The Lions host the travelling Hurricanes in match 3 of the second round, hoping to go two from two after their victory over the Cheetahs last weekend. The Hurricanes looked better than expected in their match against the Stormers, with ill discipline costing them dearly.
The Lions have lost Wikus van Heerden to a concussion suffered at the hands of Andries Strauss, but welcome back Michael Killian on the wing. Lock Stephan Greeff comes into the starting lineup in an attempt to sort out the teamβs lineout woes.
The Hurricanes will rely heavily on the experience in Conrad Smith and Corey Jane to keep the young heads in the backline focused. Look out for the flyhalf battle between young Jantjies and young Barrett.
I expect a rather close game, but the boot of Jantjies will pull away for the Lions.
Lions: 15. Jaco Taute, 14. Deon van Rensburg, 13. Doppies la Grange, 12. Alwyn Hollenbach, 11. Michael Killian, 10. Elton Jantjies, 9. Michael Bondesio, 8. Warren Whiteley, 7. Joshua Strauss (Captain), 6. Derick Minnie, 5. Franco van der Merwe, 4. Stephan Greeff, 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Callie Visagie, 1. JC Janse van Rensburg
Replacements: 16. Martin Bezuidenhout, 17. CJ van der Linde, 18. Marius Coetzer, 19. Cobus Grobbelaar, 20. Tian Meyer, 21. Butch James, 22. James Kamana
Hurricanes: 15. AndrΓ© Taylor, 14. Cory Jane, 13. Conrad Smith (Captain), 12. Tim Bateman, 11. Alapati Leiua, 10. Beauden Barrett, 9. Chris Eaton, 8. Victor Vito, 7. Jack Lam, 6. Faifili Levave, 5. Jeremy Thrush, 4. Jason Eaton, 3. Ben May, 2. Dane Coles, 1. Tristan Moran
Replacements: 16. Motu Motuβu, 17. Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18. James Broadhurst, 19. Brad Shields, 20. TJ Perenara, 21. Dan Kirkpatrick, 22. Charlie Ngatai

Go Lions!
Tear them limb from limb!
Hurricanes did not look convincing at all last week. Hope they will not find some lost form π
Last Minute Last Man Standing Jitters . . . π
Canes will Win.
Jantjies boot… I really appreciate the consistency he has been showing of late, brought through from the Currie Cup. Lambie in media reports slipping behind in pecking order, and largely regarded as a Fullback.
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 5) : What does the Media really know about Rugby π
@DarkDestroyer (Comment 5) : Very True that.
But there`s no way we can drop Viljoen to accommodate him at 15.
Go Lions,make the touring teams fearfull of the battle grounds is SA.
Go Lions. You can do it
Looks rather empty.
People still worried about their cars while they`re watching rugby?
Come on lions, gee hulle ‘n moerse paksla
Go lions….
I dislike Ashwin a lot! πΏ
But go Lions!
it is seriously empty…..
Game time! Lets go!
The thing I hate the most about the conference system is that even though I want all the SA teams to do well, it make that you want the other Sa teams to loose πΏ π for the sake of your team, dis mos klomp stront die SA spanne moet agter mekaar staan en dit moet vir die Aussie en NZ spanne hel wees om hierna toe te kom. π
@Die Kriek (Comment 16) : where? I’m staying π
first scrum of the game
early break by the lions lead to nothing as a wild pass dont go to handd
Come on Lions, wip these canes
penalty to the Hurricanes, lions offside, Barrett going for poles
Fairly easy kick from straight in front
Lions 0 – 3 Hurricanes
5 min
a knock by the Hurricanes gives the lions an attacking scrum in Hurricanes 22
Taute in the corner, TMO, Try awarded
Elton conversion missed
Lions 5 β 3 Hurricanes
9 min
Hurricane claim the kick-off
hurricanes attacking in the lions 22, lions defence is good, driible kick, lions come away with a relieving kick
lions concede a penalty, Barrett makes them pay
Lions 5 β 6 Hurricanes
14 min
Lions line out, half line
Kamana on for van Renburg
hurricanes on attack, knock on, lions scrum, lions 10
penalty to lions, high tackle, 5 meter in there own half, Taute going for goal, 55 meters
over!!!!!!!
