This match was as drab as the autumn cloak that clung to Ellis Park like a needy octopus.
There was no escaping the collective dread that things were not going to get better in this United Rugby Championship clash and though the hosts, clearly the better of the two teams, created scoring opportunities in the second half — they were at times hamstrung by their ham-fistedness.
At final whistle, 26-7 up under leaden skies, the Lions held on to what they perceive to be a silver lining in their effectively doomed quest for a top eight spot.
They will be energised by some workman-like performances, especially from their pack. Props Morgan Naude and Asenathi Ntlabakanye hustled and bustled until they were replaced, while flank Renzo du Plessis proved a bundle of energy in a man-of-the-match performance.
At the back, Morne van den Berg directed operations with aplomb from behind the pack, while left-wing Edwill van der Merwe brought his familiar verve and vigour.
The Lions displayed good discipline, while the rearranging of the deck chairs in their backrow selection necessitated a more conservative approach. They were loath to play from inside their own half, preferring to go to the air, probing for Connacht error.
As a result, this clash was nowhere near the realm of spectacle. It had the look and feel of protagonists operating in a parallel universe to the teams who already find themselves among the top eight.
The match didn't just lack quality, but the vibrancy and urgency more regularly on show higher up the points table.
Connacht looked jaded and failed to get the foothold in the game, and their lassitude lingered in the second half.
Though the Lions had the better of the exchanges in the opening half hour, neither side could settle into a discernible pattern or rhythm.
The hosts fashioned a splendid team try in the 13th minute, with Naude and Ntlabakanye handling adroitly before Du Plessis barged over.
Kade Wolhuter raised the flags with an 18th minute penalty before doubling his contribution off the tee with another earned from a powerful scrum.
The Lions played well enough to deserve a double-digit lead but they would have gone into the break with the nagging feeling their opponents had not yet fired a shot.
They had no need to fret.
In Cape Town, the Stormers hit the deck running against Benetton with a 30-0 lead at the break. They secured a 56-5 bonus point win to solidify their position in the top eight of the URC, with No 8 Evan Roos very much in the thick of things.
Among the backs, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu again brought his cutting edge as the Benetton defence was repeatedly split in the first half. He was also proficient off the kicking tee, banging over six first-half kicks.
Much to the chagrin of their director of rugby John Dobson, the home team’s defence left a lot to be desired last weekend but they tidied up their act by keeping the visitors scoreless in the first half.
What might also please Dobson is the fact that this was the highest tally against Benetton this season. The Italian side got onto the board shortly after the restart but neither side was able to play with sustained rhythm or continuity. It made for a stop-start affair but the quality of the Stormers set piece and attack still abundantly shone through.
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