The Sunwolves have played the Lions three times in Super Rugby and they have yet to beat the Johannesburg side.
The Sunwolves lost 13-26 in Tokyo in 2016, then 7-94 (2017) and 38-40 (2018) in Johannesburg.
- This will be the fourth Super Rugby meeting between the Lions and Sunwolves, the Lions emerging victorious in all previous meetings including a 94-7 triumph in July 2017 -the second biggest win of any team in Super Rugby history.
- The Sunwolves have led at half-time in three of their last four Super Rugby fixtures; however, they’ve gone on to win only once in that time.
- The Lions have won only one of their last five games played outside South Africa; however, that victory came in their most recent such match and they will be looking for back-to-back wins in such fixtures for the first time since May 2017.
- The Lions have scored five tries in Super Rugby 2019 after forcing a turnover, the equal most of any team in the competition alongside the Hurricanes.
- Hayden Parker (Sunwolves) has been successful with 62 of his last 63 kicks at goal in Super Rugby, including each of his last 24 consecutive attempts.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway under the roof at the National Stadium, Singapore.
1.00: Hayden Parker slices a kick, but Gerhard Van Den Heever, out jumps Courtnall Skosan and races from 22 to 22 before being caught. The winger’s offload was knocked on, so the Lions survive an early scare.
3.00: The Lions get a free kick after two reset scrums. The last time the Sunwolves played in Singapore, the Sharks’ forwards gave them a mauling.
5.00: NO TRY! Masataka Mikami combines with Ben Gunter and busts through a tackle and into the Lions’ 22. The ball is recycled and sent wide by Parker. The following phase saw Mikami trying to push his front row partner Jiwon Koo over the line. The TMO is checking but the on-field call is “no try”.
6.00: The Sunwolves can feel very hard done by because the television replay showed that Koo had placed the ball over the line at the second attempt. Scrum to the home side.
7.00: PENALTY TRY! The Sunwolves are being pushed back by some good defence before Sylvian Mahuza deliberately knocked down Semisi Masirewa’s pass to an open Rahboni Warren Vosayaco. It had to be a yellow card for Mahuza, who also kicked the ball away afterwards, and a penalty try. 7-0
7.00: YELLOW CARD! Mahuza, deliberate knockdown. 7-0
9.00: The hosts are struggling in the scrums yet again. They are penalised for the second time allowing Elton Jantjies to kick to the corner.
10.00: NO TRY! Stephan Lewies darts around a ruck crashes over from close range after a collapsed driving maul, but he was held up. Five-metre scrum to the visitors. 7-0
11.00: Referee Damon Murphy has an argument with Malcolm Marx about the distance between the front rows. The scrum collapses and is, once again, reset.
12.00: Ruan Vermaak goes close, but he couldn’t get the ball on the chalk. He is down injured. The Sunwolves were guilty of hands in the ruck. Marx wants another scrum, but instead, Jantjies kicks to the corner.
13.00: TRY! Marx flops over the whitewash. The Lions get the maul right, this time. Rhyno Herbst took the hooker’s throw, the maul was set and the Lions drove over with ease. 7-5
14.00: CONVERSION! Jantjies adds the touchline kick to level. 7-7
16.00: MASSIVE TURNOVER! The Lions are saved by the referee and their captain. The Sunwolves should have scored but Masirewa was tackled short. The support arrived but Marx got his hands on the ball, winning the try-saving penalty. Marx has been the difference in what could have been a 14-point swing.
19.00: MARX TO THE RESCUE AGAIN! Both teams kicking for territory before Masariwa decides to put his foot down and start an attack. The home team goes several phases before the man Marx wins another turnover and penalty after Tom Rowe is isolated.
21.00: Vermaak loses the ball in contact after a pass from Lewies. The game is slowed down to a snail’s pace. It is very humid in Singapore and playing under lights and a roof only increases the level of uncomfortableness.
