Hurricanes beat Lions in Wellington

Generally speaking in the Super14 the Lions have not done too well against the Hurricanes.

 

They have never beaten the Hurricanes away from home and their three wins out of 12 have been in South Africa.

 

 The Hurricanes have one of the best defences in this season's Super14. They also have one of the best attacks.

We are waiting for the kick off. Carlos Spencer kicks off and we are underway.

 

1.00: The Lions win the first line out but they go off their feet and give away a penalty. Hurricanes boot the ball downfield.

 

3.00: The Lions ( George Earl) get caught offside so Willie Ripia has a shot at goal and nails it.

 

8.00: The Hurricanes pick away at the Lions defence and as they get into the Lions half the Lions give away another penalty so Willie Ripia takes another shot at goal. He nails this one too.

 

11.00: Michael Paterson of the Hurricanes steals the ball at the lineout, the Hurricanes recycle and reset and Michael Paterson gets the ball again and uses his momentum to power over the line and score the first try of the match.

 

13.00: Willie Ripia misses the conversion.

 

15.00: The Lions get their first chance to add some points after a Hurricanes penalty so Earl Rose takes the kick but misses.

 

18.00: The Lions show they have some bite and swing the ball around. As they start to get somewhere though they knock on.

 

21.00: Good pressure build up from the Lions. They get an advantage call from the ref but Spencer kicks out to the wing. It goes too far so we come back for the penalty. Spencer kicks for touch.

 

23.00: The Lions drive over the line. They get over the line and Derick Minnie appears on the ground with the ball over the tryline.

 

24.00: Earl Rose slots the conversion.

 

26.00: The Lions get a shot at goal for a penalty but miss.

 

28.00: The Hurricanes take a shot at goal but miss.

 

32.00: The Hurricanes get another penalty shot at goal for a Lions infringement so Willie Ripia takes the kick and nails it.

 

33.00: The Lions attempt to run the ball and Doppies La Grange shows some neat handwork but the Hurricanes thwart the attack.

 

35.00: Corey Jane enjoys a run breaking three tackles but his pass goes to ground.

 

38.00: The Hurricanes attack but as they go through the phases the Lions hold them out. They give away a penalty in their (the Lions) 25. Ripia takes a quick tap but the Lions don't retreat so the Hurricanes get another penalty 8m out.

 

39.00: The Hurricanes choose to scrum for the penalty. So’,oialo acts as scrummie and passes to Weepu who scores under the posts.

 

40.00: Willie Ripia adds the conversion.

 

 

The second half is underway.

 

44.00: The Lions start better than the Hurricanes. They work the ball into the Hurricanes half and Clever has a dart and fakes a pass and rolls as he scores the Lions second try.

 

43.00: Earl Rose misses the conversion.

 

45.00: The Lions are playing with much better liquidity. They are showing some good running skills. There are two quick turnovers and Clever has another go as the Lions counter attack but he loses the ball forward.

 

48.00: The Lions are in control and they get the overlap but a forward pass goes in and the opportunity goes begging.

 

50.00: The Hurricanes get a talking to for constant offside. Hore has a talk to the team who respond by running the ball all the way downfield and Hore sells a beauty fo a dummy and scores the Canes third try.

 

52.00: Willie Ripia adds the conversion.

 

55.00: The Lions get a penalty so Earl Rose takes the shot and nails it. Nonu goes to the sin-bin.

 

56.00: The Hurricanes work the ball to within 5m of the Lions tryline. They drive over the line but get held up.

 

58.00: The Hurricanes keep the Lions under pressure in their 25. They get a scrum but the Lions disrupt the scrum and win the put for the next scrum.

 

60.00: The Lions manage to clear the ball after a period which looked like a very likely Hurricanes try.

 

62.00: The Lions put some real pressure on the Hurricanes but the Canes get out of jail as the Lions knock on.

 

65.00: Aaron Cruden puts in a beauty of a clearance kick sending the Lions all the way downfield. Carlos Spencer comes off.

 

67.00: The Lions go to the bench again as Todd Clever comes off. That's two players who have done a lot for the Lions.

 

68.00: The Hurricanes spread the ball wide and Jane sends the ball out to David Smith who scores the bonus point try.

 

69.00: Piri Weepu takes the conversion and sends a beauty over but suddenly it curls in and hits the post. Must have been wind.

 

72.00: Another penalty which makes 24 penalties so far this match. The Lions go for the line out and they get the maul going but lose the ball forward.

 

76.00: Neither team is giving up here as both teams are still trying. La Grange finds a little space but gets caught.

 

80.00: The siren goes for full time. The ball is dead so that's it Hurricanes win with a bonus point.

 

Hurricanes
Tries - M.Paterson, P.Weepu, A.Hore, D.Smith
Pen - Willie Ripia 3
Con - Willie Ripia 2 
Drop -
Cards - Ma’,a Nonu

Hurricanes -, 15 Cory Jane, 14 Tamati Ellison, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma’,a Nonu, 11 David Smith, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So’,oialo, 7 Karl Lowe, 6 Michael Paterson, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (c), 1 John Schwalger.

 

Reserves: 16 Dane Coles, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18, Nick Crosswell, 19 Scott Waldrom, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Andre Taylor.

 

Lions -, 15 Earl Rose, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Deon Van Rensburg, 12 Doppies La Grange, 11 Wandile Mjekevu, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (c), 5 George Earl, 4 Franco Van der Merwe, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Heinke Van der Merwe.

 

Reserves: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 Kevin Buys, 18 Jacques Lombaard, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Walter Venter, 22 Michael Killian.