Super Saturday kicks off early with the Hurricanes taking on a resurgent Lions outfit, that have now won two games on the road and will quite like to do a New Zealand double this morning.
For the Hurricanes, Piri Weepu returns to the starting line up after a long stint out with injury and slowly coming into form from the bench.
The Lions have only one change to their team with Michael Rhodes being suspended, and Cobus Grobbelaar comes in on the flank.
In tight games like this, I generally back the home team, but in this case I will not be surprised if the Lions pull off another win.
Hurricanes : 1. John Schwalger ,2. Andrew Hore (c) ,3. Neemia Tialata ,4. Jeremy Thrush ,5. James Broadhurst ,6. Faifili Levave ,7. Jack Lam ,8. Victor Vito ,9. Piri Weepu ,10. Aaron Cruden ,11. Hosea Gear ,12. Ma’a Nonu ,13. Conrad Smith / Jayden Hayward ,14. Alapati Leiua,15. Cory Jane
Reserves :16. Dane Coles ,17. Jacob Ellison,18. Jason Eaton,19. Mark Reddish ,20. Chris Eaton,21. Jayden Hayward / Julian Savea,22. Richard Buckman
Lions : Jaco Taute, Dylan Des Fountain, Doppies la Grange (capt.), Butch James, Deon van Rensburg, Elton Jantjies, Jano Vermaak, Josh Strauss, Derick Minnie, Cobus Grobbelaar, Franco van der Merwe, Wikus van Heerden, Patric Cilliers, Bandise Maku, JC Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: Edgar Marutlulle, Jacobie Adriaanse, David de Villiers, Warren Whiteley, Rory Kockott, Alwyn Hollenbach, Michael Killian.
Match Officials
Referee: Keith Brown
Assistant referees: Mike Fraser, James McPhail
Television match official: Richard Kelly
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Fastest match thread in history!!!
Please will you guys have a look out for Piri Weepu? There was an article on Stuff.co.nz this week that said he was fit and lean. 😯
Unless he has had a shedload of liposuction since last week, the the definition of lean has changed. Last week I actually thought he was fatter than Ricky McD.
Opinions please?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 1) : Hehehehehe 😆
Shit, I just see that the Lions made another change..
Cobus Grobbelaar back in SA, Warren Whiteley is playing 8, with Minnnie and Strauss on the flanks..
And the Hurricanes have decided not to risk Conrad Smith at centre, so Jayden Hayward will be playing outside Ma’a Nonu…
And we have kick off..
If the Lions ever had a chance of beating the Hurricanes then it has been this season.
Although Kieth Brown is not on my favourites list.
Good start by the Lions, keeping possession just outside the Canes 22m
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) :
Canes turn it over and now have a 5m scrum on the attack..
Aaron Cruden scores!!
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) :
Jantjies missing a crucial tackle..
Canes 5 – 0 Lions
Conversion missed
6 minutes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 2) :
I think Weepu is looking like he has a McDonalds Buy one get one free card!
Lions penalty for Cans not rolling away..
Jantjies going at goal..
Canes 5 – 3 Lions
9 minutes
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 10) : Starting XV try for me. 😎
Is he also kicking at goal?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 13) : and he uses it OFTEN. 😉
The Lions backline seems to lose 10m every time they play a phase, the backline is stadning far too deep!
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) :
Cruden kicking yes, but missed a pretty easy one..
Lions penalty, Jantjies going at goal..
@KSA Shark © (Comment 17) :
It’s a daily special
Canes 5 – 6 Lions
15 minutes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) :
I forgot to do my Fantasy League changes and I have like 8 Crusaders in my starting line up..
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 23) : Jarson is in the same boat I think. 🙂
@KSA Shark © (Comment 24) :
Friday morning came and it hit me.. I felt like such an idiot..
Jaco Taute try!!!
Little chip by Taute, whicked bounce for the Canes, and he falls on it over the line..
brb
Canes 5 – 13 Lions
25 minutes
Jantjies’ conversion brings up his 100 points in the season..
Lions penalised at ruck time in the Canes 22m.
Cruden going for goal..
Canes 8 – 13 Lions
28 minutes
Doppies la Grange try!!
Weak defence from the Canes.. Broke through about three men trying to tackle him..
