The Chiefs go into this match on the back of a confidence boosting win over the Sharks and their best ever Super Rugby campaign last year.
The Lions have home advantage but nearly all of their stars have left for greener pastures and have been called a bunch of “no name branders”. If they beat the Chiefs well they could create some names for themselves.
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick off
0.01: The Chiefs start wonderfully with pace and power and run the ball up to the Lions tryline. They get to within 5m after 30 seconds and the pressure wins them a penalty.
1.00: The Chiefs want the try so they go for the line out. They win the line out and Callum Bruce dodges and weaves and runs in the first try after just over one minute – what a start !
2.00: Stephen Donald takes the conversion and nails it.
5.00: The Lions show some power and fight their way back into this. They show some patience on attack and it earns them a penalty kick.
6.00: Earl Rose takes the kick and he nails it.
9.00: The Chiefs hit straight back with a penalty which Donald slots.
12.00: Sione Lauaki puts in a spear tackle so he gets shown a yellow card and goes to the bin for 10 minutes.
13.00: Earl Rose bangs over the penalty kick and adds three points for the Lions.
15.00: The Chiefs win a scrum and Richard Kahui fires off and scores under the posts.
15.00: Stephen Donald adds the conversion.
16.00: Earl Rose sends out a wide pace which stretches Kahui and Wandile Mjekevu breaks free to score his first Super14 try.
17.00: Earl Rose takes the conversion and misses.
20.00: The Lions show some good attacking forward skills but Spencer boots the ball for Chavhanga but its too far. They do however get called back as Aled de Malmanche is shown a yellow card. The Chiefs will be down to 13 for two minutes or so.
22.00: The Lions choose to run the ball but they can’t get through. They get held up and the Chiefs have a scrum 5m out from their tryline. HUGE push from the Chiefs by the ref blows for the Lions and they get the next scrum.
23.00:Sione Lauaki comes back on. The Lions go for a quick scrum and Todd Clever dives for the line and scores the try. We go upstairs to check the grouding. It’s a try.
24.00: Earl Rose adds the conversion and the Lions lead.
27.00: As the Chiefs attack Todd Clever gets an intercept and bolts off. He stops and changes direction and passes the ball from the ground but they play on and as the Chiefs get to the turnover they get blown for playing the ball on the ground.
28.00;The Lions maul it again but the Chiefs get a penalty.
29.00: Boy this is a fast game. Mjekevu breaks down the line and he gets caught, the Lions changes sides and swing it across the field for Chavhanga but het too gets caught.
30.00; It’s frenetic attack from both sides.
31.00: The Lions regroup and swing the ball through the team and Spencer finds space to score and does !
32.00: Earl Rose adds the conversion.
34.00: The Chiefs get a penalty so Stephen Donald takes the kick and nails the penalty.
35.00: Spencer takes a knock in a tackle. He gets up. The Lions scrum wins them a penalty. They take the quick tap. It works as they recycle and recycle after each tackle. It’s the best play from the Lions in years !
37.00: Lions territory is now at 72 per cent which shows how much work they have done.
38.00: The Chiefs set up a line out in the Lions half. They run the ball and keep it live. The Lions defence pushes them backwards. Chiefs reset and go again. Sweeney has a dart for the line and it upsets the defence which allows Donald to find a gap so that he can score the Chiefs third try. That’s six tries in this half.
Donald adds the conversion and the Chiefs lead.
The half time score was Lions 25 Chiefs 27
The Second half is underway.
41.00: The Chiefs start the second half exactly as they started the first and swing the ball out at pace and this time Liam Messam runs in the try for the bonus point.
42.00: Stephen Donald adds the conversion.
46.00: Todd Clever gets caught playing the ball on the ground which gives the Chiefs a penalty.
47.00; Stephen Donald takes the kick and nails it.
48.00: The Chiefs have completely dominated this half. They swing the ball out to Kahui who has a race to the line with Todd Clever and Kahui wins and he scores the fifth Chiefs try.
50.00: Stephen Donald adds the conversion.
54.00: The Chiefs are looking to finish this match strongly. They run the ball into the Lions 25 and the Lions turn it over only for Kahui to intercept and score his hat-trick try.
56.00: Stephen Donald adds the conversion.
58.00: Well the Lions are just falling apart as Junior Poluleuligaga scores the Chiefs seventh try. Stephen Donald …not surprisingly nails the conversion. It’s a point a minute.
