Lions roar to hit back and defeat the Hurricanes
▶ Turn around 19-point deficit to beat defending Super Rugby champions and set up final clash with Crusaders
South Africa’s Lions mounted a fantastic second-half comeback to reach the Super Rugby final with a 44-29 victory over the Wellington Hurricanes at Ellis Park yesterday.
The New Zealand side romped to a 22-3 lead just before the half-time break, but the Lions found their rhythm in the second period to recover and set up a showdown with the Canterbury Crusaders for the title in Johannesburg next Saturday.
TJ Perenara, Wes Goosen and Ardie Savea all scored early tries for the Hurricanes as they seemed set to make it an all New Zealand final to the tournament.
But a try from prop Jacques van Rooyen cut the deficit to 12 points just before the interval and that proved to be the catalyst for the Lions to begin their revival.
Tries from Ross Cronje and Malcolm Marx got the sides level at 22-22 soon after the restart, but the Hurricanes immediately got their noses back ahead thanks to a try from Ngani Laumape, converted by Jordie Barrett.
But the New Zealanders then had Beauden Barrett sin-binned and an Elton Jantjies penalty was followed up by a converted try from Harold Vorster gave the Lions a three-point lead. Jantjies then touched down for a try of his own, which he converted, and the Lions were in charge with a 10-point lead.
Kwagga Smith’s late try was the final salt in the wound for the Hurricanes as the Lions sealed their triumph.
It was sweet revenge for the Lions, who had lost their previous eight matches against the Hurricanes, including last season’s Super Rugby final when they were beaten 20-3 in Wellington.
It also extends the stay of Gloucester-bound Lions coach Johan Ackermann for one more game, when he will have the chance to end his four-year stay by helping them become just the second South African team, after the Bulls, to lift the Super Rugby trophy.
Earlier in the day, the magical touch of Richie Mo’unga and a stout defence put seven-time champions the Crusaders into the final when they beat the Waikato Chiefs 27-13 in Christchurch.
With the Crusaders up 10-6 at half-time and starved of possession, the game turned 10 minutes into the second half when Chiefs wing James Lowe attempted a clearing kick while scrambling on defence.
Mo’unga came from behind to knock the ball into the hands of the oncoming Israel Dagg, who dived across the line to open up the Crusaders’ lead.
From there they never looked back.
Seta Tamanivalu, who this week turned down an offer to return to the Chiefs and will stay instead with the Crusaders, added two more tries before Brodie Retallick scored a
It was sweet revenge for the Lions, who had lost their previous eight matches against the Hurricanes including last season’s Super Rugby final
consolation five-pointer for the Chiefs at the end.
The Chiefs enjoyed 77 per cent possession in the first half and the Crusaders were forced to make 200 tackles in the match, but captain Sam Whitelock said they always felt the game would turn in their favour.
“The Chiefs held the ball and really attacked us, especially in that first 50 minutes,” he said.
“We knew if we could weather that storm we’d hopefully come over the top of them in the end.
“I don’t know how Seta does it. He seems to make a try out of nothing.
“We didn’t have the ball much and the boys were definitely blowing and the legs were heavy, but full credit to the boys. They were just hanging on and showed some real determination and grit.”
Chiefs captain Aaron Cruden, in his last game in New Zealand before taking up a contract to play in France, said his side had enough possession to win but could not find their way to the line.
“You’ve got to give credit to the Crusaders. They scrambled really well and when it looked like we had them on the ropes they were able to just do enough to hold us out,” he said.