This match will be the Lions first match this Super Rugby season out of South Africa and worryingly they are already on a seven match losing streak.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off.
The Chiefs kick off and we are underway.
1.00: The Lions knock on after the kick off so the Chiefs get the first scrum.
2.00: The Chiefs lose the scrum so the Lions attack. and the Chiefs turn the ball over and attack.They knock on and Ref Ian Smith plays a long advantage so we go back for it.
4.00: The Lions scrum illegally so Cruden gets a shot at goal. He nails it. Chiefs lead.
6.00: The Lions scrum overwpowers the Chiefs scrum again but the Chiefs still get the ball out. The Lions turn the ball over and attack on the half way line.
7.00: After 13 phases the Lions make good ground into Chiefs territory. They win a penalty and take it quickly. Lions playing better than expected. They drive for the line in the corner and go over. TMO decision pending. Footage is inconclusive so no try for Hattingh. The Lions do get a 5 scrum though.
9.00: Penalty again for the Lions thanks to Ben Tameifuna. The Lions opt for the line out. They win the line out but the ball goes to ground and the Chiefs win the ball and Leonard boots it clear. The Chiefs were under the cosh a bit there.
11.00: Lions back on attack in the Chiefs 25. It's all the Lions. However they play a bit too much rugby and the ball comes out loose and the Chiefs run the ball into the Lions half.
14.00: Penalty to the Chiefs. Cruden takes the shot and nails it. Odd as the Lions have done all the playing.
17.00: Lions running the ball from inside their half. Deon Van Rensburg loses the ball so the Chiefs attack. They make a little ground and then lose the ball. The Chiefs are not protecting the ball when they have it. Lions attacking again.
18.00: The Lions are attacking in the Chiefs half, the Chiefs turn the ball over and Toby Smith passes to Cruden who runs for the line - he has support but doesn't use or need it and goes over the line. TMO checks the grounding. TRY.
19.00: Cruden takes the conversion and nails it. Harsh scoreline for the Lions but that's rugby.
22.00: The Chiefs are on attack and then they win a penalty. They set up a maul but lose it about 7m out.
26.00: Chiefs winning the territory battle now. They have the ball and are running at the Lions in their 25.
27.00: Sonny Bill Williams makes some ground and the Craig Clarke bashes over the line and scores. TRY.
28.00: Cruden takes the conversion and nails it.
29.00; The Lions lose Franco Van der Merwe and Cobus Grobbelaar.
30.00: Chiefs win a line out and spin the ball out to the wing. Masaga goes down and they recycle. Cruden kicks for the corner and sets up a line out.
32.00: Lions defend the line out and run it back at the Chiefs. They win a penalty and they kick for the corner. The Lions win the line out and drive over the line. TRY! Cobus Grobbelaar is the scorer and he has only been on for three minutes.
34.00: Elton Jantjies nails the conversion. Cobus Grobbelaar goes off as he was on for a blood substitution.
37.00: Lions win a scrum in their half but as they move the ball wide they knock on. Skills are hurting the Lions.
38.00: The Chiefs break and Cruden chips ahead, Masaga chases and gets to it at the deadball line. He plants the ball but it just might have touched the deadball line. It's SO close. No try.
40.00: The Chiefs have a scrum just inside the Lions half. 40.34 the siren sounds as the Chiefs are on attack.
41.00: Lions win a penalty for holding on. The Lions run the ball. Eventually it comes to nothing and the ball is kicked out. It's half time.
The half time score was Chiefs 20 Lions 7
The second half is underway.
40.01: Elton Jantjies messes up the kick off - not 10 so we have a scrum on the half way line.
42.00: Chiefs playing most of the rugby early on in the Lions half.
43.00: Jantjies makes an awful mistake with the ball but somehow Mapoe saves the ball from going out.The Lions get the ball and start making some ground.
44.00: Brendon Leonard goes down whilst defending. The Lions are awarded a penalty and kick for the corner. They win the line out but the Chiefs win a penalty for truck and trailer.