Canes 8 – 20 Lions
32 minutes
Hosea Gear try!!
Canes 15 – 20 Lions
38 minutes
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 36) :
Replays show that there might have been a little forward pass in the bild up to that try.. but try nonetheless..
Canes 15 – 20 Lions
HALF TIME
Lions are sounding good.
can they win this?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 40) :
They can easily win this.. but they are making some silly errors, and their defence is letting them down..
Ref is scr**ing the Lions big time. He is seeing the Lions’ knock-ons and forwards passes but not the Hurricanes’s. The last try should have never been awarded. The lineout that led to the try should have been a Lions’ scrum as the ball was knocked on and there was a forward pass there as well. This is Bull.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 39) : morning Rich, see u chatting with youself, everyone still sleeping 🙂
Oooh yeah Gary Kirsten the Proteas coach!!
@GreatSharksays (Comment 42) : its freekin fustrating, its if the refs had too long off a season and just can’t keep up anymore….
Morning all..
@franshark (Comment 43) : Hey! I’ve been here with him. 😛
@Mocho (Comment 44) : where u hear that, that will be good news… 🙂
@Mocho (Comment 44) :
Is that official?
@KSA Shark © (Comment 47) : u did not say much so I missed counted, see there’s more now, we warming up…. And good morning(not there by u) to u too 🙂
Canes penalty
Canes 18 – 20 Lions
45 minutes
Another shocking forward pass by the Canes, and then they get the penalty!?!? SHOCKING
Canes 21 – 20 Lions
48 minutes
Go Lions!
Think PDivy was right, refs want NZ rugby to be on the front foot.
Canes get another penalty, this time 5m out from Lions line..
They take the scrum..
Nonu scores under the posts..
Morning all.
Just so you are all aware, this is the same ref who screwed us against the Chiefs last year. 😉
Canes 28 – 20 Lions
53 minutes
@KSA Shark © (Comment 59) :
Bastard ref..
@Mocho (Comment 44) : Where are you reading that??
That’s 20 unanswered points right? 😆
@klempie (Comment 63) :
That will be correct..
Hosea Gear try!!
Nonu in the thick of things with a good offload..
Ag no man, lions falling behind now…
Bad missed tackle from jantjies
Canes 35 – 20 Lions
60 minutes
Cruden penalty
Canes 38 – 20 Lions
63 minutes
My pick was Harricanes with 16, so the score can stay around here… 🙂
@klempie (Comment 62) : @Richard Ferguson (Comment 49) : @franshark (Comment 48) :
It got leaked to the weekend papers. Front page of the independent on Saturday. He will be joined by Allan Donald (which is weird because news24 said Donald is staying with NZ this week) Also AB De Villiers will be Odi T20 captain. Russell Domingo coach of the warriors who was SA coach of the year also joins Gary.
Suddenly the dream is shattered. Lions won’t comeback from this.
How many missed tackles is that from Jantjies? 🙁
Amla the vice captain 😀 go KZN!
@Mocho (Comment 71) :
Interesting..
Canes 38 – 20 Lions
70 minutes
@Mocho (Comment 71) : Have you got the independent in front of you?
Got the Canes by 11 I think 😕
Taute try!!
@franshark (Comment 70) : I’m happy with that. I’ve got them by 18. 🙂
@klempie (Comment 76) : Yep I dooo
Canes 38 – 27 Lions
74 minutes
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 78) : I’m NOT happy with that. 😉
C’mon Lions.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 79) :
Im in Margin point range now..
But HH is gonna pick up the Bonus..
The lions work like this. If u back them they will lose. If you write them off they win.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 83) : I need a BP try by Cruden now, that will help SB and FL. 🙂
@Mocho (Comment 80) : That is good info. Thanks!
Lions 5m lineout on the attack, looking to secure two bonus points..
@KSA Shark © (Comment 85) :
They are not listening to you.. they are going for fourth try and losing bonus point..
Canes 38 – 27 Lions
FULL TIME
Still have a margin point 🙂
And one FL try
Ten points gifted to canes by ref took the game away from us, boys still played well though
Nice bonus point, even if its shared 😎 So I’ve got 2/3 and 2 margins and 1(shared) bonus point.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 93) :
You mean 3 from 4?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 94) : Jip 😳
had the Canes by 5 👿