A 79th-minute try from Murray McCallum secures a second win out of two in the European Challenge Cup.
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 injured 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 and turned things in their favour in the final 10 minutes.
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.
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)
Category: General Sports
