Game 2 of 4 on tour sees the Lions facing the Blues.
The Lions have been showing lot’s of promise all season, but seem to have a problem when it comes to turning that showing of promise into log points.
The Blues have only won one more game than the Lions this season and both teams are coming off back to back losses.
This has to be a target game for the Lions.
Will the Lions finally not only be ahead during the match, but will they be ahead when it counts after the hooter?
Or will the Blues show patience and surge ahead when the Lions’ bench is called into service?
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 19:35 Local time, 09:35 SA Time
Referee: James Leckie (Australia)
ARs: Chris Pollock (New Zealand), Glenn Newman (New Zealand)
TMO: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Blues:
15 Paul Williams, 14 Joe Rokocoko/Rene Ranger, 13 Anthony Tuitavake, 12 Isaia Toeava, 11 Rudi Wulf, 10 Tasesa Lavea, 9 Chris Smylie, 8 Jerome Kaino, 7 Josh Blackie, 6 Chris Lowrey, 5 Anthony Boric, 4 Kurtis Haiu, 3 John Afoa, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Charlie Faumuina.
Replacements:
16 Tom McCartney, 17 Tevita Mailau, 18 Jay Williams, 19 Peter Saili, 20 Grayson Hart, 21 Michael Hobbs, 22 Jimmy Gopperth/Rene Ranger.
Lions:
15 Louis Ludik, 14 Shandre Frolick, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Deon van Rensburg, 11 Henno Mentz, 10 Andre Pretorius, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Ernst Joubert, 6 Todd Clever, 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Gert Muller, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe
Replacements:
16 Hans van Dyk, 17 Lawrence Sephaka, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Earl Rose, 22 Jannie Boshoff
Tweet
go Lions
@robdylan (Comment 1) :
I have put my money where my Mouth is here. Lions to win!!!!!!!!!
Lions by 5 on Superbru!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) : oh so its gonna be that typ of morning huh 😉 😆
Go Blues !
no chance
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 3) :
Only coz you were silly enough to pick the Blues. 😛
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
No chance of kette getting it right?
I also thought so. 😉
thought this was on tv here. Guess not
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) : not going to get involved 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 6) : well if we’re gonna go down this road …. seems there’s no chance of KSA coming right either then 😉
@robdylan (Comment 8) :
Wussy!!! 😆
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 9) :
@robdylan (Comment 7) : ok, turns out I’m just an hour early 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 10) : i have a finely-honed survival instinct
@robdylan (Comment 13) :
Hehehehhehe.
@robdylan (Comment 12) :
Bwhahahahahha
@KSA Shark © (Comment 15) : need to get in early, before the rest of the family gets the tv. No chance now 🙁
@robdylan (Comment 16) :
Ouch.
TEN different teams chosen on LMS this week.
The Sharks 11
CA Brumbies 9
HSBC Waratahs 8
Vodacom Stormers 5
Blues 3
Highlanders 2
Vodacom Bulls 1
Auto & General Lions 1
Hurricanes 1
Emirates Western Force 1
As a personal show of respect for the death of Shawn Mackay I will NOT be commenting for the 10min preceding each game.
I urge you all to join me.
lions
TOTAL silence observed at Eden Park!!!!
Match about to kick off
Paul Williams loses the ball 10m from the Lions line. 😳
C’mon Lions!!!!!!!!!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 21) :
That was nice to see and hope all crowds across the 3 countries respect it that way.
Lions defence saves them again as they turn it over 5m out from their own line after a great run by Williams
The wet conditions are making it difficult , on defence the Lions are slipping and allowing the Blues into the gaps..
Blues LO on the lions 22
How many Todd Clever’s are there on the pitch?
They are everywhere.
Bloody Americans and their cloning? 😉
6min
Handling Errors
Blues 4
Lions 0
@KSA Shark © (Comment 27) :
He has quickly become a favourite player of mine.Love his commitment , some Old Jo’burg boys can learn from him…
Mentz does some great work in chasing a kick and manages to gether it and win a FK for the Lions ON their try-line.
AP clear from the line to outside their 22.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 29) :
Have always like him, played great 7s and now doing it at 15s as well.
Yet another Blues handling error on attack.
5 in 10min 😯
FK Blues 15m out and they opt for scrum.
ANOTHER handling error 😯
6 in 11min for the Blues 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯 😯
The Lions need to get the ball out of their half , and just a thought… try playing on the otherside of the field…
Try Smyle kick to come…over 7-0 Blues
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 35) :
I think this is the first time they are in the Blues 22.
Blues steal Lions ball in the Blues 22.