Lions 8 β 6 Hurricanes
19 min
a bid of a ping pong, ends in a Hurricanes line out, lions 10
penaltty to the lions, lions taking the line kick, between Hurricanes 10 and 22, van rensburg back on
Just when I was starting to enjoy the game Victoria made his voice heard. πΏ
a cross kick from elton not claimed and a chance goes begging
Hurricanes line out, their 22
hurricanes with the ball on lions 10, knock on, lions scrum
pk barrett
8-9
Hurricanes on attack, minnie penalized for going over and hands in
penalty, Barrett slots it
Lions 8 β 9 Hurricanes
30 min
quite a entertaining match except for the handling errors
Late tackle, white card, and penalty to lions right on the half line
Taute going for goal from in his half, hits the upright
A lions knock brings play to a Hurricanes scrum, lions 10
hurriicaness working their way up field, Taylor in the corner, TMO, try awarded
Barrett miss conversion
Lions 8 β 14 Hurricanes
36 min
Lions on attack for 13 phases already, elton goes for the drop kick, miss…. good defence from Hurricanes
The Lions’ wingers are average..
Killian break down the middel but the ball lost on the 22
werner swanepoel making a ass of himself, saying dit lyk of hy die wedstryd in beheer het in plaas van dit lyk of hy die bal onder beheer het.
HALF TIME
Lions 8 β 14 Hurricanes
kom nou leeus kry julle gatte in rat
Without the scrum Lions have even less chance of winning…the way the Lions play will play straight into the hands of the Canes’ Classy backs.
Canes to take the win by 10 points.
I said there will be 3 upsets this weekend…one down with the Chiefs…and I said to OP, I think Canes might pull it through..hope I am wrong, still went with the Leeus on SB
Matfield is a kak commentator, he doesn’t have the face or the voice for tv…
2nd half underway, uncontested scrums for the rest of the game
The Lions forwards have failed to dominate up front. This has given the Hurricanes back line a lot more freedom than they deserve.
Lions need to show some aggression.
Lions scrum, lions 22
Lions with the ball on the half line
continiuos play in the Hurricanes half brings the lions a penalty for offside
Elton, PK, 45 meters, midfield, over
Lions 11 β 14 Hurricanes
45 min
Ok I did not watch anything from the first half….but what I have seen in the 2nd looks good…
@lostfish (Comment 57) : It’s a joke!!
taute clears the ball from his 22, hurricanes back on attack, knock on. lions scrum, lions 10
Elton finding some distance this year….last year he would never kick anything passed 40 meters…the game lost to WP is a perfect example….
Why uncontested scrums?
forward pass from the lions
1st half only 3 tackles missed…1 by Lions and 2 by Canes
Is it just me, or does Walsh look like much less of a douche now that he has a beard.
His old look just made me want to punch him in the face.
@Hmmm (Comment 68) : Hurricane props off
Hurricanes move up field to within lions 22
Whats wrong with Taute’s hands?
8 phases, ball goes to boot again, good defence once again by lions, ball goes out from a lions player
Lions penalised for slowing down and going for poles….
@Leviathan (Comment 71) : Barnes?
Hollenbach penalized for off side
barrett going for goal…. over
Lions 11 β 17 Hurricanes
53 min
Slotted
Lions 11 – 17 Canes
elton breaks, lions 8 meters out
@Ben (Comment 77) : Haha and then you edited it.
lions try, van der merwe over
The Lions are looking on fire….
2nd time in the half that they been running through the Canes def almost at will…
Try Franco…
Try converted…
Lions 18 – 17 Canes
elton easy coversion
Lions 18 β 17 Hurricanes
56 min
Penalty, lions player played in the air
Now go in for the kill lions
lions with the ball, half line
@Ben (Comment 77) :
Sorry, meant Walsh.
Canes penalised for playing LION in the air from kickoff…
Elton goes for touch but not made mauch ground…
Kick to a fro and the quick play from the LIONS cost them…Canes kick ball through twice and score…
hurricanes playing soccer and score through their hooker
Lose ball kick through try was unconverted….
Lions 18 – 22 Canes
conversion missed
Lions 18 β 22 Hurricanes
66 min
Hurricanes running riot now, score again
Another handling error by Lions resulting in another against the play score in a matter of 2 min
Try not converted….
Lions 18 – 27 Canes
@Hmmm (Comment 83) : On fire indeed! π
Jane try, Barrett coversion missed
Lions 18 β 27 Hurricanes
62 min
Jeez, the Lions are chucking this game away!!