23.00: Vosayaco finds himself on the wing, as usual. The number eight charges forward and tuns over Mahuza, but the attack is halted because Harumichi Tatekawa did not release the ball after being tackled. It is the fourth penalty Tony Brown’s side has conceded in Lions’ territory.
25.00: The Lions go 11 phases before Masirewa tackles Mahuza into touch. Sunwolves lineout inside their 22.
26.00: Another penalty at the breakdown. This time it’s Jamie Booth who is pinged for not releasing. Jantjies kicks to the corner.
27.00: BIG DEFENCE! The Lions lose patience and drop before the try line. It was Tyrone Green, the fullback who had the ball at the back of the maul. Scrum to the hosts.
29.00: Masirewa is everywhere. He intercepts a pass and starts a counter-attack inside the opposition’s half. A knock on by a Lions’ player after the visitors won a turnover, gifts a the home team an attacking scrum in centre-field.
31.00: It’s end-to-end at the minute; both teams going to the boot and throwing wild passes before the Sunwolves win a lineout feed.
32.00: Parker hits a bomb and Green, with some acrobatics saves the ball from being lost forward. Wow!
33.00: NEARLY! Jantjies sees the space behind the Sunwolves’ back three. Skosan chases, but he is tackled by Van Den Heever; however, the winger knocks on trying to win the turnover. Scrum five to the visitors.
35.00: BIG SCRUM! The Lions’ front row wins another penalty. Another driving maul is about to take place.
36.00: TRY! It’s Marx at the double. Swys de Bruin’s side uses their driving maul like a nuclear weapon; it cannot be stopped. The Lions’ forwards drive slowly towards the goal line and the skipper flops over for the score. We cannot wait for the Lions to play the Brumbies. 7-12
38.00: MISS! Jantjies misses from near the sideline. 7-12
40.00: OH DEAR! Masariwa drops a ball he was not expecting because Mahuza almost intercepted the pass. Scrum, Lions. The hooter sounds, the set piece is reset.
43.00: Another series of reset scrums ends when the Lions give away a free kick; Parker puts the ball into touch. Halftime.
The halftime score was Sunwolves 7 Lions 12
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Singapore where the Lions hold a slim five-point lead thanks to Marx’s first-half double.
43.00: PENALTY! Parker slots his 27th consecutive kick of the 2019 Super rugby season; he’s 63 from 64 since last year. Wow! 10-12
44.00: The Sunwolves win another penalty at the breakdown which will please coach Brown.
46.00: The Lions are keeping the ball tight, punching their way forwards with their big ball carriers. A kicking battle follows with Jantjies, Parker and Skosan all having a turn to return the pill.
48.00: Vosayaco knocks on after the chess-battle of the boots. It’s time for some replacements as a couple of players receive treatment from the medical staff.
50.00: Green knocks on trying to go for the swallow dive. The Sunwolves counter-attack from inside their in-goal, but Wandisile Simelane cleans up Parkers kick before Van den Heever can gather.
51.00: MASSIVE SCRUM! The Lions’ front row dismantle the opposition’s pack with a big shove. They opt for another scrum after winning the penalty.
52.00: TRY! Nic Groom darts over from close range, selling a dummy and cutting inside Dan Pryor. Lionel Mapoe’s movement off the ball helped sell the dummy because half the Sunwolves’ backs followed the centre, creating the hole for the scrumhalf. 10-17
53.00: MISS! Jantjies’ kick is wide. 10-17
55.00: Mahuza breaks from inside his 22; he kicks a deep kick that rolls into the opposition’s 22. Green chases, but the ball is gathered and cleared by the hosts.
56.00: Jantjies kicks a penalty to the corner. This is a big moment for the Sunwolves; they can’t afford to concede another try.
57.00: TRY! Jantjies darts through a gap after Groom switched play. Masariwa’s late tackle gave the South Africans the chance at an attacking lineout. It was the wing who Jantjies beat to score. 10-22
58.00: MISS! The flyhalf is having an off day with the boot, his kick rebounding off the post. 10-22
60.00: De Bruin’s men have slowed the game down and they are squeezing the life out of the opposition.
