Highlanders bring Lions down to earth
The Lions were undefeated in their previous four matches away from home. In contrast the Highlanders maintained their three-year unbeaten run against South African teams in Dunedin.
Don't believe the score. Believe that the team that won the match deserved to do so but not by that points' difference. The match was closer than that.
The Highlanders deserved their win because they defended with force, won the scrum battle when it still mattered, won the telling turnovers and finished off their chances. The Highlanders made one try and then used Lady Luck for three others. The Lions scored two tries of their own making, were held up over the line twice and bungled a golden chance. Mind you, the Highlanders also bungled a try.
All that said, it was a great match. The first half taught us an old lesson - that tries are not the be-all and end-all of good rugby. The contest makes the game, that and the skill of the players in the contest. It was a wonderful half that ended 10-3 to the resilient Highlanders - powerful in the tackle and scoring a try of exquisite delicacy.
The Lions battled in the first half's scrums as they did in the second half's line-outs. The Highlanders destroyed the Lions in the very first scrum, shoving the Lions off their ball and setting up an attack that should have ended in a try had unmarked Matt Faddes on the right wing not knocked on a simple pass from Malakai Fekitoa.
When the Lions were penalised for collapsing a scrum Lima Sopoaga goaled as he did his next five kicks at goal, not missing one. This one was far out and at an angle. 3-0 after 8 minutes.
Jaco van der Walt raced on counterattack but Rob Thompson ripped the ball from his grasp and Highlanders attacked down the right. Faddes latched onto a diagonal kick but just put a foot on the touchline as he flung the ball infield.
The came the Lions' golden moment. Elton Jantjies kicked downfield, Faddes misjudged everything about the kick and there was Jaco Kriel charging down for the line. He had speedster Courtnall on his inside but preferred to get tackled. The Lions went wide right and Ruan Combrinck stepped and plunged for the line but Fekitoa got him and the powerful Tongan kept the ball off the ground.
The Highlanders were on attack when Elliot Dixon, brought into the side because of Liam Squire's stomach problems, burst through and played inside to Ben Smith. The Smiths combined and then came a delicious rugby moment as Sopoaga, going right, put through a perfect, delicate grubber. The ball obligingly stood up for Faddes who came through at an angle to score. 10-0 after 25 minutes.
When the Highlanders were penalised at a tackle, Jantjies goaled. 10-3 after 32 minutes.
There were not many points in the half but great skill, endeavour and courage from both sides as they went at each other with zest.
There were six tries in the second half, the first two of which set the Highlanders up for victory, the first with an element of doubt in its origin.
The Lions were attacking down the right where Patrick Osborne tacked Combrinck into touch. From just inside his 22, Ben Smith grabbed the ball and sneaked a quick throw-in to Aaron Smith who raced downfield and then gave back to Ben Smith who raced over for a try in the left corner. Sopoaga converted from touch.
There may well have been queries about the quick throw-in - the place of the throw-in, whether the ball was touched only by the thrower and whether the thrower did not have a foot in the field of play at the time. But that was academic. The Highlanders led 17-3 after 43 minutes and two minutes later they were leading 24-3.
Van der Walt threw a long, looping pass to his left. Just outside his 22 Faddes intercepted the pass and raced away some 75 metres through empty acres to score. 24-3 after 46 minutes.
It seemed that the Highlanders were on the way to scoring again when Howard Mnisi again did not control the kick-off and Thompson went racing away but Mnisi got back to bring him down.
Dixon tackled Mnisi and went on his knees to play the ball back to his side inside the Highlanders' half. The Highlanders went right and substitute Gareth Evans raced away with the ball. He gave inside to Ben Smith who gave inside to Fekitoa who scored the 60-metre try. 31-3 after 57 minutes.
Armand van der Merwe replaced Robbie Coetzee at hooker but the Lions lost his first throw into the line-out and Sopoaga used the bonanza to drop a goal.
The end game belonged to the Lions with the Highlanders defending with determination as they led 4-0 in tries and were in line for a bonus point.
The Lions used their forwards to bash on pick-'n-go as their forwards got on top. Centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg ended one set of bashing phases but forcing his way over for a try. 34-8 after 63 minutes.
Now the Highlanders' bonus point was in jeopardy. They ere under pressure as the Lions sought another try, opting for five-metre scrums in their quest. They bashed and bashed. Then from an attacking line-out on their left, they formed a maul and went right where teenager Ruan Ackermann bashed through two tackles to score near the posts. 34-15 with 4 minutes to play.
the Lions attacked again and Franco Mostert actually bashed his way over the line. The referee saw that he was held up and the final whistle went.
Man of the Match: The candidates at Highlanders - Ben Smith with a productive hand in so much that his team did, Elliot Dixon with his running and tackling, Aaron Smith, calm, effient Laim Sapoaga and our choice - Malakai Fekitoa. He led the Highlanders on their relentless defence that won the match for the side and he was such a handful with the ball in hand.
The scorers:
For the Highlanders:
Tries: Faddes 2, B Smith, Fekitoa
Cons: Sopoaga 4
Pens: Sopoaga
DG: Sopoaga
For the Lions:
Tries: Janse van Rensburg, Ackermann
Cons: Jantjies
Pens: Jantjies
Teams:
Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (captain), 14 Matt Faddes, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Rob Thompson, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Luke Whitelock, 7 Dan Pryor, 6Elliot Dixon , 5 Joe Wheeler, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Siosiua Halanukonuka, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Brendon Edmonds.
Replacements: 16 Ash Dixon, 17 Daniel Lienert-Brown, 18 Ross Geldenhuys, 19 Gareth Evans, 20 Shane Christie, 21 Josh Renton, 22 Hayden Parker, 23 Jason Emery.
Lions: 15 Jaco Van Der Walt, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Rohan Janse Van Rensburg, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois De Klerk, 8 Warren Whiteley, 7 Warwick Tecklenburg, 6 Jaco Kriel, 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Robbie Coetzee, 1 Jacques Van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Armand Van Der Merwe, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Julian Redelinghuys, 19 Robert Kruger, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Dillon Smit, 22 Jacques Nel, 23 Andries Coetzee.
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant referees: Jamie Nutbrown (New Zealand), Kane McBride (New Zealand)
TMO: Aaron Paterson (New Zealand)
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