Listless Lions lose composure as unbeaten Leinster dish out lesson

At Ellis Park, Johannesburg

The Lions coughed up a 26-14 half-time lead to lose 39-36 to United Rugby Championship log-leaders Leinster on Saturday, a result that all but ended whatever play-off hopes the Johannesburg had.

The Lions went into the game in 11th place on 38 points and having secured a bonus point win, they would have moved to ninth place, putting the Cardiff Blues under severe pressure for their later kickoff.

As it happened | URC - Lions v Leinster

However, the Lions showed the biggest trait of a badly coached team: a lack of composure, something that allowed Leo Cullen's well-drilled side to play through a 10-minute period with 13 men where they trailed 36-26 to snatch their 16th win of the season and keep their unbeaten streak alive.

That they also fielded a weakened side in their first Highveld outing and came away with five points spoke volumes about their character and quality in depth, but also, the sorry state of the Lions.

It may have been an indictment to the balance of probabilities that the Lions, who have been beset by off-field problems, to be in the play-off, but there were periods where they certainly looked the part of a play-off bound side.

They also showed another trait of a badly coached team: tactical naivety as they simply couldn't play themselves of the tight spots they were put in by the visitors, who will be acquiring the services of Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber at the end of the World Cup.

The Lions certainly didn't have the greatest of starts when they let front-row forward Vakhtang Abdaladze cruise in for the game's first try in the second minute.

What that try did was to wake them up into a spell of constructive rugby that was much appreciated by the small crowd that took to the