their line-out was scrappy, while imprecision dogged them at the ruck. A more solid platform at the line-out would have given them considerably more bite when opportunity beckoned, especially late in the half when they had Glasgow under constant pressure with halftime looming. 

With their maul not a viable option, their attack was predictable and the Warriors stood firm with their first time tackles.  

The Lions were wasteful when they came within a sniff of the Warriors' line and had nothing to show for dominating the closing stages of the first half. 

Ntlabakanye was used as battering ram but he wasn't the only Lion who then came up short. 

The Lions had eschewed opportunities at goal which meant the hosts held a 14-0 lead at the break. 

The visitors started the second half with energy and endeavour and they found reward when after 15 or so phases scrumhalf Nohamba took a quick tap and successfully sprinted and stretched for the line.  

A similar effort just before the break drew a blank. 

 They tourists kept making inroads without making proper impact on the scoreboard.  

Horn kept alive their faint hopes with a well finished try but Glasgow scrumhalf George Horn banged over a penalty with just over 10 minutes to go.  

That put the hosts two scores in front but their place in the semifinals was secured when Tom Jordan scored in the 75th minute. 

Scorers 

Glasgow (31) — Tries: Jack Dempsey, Jamie Dobie, Zander Fagerson. Conversions: George Horne (4). Penalty: Horne. 

 Lions (21) — Tries: Sanele Nohamba, Francke Horn, Morne Brandon. Conversions: Nohamba, Gianni Lombard (2). 

Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.