Kick for touch and a Lions hand gets in the way. Blues LO on the halfway
AP puts a ball out on the full.
Blues LO on the Lions 10m
Toeava puts one through on the foot and the LIONS JUST get there to dot it down and get the 22 drop out.
Clever NAILED high after the whistle. They say it was legit but Clever seems to have no idea where he is, before eventually recovering.
This is the 3rd major knock Clever has taken this season.
Horrible tackle and should be a yellow.
21min
Blues 7 – 0 Lions
Handling Errors
Blues 8
Lions 2
21min
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 41) :
CLEAR first contact on the jaw and it is ruled legal???????????? 👿 😯 I can’t believe it.
Had it not been AFTER the whistle it might have been dealt with differently.
Fourie now getting Ice on the left cheek / eye.
Blues certainly seem to be hurting the Lions here.
Wepener 5 stitches
Clever nailed
Fourie being treated.
😯
😎 Finally a ref who is adhering to the “retire 10m away from where the ball is going to land until you are put onside” law.
Blues get nailed for not retiring while they wait for a kicker to put them onside.
Tuitavake Try
2nd try Blues , from a beautiful ripp by Afao and break by Smyle..Blues looking very good 🙄
@KSA Shark © (Comment 47) :
From a turnover deep inside the Blues half. 😕
Conversion over
Blues 14 – 0 Lions
29min
oh bugger , visions of the Stormers game 😐
Blues get to 5m out again through Rokocoko this time and win a FK.
Smylie knocks the quicktap. Scrum Lions.
Boshoff on for Fourie (eye) 😡
And Fouri is off now…nver rains it pours hey..
We’d do good to keep the score down here. Winning is out the window.
Howzit.
Blues pressure and the Lions have to carry it over to dot it down.
Blues scrum 5m out.
TMO pending for either a great try by Williams or great defence by the Lions
NO try.
5m scrum Lions put in.
Van Rensberg saves the try beautifully.
Come now dammit Lions you better than this!!!!
@klempie (Comment 54) :
Howzit.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 53) :
BIG blow that 🙁
Blues are costing themselves dearly with offloads in the tackle to the Lions instead of their own players.
Does anyone know if there are tickets left for the Sharks v B&I Lions? Computicket has taken the day off it seems.
@klempie (Comment 61) :
Have no idea.
isn’t it a long weekend in the rest of the world? So Computicket won’t be working.
Lions will have done pretty good if they go into half time like this.
HALF TIME
Blues 14 – 0 Lions
@KSA Shark © (Comment 62) : Yes it is here too. It’s still unacceptable. To me they should be a critical service, like the police. But then I guess the police are off most days here as well…. 😕
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 63) : Lions supporters are so easy to please. 🙂
@klempie (Comment 66) : 🙂
WULF try 1min into 2nd half.
Conversion Missed
Blues 19 – 0 Lions
41min
@klempie (Comment 66) :
Aren’t we just ..years of practice 😉
@klempie (Comment 65) : It’s a computer service, no reason for it to not be working. Tickets could be sold out.
Blues are attacking at will and the Lions are having a tackle practice of note.
Rose on for Frolick
The pretend Lions are abysmal.
@Baldrick (Comment 71) :
I GOT MINE. 😎
Rose kicks his first touch of the ball into touch. Lions have no kicking game whatsoever.
@Baldrick (Comment 73) :
Who they pretending to be ? …Winners 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 74) : Good stuff, well done! Might be worth a couple K is you decide to sell!
Rokocoko try!!!
Conversion missed.
Blues 24 – 0 Lions
That was the BP try
@Baldrick (Comment 77) :
That won’t happen.
I would be stupid to miss a chance of attending that game.
@Baldrick (Comment 71) : Nah I tried the site and it would appear that according to that the tickets are all gone. However, have you seen their site? It’s shite. I don’t really trust it. Want to double check with something that has a pulse.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 76) : 😆
The Lions are junk okes. Look at this. 51 mins and no score. Not even a penalty or a chicken shit drop goal. 🙄
@klempie (Comment 81) :
So you won’t be happy with their electronic answering system then? 😆
Rose stops Rokocoko 😯
I was of the impression he couldn’t tackle? 😉 😛
@KSA Shark © (Comment 84) : That’s exactly what I got. It asked me to press 2 for Entertainment and followed that up with a message about office hours and public holidays. Why not just put that BEFORE the menu system? 🙄
@klempie (Comment 83) :
We did have a drop but missed…backoff and allow us to get smashed in peace please.We don’t all support table topping sides unfortunatly. 😥
@klempie (Comment 86) :
😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 85) :
Soon after he got cleared out and looked like a ragdoll.