If the Lions carry on like this I am going to be 0 from 2 on superbru
Come on lions, you can still do this
Kamana, James and a few forward on for the lions
Really struggling to see how John Mitchell selects van Rensburg and Killian ahead of Kamana.
lions on attack but the Hurricanes turn the ball over
lions up to Hurricanes 22, penalty for off side, kick at goal for elton
Canes penalised for offside right in front of the post after a great deal of pressure from the LIONS…was 2 advantages prior to penalty given…
elton PK
Lions 21 β 27 Hurricanes
67 min
PK Slotted…
Lions 21 – 27 Canes
@lostfish (Comment 57) : If you don’t have the face for TV, take up radio and if you don’t have the voice for radio, take up print journalism. π
Matfield would do good to heed that advice.
great play by the lions, kamana down the side line, james kick the ball away πΏ
hurricanes clear, only to there 22 line
@Franshark (Comment 110) : Kamana should have looked for the offload. Killed all momentum.
@lostfish (Comment 100) : after this there’s been three π
driving mall by the lions, 7 metres from the line
@vanmartin (Comment 112) : But that seems to bea running theme this evening.
Another set of great play…
Try sent to tv ref to make call…
Fist angel shows try…
TMO for a lions try, james try awarded
Try awarded to Butch….
kick to come
Elton conversion over
Lions 28 β 27 Hurricanes
71 min
Converted…
Lions 28 – 27 Canes…
Lions take lead again….
Fokus nou Leeus!
Flip this is down to the wire but I think the Lions will score another try to deny the canes a BP
hurricanes back on lions 22
penalty to lions, Hurricanes holding on
Relief!
Elton clears to 5 meter into hurricanes half
Hurricanes steal the lineout!
And the knock on! π
Hurricanes steel the ball, attack…. a knock on saves the lions
lions scrum, lions 10
and now the lions knock….
The LIONS lose the lineout from the penalty touch…
The Canes send through a few phases but great defense by LIONS force a knockon….
Hurricanes with the ball in hand, lions 10
Canes back on the attack but visibly tired
lions 22 now
Hold it Lions, hold the lead!
17 phases, penalty, james off side
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 113) : lack of sleep and I forgot about the boringtahs game
Penalty against Butch – offside
Lions 28 β 30 Hurricanes
79 min
@lostfish (Comment 138) : π
lions claim the ball, hurricanes 22
and they loose it
And the Lions lose the game
Lions robbed by uncontested scrums π
Oops!
Lions 28 β 30 Hurricanes
FULL TIME
They threw it away π
crap – 1 from 3
I knew I should have gone with my gut and picked the canes.
12 picks for the Lions in LMS
175 teams entered the game:
79 still alive with a lifeline.
43 still alive with no lifeline.
53 out of the game.
Who backed the Lions on LMS?
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 145) : hows LMS looking?
@Franshark (Comment 152) : Great minds! π
Hard luck Lions supporters, you guys were robbed by a very sneaky tactic of the Hurricanes knowing full well that their frontrow was never going to last the game and planned their game accordingly.
Cheating kiwi bastards.
@vanmartin (Comment 151) : 12 people, i’m not one of them.
@Franshark (Comment 152) : look up
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 154) : Tristan Moran was useless in the scrums. Scrummed in every time.
@lostfish (Comment 149) : same here!!! Damnit!
Not contesting the scrums really hurt the Lions.
Oh well, good for the rest of us I suppose. That’s what I hate about this conference system.
@KSA Shark Β© (Comment 155) : thanks π
owen nkumane – oops of the weekend!
Xola mistaking Conrad Smith for Corey Jane. π³
@Leviathan (Comment 158) : are u ready for tommorow night
Second upset…
@Ice (Comment 163) : hehe
@Ice (Comment 163) : Third upset. First was Ice dropping out of LMS
What frustrates me most is, how did we lose against this team in the CC final???
@Die Kriek (Comment 165) : yea π
@Ben (Comment 166) : π πΏ
@Die Kriek (Comment 165) : hahahaha – dis ‘n teer puntjie! LOL
@Franshark (Comment 162) :
I’m ready like Freddy.
He’s the dust pixie that lives in my nose.
Isn’t that right Freddy?
…
Freddy…Freddy why aren’t you answering me…
…Freddy?
@Leviathan (Comment 170) : Have you been into the papsak?
Ugh . . . bye bye lifeline.
Damn Lions.
I propose that Zibbie and csb be bannned for 2 weeks as punishment? π
@Ben (Comment 166) : Hey depending on today’s performance we may just have the answer to that. π
@Die Kriek (Comment 171) :
I have no idea what that means. π
1 from 3 and my lifeline lost π₯
@Leviathan (Comment 174) : ask freddy π
On the Up side, if the Canes can upset the Lions, surely the Sharks can Upset the Stormers tonight?
π
@Original Pierre (Comment 172) :
man … i cried myself to sleep on Friday …
Sigh …