Lions 44-29 Hurricanes: Lions come from 19 points down to shock Canes in Super Rugby semi-final
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 29/07/17 4:34pm
The Lions came back from 22-3 down against the Hurricanes to secure a magnificent 44-29 victory after a superlative second half display at Ellis Park.
A try from prop Jacques van Rooyen in the final minute of the first half, plus scores from Ross Cronje, Malcolm Marx, Elton Jantjies, Harold Vorster, and Kwagga Smith in the second period killed off the Hurricanes.
Scores from TJ Perenara, Wes Goosen and Ardie Savea had given the Canes a healthy lead, while a second half try from Ngani Laumape had regained the lead for a short while.
Momentum shifted on the stroke of half-time towards the Lions and a yellow card for Canes fly-half Beauden Barrett in the second saw Johan Ackermann's side wrestle control and never let it go.
Following last week's dominant quarter-final display over the Brumbies in Canberra, the defending champions made the long trip across the Indian Ocean for a third straight semi-final appearance, but history was against the Hurricanes with no team having ever gone on to win the Super Rugby title after travelling to or from South Africa in the play-offs.
The Lions started brightly in Johannesburg with scrum-half Cronje taking two superb early high balls and threatening with several sniping runs, and after five minutes they had the lead as Jantjies punished Vaea Fifita for coming in at the side at the breakdown with a penalty from directly in front.
The lead lasted less than two minutes, however, as the Hurricanes were gifted a try to hit the front.
Canes scrum-half Perenara feasted on the first of several Lions unforced errors, as Jantjies took the ball flat to the line but threw his pass to deck, giving Perenara an invitation to hack on twice and show great pace to dive over.
Jordie Barrett missed the conversion with a poor kick, pushing it to the right, but the Lions' inaccuracy had been ruthlessly punished.
After 11 minutes, the Hurricanes got over the whitewash again through wing Goosen after a brilliant set-piece move.
Off a lineout, the ball was worked in-field and Beauden Barrett made a superb arcing run which sliced the Lions midfield defence apart, before releasing Goosen with a pass of outstanding timing.
Goosen ran in the finish and Jordie Barrett slotted over a wonderful conversion to get his kicking game back on track.
Another flowing Hurricanes move involving Goosen, Vince Aso and Ngani Laumape saw several incisive offloads come off and forced a desperate Lions defence to be caught offside. The resultant penalty was duly kicked by Barrett the younger to stretch the lead out to 15-3.
Half an hour in and more mistakes by the Lions would hurt them. A powerful scrum from the South Africans earned a penalty, but Jantjies took a kick tap, and two phases later possession was again coughed up at the breakdown, allowing flanker Savea to scamper away and touch down under the posts for the Hurricanes' third try.
The way the ball fell to deck was somewhat controversial, with Fifita appearing to slap the ball down, but referee Jaco Peyper refused to review the incident with his TMO when implored to do so by some of the Lions players.
On the stroke of half-time, the Lions registered a vital score to keep them in the game through loosehead Van Rooyen.
Skipper Jaco Kriel won a superb breakdown penalty in the middle of the pitch and Jantjies kicked it deep in Hurricanes territory.
The Lions' first lineout maul earned a penalty with the Hurricanes clearly taking out the support, while take two again saw the Hurricanes cynically chop down an advancing Lions maul, coming in at the side.
On advantage, Van Rooyen showed great power to bulldoze his way past Goosen to touch down with a minute of the half remaining, with Jantjies adding the simple extras to leave it 22-10 at the break.
The Lions started the second half revitalised and after putting together several powerful phases off another strong lineout maul, Cronje darted over with a smart finish to bring the Lions to within five points after Jantjies' curling conversion.
On 52 minutes, Van Rooyen thought he had his second try but unbelievable defence by Perenara held the ball up.
Less than a minute later and the Lions would level things up, with hooker Malcolm Marx barrelling over off yet another strong lineout maul. Jantjies hit the post with his conversion to leave the match 22-22.
The Canes responded almost immediately after slick handling down the right wing from Beauden Barrett, Dane Coles and Nehe Milner-Skudder set Laumape through to touchdown for his 15th score of the campaign.
The Lions came straight back after a fantastic piece of skill from Ruan Combrinck, who chipped ahead and regathered, and with the line-break having been made, Beauden Barrett was yellow carded for being caught on the wrong side and dragging the ball back with his feet, albeit unintentionally.
Jantjies kicked the three points on offer from in front of the sticks to reduce the deficit to four points at 29-25.
On 62 minutes, the Lions hit the lead through centre Harold Vorster after a magnificent passage of play, as Ackermann's charges went across the pitch and back again through countless phases, before Vorster's super line saw him streak through. Jantjies converted to give the Lions a three point lead, 32-29.
Jordie Barrett missed a 40-metre penalty four minutes later, and then kicked the ball straight out on the full in the next phase as the Canes were badly missing the control of elder brother Beauden at fly-half.
The Lions continued to play some inspired rugby though, and on 69 minutes Jantjies attacked the gain line from close in and crashed over, before converting his own score for a 10-point lead with 10 minutes left play.
Lions flanker Kwagga Smith secured the victory after replacement hooker Akker van der Merwe intercepted a Perenara pass and produced a fabulous offload to Smith to kill the contest and round off an outstanding team performance.
The Lions will now host the Crusaders in the Super Rugby final at Ellis Park next Saturday, in what will be head coach Ackermann's final match in charge before departing to Gloucester.
