Lions ‘Caned on home turf

2019-06-08

Five tries by the Hurricanes was a mountain too far for the Emirates Lions to match as they went down 37-17 in Johannesburg on Saturday.

It will also be remembered for the match in which the Lions lost another stalwart in Kwagga Smith, who limped off ten minutes into the game.

The Lions will lament their missed opportunities. They dominated the collisions during the initial stages of the contest, but failed to translate that go-forward into territory and points. The Hurricanes did well to stifle and spoil at the breakdown.

The visitors made the most of their chances at the other end of the park. Ultimately, they did enough to both achieve a comfortable win and ensure that the Lions did not claim a consolatory bonus point.

The game was in the balance at half-time, with the scores level at 10-10. After the break, however, the Hurricanes made a statement when Ben Lam collected the kick-off and brushed aside a couple of would-be defenders to claim his first try.

The powerful winger rounded off some enterprising play later in the half as the Hurricanes started to take control. Aphiwe Dyantyi scored his second try of the game in the 59th minute, but that was quickly cancelled out by a Dane Coles score at the other end.

The Hurricanes pushed the boundaries at the breakdown and managed to win some crucial turnovers. The Lions did not do enough to blow men like Ardie Savea and Coles off the ball, and their ability to build an attack was compromised as a result.

Coles grabbed a second late in the piece to ensure that his side claimed a try-scoring bonus point.

The Lions are off to Loftus Versfeld this weekend for a big derby against the Vodacom Bulls.

Annemie Bester