It was a dour affair at Kingston Park as the wind hammered through the stadium. With the wind at their backs, the Lions ran in a try and slotted a penalty to take a 10-7 lead at the break. But Newcastle rallied and ran in one converted try in the only points of the second half to take the victory.
"I think we dominated pretty much all the stats," reflected a frustrated van Rooyen after the match.
"Our tight five were exceptional in the set-piece and in the loose. Siba [Qoma] was outstanding. Both centres [Richard Kriel and Manuel Rass] played really well, Gianni [Lombard] played well, and Nico [Steyn] played well. There were a lot of positives.
"In the first half, we managed to get five or 10 metres out regularly. In the second half, we barely got there.
"If you make an error, the other team just kicks downfield with the wind. It forces that kind of game.
"If we finish the opportunities at the end of the first half, and that linebreak from Richard in the second half, it's a very different game."
The Lions remain winless in Group 2 of the Challenge Cup and will likely need victories over Lyon and the Dragons if they are to keep their hopes of advancing to the Last 16 alive.
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen lauded his team's mental resilience following Saturday's 24-10 United Rugby Championship (URC) win over the Stormers at Ellis Park, a performance that secured the Johannesburg side their first-ever South African Shield.
Stormers coach John Dosbon cut a defeated figure following his side's 24-10 loss to a spirited Lions outfit in their United Rugby Championship clash on Saturday.
The Stormers' URC slump continued on Saturday as they fell to a third successive defeat against South African opposition, going down 24-10 to the Lions at Ellis Park.
Batho Hlekani steps into the Lions starting line-up in place of injured Springbok flank Ruan Venter as one of two changes to the starting XV for Saturday's crucial United Rugby Championship derby against the Stormers at Ellis Park.