48.00: Lions making good ground in the Chiefs half. The Chiefs turn the ball over and kick it over the half way line. They recycle and Cruden chips through and regathers and passes to Masaga who gets the ball and beats a defender and scores. TRY!
49.00: Cruden adds the conversion.
52.00: The Lions move the ball into the Chiefs 25 and drive for the line. Joshua Strauss powers over and dots the ball down.
54.00: Jantjies takes the conversion and nails it in front of 12 363 fans.
56.00: CJ Van der Linde comes on for the Lions. Wow. Out of nothing Brendon Leonard gets the ball chips ahead, chases gets the ball, grubbers and the Lions are a mess and the ball spills out, he dives for the ball and slides over the line and scores the bonus point TRY!
57.00: Cruden nails the conversion.
60.00: Handling errors so far Lions 14 Chiefs 6.
61.00: The Lions are all over the Chiefs in their 25. They get to the 5m line and the ball is slow. Too slow as the Chiefs thwart their attack.
64.00: Mahonri Schwalger puts in a huge tackle and then follows it up with another one.
66.00: The Lions win a penalty and opt for the line out. They win the line out and then they win another penalty. The Chiefs get a warning.
67.00: The Lions set up a maul and drive over the line and Grobbelaar scores his second TRY!!
68.00: Jantjies takes the conversion and nails it.
69.00: Strauss knocks on after the kick off.
71.00: The Chiefs drive the ball to the Lions 5m line. The Lions defend well but knock on so the Chiefs have a 5m scrum. Strauss limps off.
74.00: The Chiefs are stil in the Lions 25. The game has slowed to a grind now as both teams look tired.
78.00: It's scrum after scrum here as the clock winds down.
79.00: The Lions win a free kick from a scrum and run the ball. They can get the four try bonus point.
80.00: The ball is kicked into touch and it's over. The Chiefs win.
The full time score is Chiefs 34 (20) Lions 21 (7)
Scorers
Chiefs
Tries - A Cruden, C.Clarke, L Masaga, B Leonard
Pen - A Cruden 2
Con - A Cruden 4
Drop -
Cards -
Lions
Tries - C.Grobbelaar 2 , J Strauss
Pen -
Con - E Jantjies 3
Drop -
Cards -
Tries - C.Grobbelaar 2 , J Strauss
Pen -
Con - E Jantjies 3
Drop -
Cards -
Match Officials
Referee: Ian Smith
Assistant Ref 1:Nick Briant
Assistant Ref 2:Grant Stuart
TMO:Ben Skeen
Teams
Chiefs
1. Toby Smith, 2. Hika Elliot, 3. Ben Tameifuna, 4. Craig Clarke (c), 5. Michael Fitzgerald, 6. Tanerau Latimer, 7. Sam Cane, 8. Kane Thompson, 9. Brendon Leonard, 10. Aaron Cruden, 11. Asaeli Tikoirotuma, 12. Sonny Bill Williams, 13. Richard Kahui, 14. Lelia Masaga, 15. Andrew Horrell
Replacements: 16. Mahonri Schwalger, 17. Arizona Taumalolo, 18. Alex Bradley, 19. Scott Waldrom, 20. Tawera Kerr- Barlow, 21. Jackson Willison, 22. Maritino Nemani
Lions
15 Andries Coetzee , 14 Deon Van Rensburg , 13 Jaco Taute , 12 Alwyn Hollenbach , 11 Lionel Mapoe , 10 Elton Jantjies , 9 Ross Cronje , 8 Joshua Strauss (c) , 7 Grant Hattingh , 6 Derick Minnie , 5 Ruan Botha , 4 Franco Van der Merwe , 3 Patric Cilliers , 2 Callie Visagie , 1 Caylib Oosthuizen / JC Janse van Rensburg
Reserves:16 Martin Bezuidenhout , 17 CJ Van der Linde , 18 Cobus Grobbelaar , 19 Jaco Kriel , 20 Tian Meyer , 21 James Kamana , 22 Michael Killian