60.00: The Lions are just not in this any more. Sitiveni Sivivatu runs in the Chiefs 8th try. Donald again adds the conversion.
63.00: The Lions wake up and realise that this can destroy their whole season and they start to fight back. They string together 12 phases and get to within 5m of the line. 13 phases but they get pushed out. We go back for a penalty as there was advantage.
64.00: What a shambles. The touchie comes in and suggests that Richard Kahui gets a yellow card for a spear tackle when it was actually done by another player.
65.00: Doppies La Grange uses the numbers to his advantage and scores the Lions bonus point try.
66.00: Earl Rose adds the conversion.
68.00: The Lions still have some fight in them as Tonderai Chavhanga scores the Lions fifth try which brings up 100 points for the match. Rose misses the conversion.
70.00: The Chiefs are not finished yet. Brendon Leonard scores the Chiefs ninth try. Donald adds the conversion.
72.00; Its raining tries at Coca Cola park as Wandile Mjekevu scores his second for the Lions and their sixth try. Rose adds the conversion.
73.00: A minute later and Wandile Mjekevu dives over for his third and hat trick try. Rose adds the conversion.
74.00: The Lions set up a line out 5 out and they win the line out and drive for the line and Cobus Grobbelaar gets the try. Rose adds the conversion.
78.00; The Lions are looking for a final try which will win them a losing bonus point. They drive over the line and we go upstairs but it’s short.
80.00: The Lions drive again for the line. They get over the line and then get pushed back. The Chiefs turn it over and run it. The Lions then turn it over and run it back. The Lions win a penalty and so they go again. Chavhanga gets to 5m away from the line.
82.00; Another penalty. The Lions run it again. They recycle and recycle as they regroup. Again and again they go. Another penalty. The Lions go again. Another penalty and finally they get the try. Jacques Lombaard is the try scorer.
Earl Rose nails the conversion for the bonus point.
That’s it the Chiefs win it.
The final score is Lions 65 Chiefs 72
Scorers
Lions
Tries – Wandile Mjekevu 3, T Clever, C Spencer, D La Grange, T Chavhanga, C Grobbelaar ,J Lombaard
Pen – E Rose 2
Con – E Rose 6
Drop –
Chiefs
Tries – C.Bruce, R.Kahui 3,S Donald, L. Messam, J. Poluleuligaga, S. Sivivatu , B Leonard
Pen – S Donald 3
Con – S Donald 9
Drop –
Cards – Sione Lauaki (12) Yellow , Aled de Malmanche (21) Yellow, Richard Kahui (64) Yellow
Tries – C.Bruce, R.Kahui 3,S Donald, L. Messam, J. Poluleuligaga, S. Sivivatu , B Leonard
Pen – S Donald 3
Con – S Donald 9
Drop –
Cards – Sione Lauaki (12) Yellow , Aled de Malmanche (21) Yellow, Richard Kahui (64) Yellow
Match Officials
Referee: Marius Jonker (SA)
Ass. refs: Stuart Berry (SA), Sindile Mayende (SA)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (SA)
Teams
Lions: Earl Rose; Tonderai Chavhanga, Deon Van Rensburg, Doppies La Grange, Wandile Mjekevu; Carlos Spencer, JP Joubert; Todd Clever, Derick Minnie, Cobus Grobbelaar (c), Willem Stoltz, Franco Van der Merwe, Ross Geldenhuys, Hannes Franklin, Heinke Van der Merwe.
Replacements – Charles Emslie, JC Kevin Janse van Rensburg Buys, Jacques Lombaard, Jonathan Mokuena, Jacques Coetzee, Burton Francis, Michael Killian.
Chiefs 1. Sona Taumalolo,2. Aled de Malmanche ,3. Nathan White,4. Craig Clarke,5. Culum Retallick,6. Liam Messam ,7. Luke Braid,8. Sione Lauaki (captain),9. Junior Poluleuligaga,10. Stephen Donald,11. Sitiveni Sivivatu,12. Callum Bruce,13. Richard Kahui,14. Dwayne Sweeney,15. Mike Delany
Reserves: 16. Hika Elliot, 17. Ben Afeaki, 18. Jarrad Hoeata, 19. Tanerau Latimer, 20. Brendon Leonard, 21. Jackson Willison, 22. Tim Nanai-Williams.