Unconvincing Lions scrape past Royal XV

Royal XV 25 British and Irish Lions 37

The British and Irish Lions survived a monumental scare as they launched their South Africa tour in hopelessly unconvincing fashion.

Substitute Alun-Wyn Jones’ late try edged the Lions ahead following earlier touchdowns by wing Tommy Bowe and full-back Lee Byrne.

Fly-half Ronan O’Gara contributed 22 points, including an injury-time try, but the Royal XV managed three tries of their own through Willhelm Koch, Rayno Barnes and Bees Roux.

The Lions did enough in the end, yet at 25-13 adrift after 66 minutes they had looked a lost cause.

The Sports Palace, opened nine years ago and a 42,000-capacity venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was two-thirds empty as Paul O'Connell - complete with the traditional Lion mascot - led out his team.

Scrum-half Mike Blair had his first kick charged down inside the opening minute, but the Lions quickly cleared and began exerting pressure.

Powerful Wales centre Jamie Roberts proved an immediate handful for the Royal XV defence, and such was the Lions’ confidence that fly-half Ronan O’Gara ran a penalty within simple kicking range.

He opted for the posts a minute later though, slotting the tour’s opening points for a 3-0 lead.

That was the cue though, for a Royal revival, and O’Gara’s opposite number Naas Olivier landed an equalising strike from short-range.

It was a busy, but hardly error-free first 10 minutes from the Lions, underlined when Munster centre Keith Earls spilled Shane Williams’ pass after being freed on an overlap.

Williams offered a lively presence, looking to attack from deep, yet his sense of adventure was undermined by unforced errors elsewhere.

Earls then dropped a high ball, and showed his frustration by kicking it disgustedly off the pitch.

And the Royal XV stunned the Lions after 18 minutes when their skipper Wilhelm Koch crashed over for a try that Olivier converted.

The Lions were 10-3 adrift and in dire need of some inspiration.

The Lions won their last two opening tour fixtures 34-20 (New Zealand 2005) and 116-10 (Australia 2001), yet the Royal XV had no intention of being a soft touch.

Earls could do little right in midfield, and when the Lions conceded another penalty – this time for hands in the ruck – Olivier made no mistake.

A 13-3 deficit after just 25 minutes was not in the Lions’ script, yet the Royal XV’s superiority could not be questioned.

And they scored a second try to compound the Lions’ misery, hooker Rayno Barnes rounding off an intense drive by his fellow forwards by touching down.

Olivier drifted the conversion attempt wide, and the Lions had 10 minutes to compose themselves before half-time, desperately needing some points.

The Lions pack decided to take charge as the clock ticked down, building a platform deep inside their opponents’ 22, yet a promising position was wasted when they lost possession.

But wing Tommy Bowe then gave the Lions hope, taking O’Gara’s inside pass to score between the posts, with O’Gara converting to make it 18-10.

The Royal XV opted to stay on the pitch at half-time, while Lions head coach Ian McGeechan decided against making any interval changes despite his team's miserable effort.

O’Gara further cut the gap by booting another penalty, yet only after Royal XV wing Egon Seconds was called back after intercepting a pass and sprinting clear, being denied a certain try.

The Lions though, were gradually exerting sustained pressure, displaying far more urgency, even if two chances went begging.

Williams failed to find unmarked Bowe five metres out, then Williams could not hang on to the ball in the act of diving over.

For the first time, the Royal XV were in reverse gear, manning barricades that previously had not been consistently threatened.

But a combination of their defensive resilience and Lions handling errors meant it remained 18-13 approaching the final quarter.

But the Lions flattered to deceive and fell further behind when the Royal XV claimed a third try.

Prop Bees Roux was the scorer, ploughing through a tired-looking Lions defence, and substitute Riaan Viljoen slotted a touchline conversion.

There were signs of the Lions looking down and out, yet full-back Lee Byrne produced a fine solo try that O’Gara converted, cutting the gap to 25-20 with 13 minutes left.

McGeechan made six substitutions in quick succession, hoping the likes of Mike Phillips, Riki Flutey, Alun-Wyn Jones and Phil Vickery could inject some fresh ideas.

Flutey almost scored with his first touch and O’Gara then kicked his third penalty, making it 25-23 with seven minutes left.

The Royal XV were just four minutes away from a remarkable triumph, but Jones broke their hearts when his try put the Lions ahead before O’Gara’s conversion and last-gasp try.