62.00: TRY! Sensational score by Mapoe, who started the attack by drawing two players and putting Aphiwe Dyanti away. The winger raced to the 22 and offloaded to keep the attack alive. Groom saw Mapoe’s angled run and popped to the centre for the try under the posts – game over! 10-27
63.00: CONVERSION! Jantjies can’t miss. 10-29
64.00: NO TRY! Nathan Vella combines with Grant Hattingh, who loses the ball as he reached for the try line. The Sunwolves get the penalty because there is no advantage.
65.00: TRY! The Sunwolves opt for a scrum. It was a solid scrum. The hosts use their big men to run at Jantjies’ channel and it works because Vosayaco will not be stopped from that close to the chalk. 15-29
66.00: CONVERSION! Parker does what he does. 17-29
68.00: Hiroshi Yamashita is pinged for collapsing a scrum. Marx wants to take a shot at goal, which is unusual for the Lions.
69.00: PENALTY! The kick is good, taking the visitor’s lead to 15 points. 17-32
71.00: Alex Woonton is caught offsides after the restart. Jantjies calls for the tee.
72.00: MISS! Jantjies’ kick is wide. 17-32
75.00: TRY! Hacjivah Dayimani gathers a chip-kick and crashes over for the Lions’ sixth score of the night. 17-37
76.00: MISS! Gianni Lombard, last weak’s Lions’ hero almost has his conversion charged down; however, his kick goes left of the posts. 17-37
78.00: TRY! Vosayaco is over for a double. The Sunwolves manage to put together some sustained pressure inside the red zone and they come away with a try. 22-37
79.00: CONVERSION! Parker adds the extras. 24-37
80.00: The hooter sounds, but there is time for another scrum.
82.00: The Lions go close, but are stopped short of another try. That is the ball-game.
FULL TIME
Live In-Play Betting.
The final score is Sunwolves 24 (7) Lions 37 (12)
Scorers
Sunwolves
Tries – Penalty try, Vosayaco (2)
Pen – Parker
Con – Parker (2)
Drop –
Cards –
Lions
Tries – Marx (2), Groom, Jantjies, Mapoe, Dayimani
Pen – Jantjies
Con – Jantjies (2)
Drop –
Cards – Mahuza (Yellow, 7′)
Match Officials
Referee: Damon Murphy
Assistant Ref 1: Shuhei Kubo
Assistant Ref 2: Tawasaki Kawahara
TMO: Minoru Fuji
Teams
Sunwolves: 15 Ryohei Yamanaka, 14 Gerhard Van Den Heever, 13 Jason Emery, 12 Harumichi Tatekawa, 11 Semisi Masirewa, 10 Hayden Parker, 9 Jamie Booth, 8 Rahboni Warren Vosayaco, 7 Dan Pryor, 6 Ben Gunter, 5 Tom Rowe, 4 Grant Hattingh, 3 Jiwon Koo, 2 Atsushi Sakate, 1 Masataka Mikami.
Replacements: 16 Nathan Vella, 17 Alex Woonton, 18 Hiroshi Yamashita, 19 Uwe Helu, 20 Amanaki Lelei Mafi, 21 Fumiaki Tanaka, 22 Takuya Yamasawa, 23 Hosea Saumaki.
Lions: 15 Tyrone Green, 14 Sylvian Mahuza, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Lionel Mapoe, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Ruan Vermaak, 7 Stephan Lewies, 6 Marnus Schoeman, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Rhyno Herbst, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (captain), 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Robbie Coetzee, 17 Nathan McBeth, 18 Frans van Wyk, 19 Hacjivah Dayimani, 20 James Venter, 21 Ross Cronje, 22 Gianni Lombard, 23 Aphiwe Dyanti