Seems like my SB points are lost for this game. 🙁
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 89) :
😛
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 87) : I saw the drop attempt but my point is that it was as successful as everything else they try… 🙄
@KSA Shark © (Comment 90) :
Hey as a Lions supporter I must Thank you for the bit of faith you had..its appreciated. 😀
@KSA Shark © (Comment 90) : You PICKED the Lions?? 😯
@klempie (Comment 92) :
Yea I know , just lashing out cause I can..its pathetic I know..we have not even had a decent attacking move yet…
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 93) : 🙂
😆
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 93) : Seems KSA is a hopeless romantic.
@klempie (Comment 94) :
Yip.
They have been showing promise for more than a few weeks now and i was thinking today would be it.
@klempie (Comment 97) :
bumped my head in Egypt. 😉
61min
Blues 24 – 0 Lions
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 95) : Lash away. I can handle it. 😎
Atleast we continue our tradition of getting star players injured when playing against us.
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 95) :
Not having Grobler in the side and then losing Fourie during the game have been huge disruptions. 🙁
@klempie (Comment 97) : only when it comes to rugby 😉
@CoffeeShopBok;-) (Comment 102) : Except it doesn’t really help us since we’ve already played them. You guys can’t even get THAT right! 😉
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 104) :
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 104) : 😳 😛 😆
Mentz TRY!!!!!!!!!!!
The ex-Shark gets over. 😎
AP misses the conversion
Blues 24 – 5 Lions
70min
What a shit kick by the Lions number 10. 🙄
@klempie (Comment 109) : 😛
WULF try, being refered to the TMO.
@klempie (Comment 111) : And he follows it up with a charged down clearance resulting in a try.
Conversion over
Blues 31 – 5 Lions
72min
@klempie (Comment 114) : HAHAHAHAHA and now doesn’t make the 10m at KO.
Saili try!
Also being refered.
let’s hope that is the last try.
oh dear ,
the best we can hope for now is a good run back home , We should target winning our 3 home games.
Conversion missed.
Blues 36 – 5 Lions
74min
W Alberts 19 tackles 😯
This has been painful 😳
Blues seem to be finishing the game with all their players dropping like flies with the bench being cleared a while ago.
Vermaak TRY!!!!!!!!
After the hooter
Conversion over
FULL TIME
Blues 36 – 12 Lions
Log updated
Blues go 5th
Lions 12
Tackles made
Lions 133 😯
Blues 71
Tackles missed
Lions 35
Blues 8
Handling errors
Lions 9
Blues 18
told ya
Pokkel’s Palookas are eliminated from LMS.
What a name. 😆
Linkers 6, Frikkie se frikkadelle and One-eyed bandits all picked the Blues and are VERY happy because they have all lost their lifelines already. 😉
@robdylan (Comment 127) :
Yeah Kette said the same thing. 😳
@robdylan (Comment 127) : Bru what was KSA thinking? 🙄
That was as painful to watch as the Sharks 6-5 loss to the Reds about 5 years ago.
@Baldrick (Comment 131) : Let’s no exaggerate now. 😉
@Baldrick (Comment 131) :
Seriously .. I would have gone with last weeks game Stormers / Tahs and pipped by the previous week encounter of Crusaders and Stormers.
in saying that it remains painful.
A win against the Reds perhaps..doubt it.
@robdylan (Comment 1) : @robdylan (Comment 4) : @robdylan (Comment 127) :
I’m lost – weren’t you also rooting for the lions ??? 🙄 😆
@KSA Sharkette (Comment 135) : yes, but I didn’t pick them to win 🙂
Ok, enough blowing smoke up people’s asses – the Lions are super-kak and should be dropped in favour of the Spears – at least they will have an excuse for losing 95% of their games for 5 seasons – the Lions don’t! 👿
@Big Fish (Comment 137) :
And why on earth would we even CONSIDER keeping the Cheetahs and dropping the Lions?!?!?!?!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 138) :
Because the Cheetahs are at least only in their 3rd season of S14 rugby, and have at least won a few watered down CCs of late.
I would rather we combined the 2 if needs be – keeping them as they are is just a means to embarrass SA rugby.
@Big Fish (Comment 139) : I wrote an article to that effect last year. Turns out the Lions and Cheetahs individually are (somehow) slightly worse than the Cats were as a combined entity.
@robdylan (Comment 140) :
I recall it Rob – should have mentioned it too; not sure how vociferous I was in supporting you then, but I am pretty damn convinced now.