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Chiefs blitz Lions in 18-try thriller

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:57

Hat-trick hero: Chiefs centre Richard Kahui

The Chiefs recorded their first ever 100 per cent record on a tour of South Africa and their first win in Super Rugby in Johannesburg when they beat the Lions 72-65 on Friday.

Defence was certainly not at a premium in a game that produced several new Super Rugby record - including 18 tries and a record aggregate 137 points. That beat the previous match aggregate of 118, scored when Natal beat Otago 75-43 in the Super 12 in 1997.

The Chiefs 72 points is the most ever by a team away from home - beating the 60 the Blues scored against the Hurricanes in Wellington in 2002.

There were hat-tricks for Chiefs centre Richard Kahui (who was later yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle actually committed by Tim Nanai-Williams), and Lions wing Wandile Mjekevu.

The Lions capitulated in the early stages of the second half.

They had held a 25-17 lead 30 minutes into the game but then conceded 48 unanswered points in the next half hour as the Chiefs blitzed a disjointed, defensively inept Lions team in a period in which a chasm in the class between the two outfits was clearly visible.

But then the Lions launched some powerful raids in the final quarter and scored a number of encouraging tries, which secured them two consolation bonus points - one for tries and one for losing by only seven points.

There would have been spectators at the game and viewers at home who enjoyed the festival of tries but the bottom line was that defence was seldom tight, often weak, and at times feeble.

If the Reds vs Crusaders game in Brisbane earlier on Friday was the best of the 2010 Super 14 thus far, this one was, at least for the rugby purist, the worst. A total of 137 points in 80 minutes just shouldn't be scored in a serious rugby match and the non-tackling was at times closer to a game of touch rugby than a Super 14 match.

The Chiefs showed their intentions from the kick-off when they ran from deep inside their 22, with outside centre Richard Kahui and left wing Sitiveni Sivivatu an immediate handful for defenders, and the visitors were stopped only five metres from the Lions' tryline.

From the scrum on the five, inside centre Callum Bruce made scoring tries look easy as he ran from openside to blindside and had only hooker Hannes Franklin to beat on the outside as he scored almost unchallenged. The visitors were up 5-0 within two minutes of kick-off.

Donald goaled the angled conversion.

Six minutes into the game, the Lions disrupted a Chiefs' scrum, the Chiefs strayed offside, and fullback Earl Rose reduced the lead to 7-3 with a long-range penalty-goal.

But almost immediately, Willem Stoltz was guilty of foul play and Donald extended the lead to lead to 10-3.

In the 12th minute Chiefs' captain Sione Lauaki was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on Deon van Rensburg - which may perhaps on review be seen as a red card offence and lead to a citing - and Rose goaled the penalty to make the score 10-6.

But with 14 men on the field it was the Chiefs who struck next when, from a five-metre scrum, Kahui ghosted through under the posts with defenders nowhere near close enough to tackle him and Donald converted to make it 17-6 after 15 minutes.

Tight defence was not a feature on either side as from a penalty to the Lions a minute later, Wandile Mjekevu, (left wing) beat Kahui on the outside and Dwayne Sweeney on the inside to score in the corner. Rose couldn't convert, but the lead had been reduced to 17-11.

The Chiefs were reduced to 13 men eight minutes after Lauaki's sin-binning when hooker Aled de Malmanche was yellow-carded for collapsing a driving maul close to his tryline.

Lauaki returned to the field but again defence was poor as from an attacking scrum No.8 Todd Clever was tackled just short of the line and placed the ball over the line for a try, with the validity confirmed by the TMO. Rose converted to give the home team an 18-17 lead.

The Chiefs attacked from the kick-off but Clever intercepted deep inside his own half and ran as far as he could as quickly as he could, but the Lions' support was not close enough and a chance to increase the lead with a try ended with a relieving penalty to the Chiefs.

Right wing Tonderai Chavhanga beat defenders with an elusive run inside the 22 and came close to scoring but Rose, in support, threw the ball away and another big opportunity went astray as the Lions couldn't finish.

But the Dick Muir stamp was clearly on the Lions approach as they were trying to play at quick tempo and were enjoying attacking momentum. The Chiefs were looking ragged on defence as flyhalf maestro Carlos Spencer cut through midfield with deceptive ease and scored close to the posts. Rose converted and the home side led 25-17 just over a half hour into the game.

The Chiefs goaled a penalty when Donald slotted from in front of the posts and the lead was reduced to 25-20 with six minutes left in the half.

The Chiefs had the last say in the half when they built a series of phases before Donald broke through half-hearted tackles to score next to the posts. He goaled the easy conversion and the Chiefs went ahead 27-25 as the teams took their 10-minute break.

Little did we know then that 85 points were to follow in the next 40 minutes.

The Lions had upped the tempo of the game effectively in the first 40 minutes but the second half started with a strong run from Sivivatu down the left touchline and then a powerful run by Lauaki, who drew defenders before sending flank Liam Messam in for another try allowed by weak defence. Donald goaled the conversion to go six for six and the Chiefs led 34-25 after 42 minutes.

Four minutes later the Lions, now under concerted pressure, went offside, and Donald took his kicking to seven out of seven when he goaled a penalty from in front of the posts (37-25).

The Lions launched an attack but Van Rensburg had the ball grabbed out of his hands by Kahui, who raced a long way downfield to score in the corner. Donald slotted from near touch to make it 44-25 after 50 minutes.

The Lions tried to run from deep inside their 22 but replacement No.8 Jonathan Mokuena passed to Kahui who crossed for his hat-trick, again unchallenged by any tackler. Donald goaled and the Chiefs led 51-25.

Then scrumhalf Junior Poluleuligaga scored when the Chiefs attacked from deep. The visitors' support play was excellent and the home team's defenders few. Donald goaled (58-25).

Again the Chiefs ran from inside their own half and close support ensured continuity before Sivivatu used his feet to round off and score close to the posts. Donald converted to take his kicking on the night to 11 for 11 and the Chiefs led 65-25 just on an hour into the game.

In the 64th minute Kahui was sin-binned for a dangerous tackle on the recommendation of assistant referee Stuart Berry, but it had actually been sub Tim Nanai-Williams who had been the guilty party.

Following the penalty Mokuena threw a long pass to centre Doppies la Grange who forced his way over for the Lions, showing a tenacity some of his teammates lacked. Rose converted to make it 65-32.

The Lions scored again when they displayed great hands to send Chavanga in at the corner. Rose couldn't convert (65-37).

The game had descended into something approaching touch rugby as replacement scrumhalf Brendon Leonard scored after a series of missed tackles. Donald converted and the Chiefs led 72-37 with nine minutes to play.

Committed tackling was little in evidence and the most interesting thing had perhaps become whether Donald, with 12 out of 12, could maintain his flawless kicking record.

Altitude had clearly taken a heavy toll on the Chiefs and Mjekevu scored in the 72nd minute. Rose converted (72-44).

Mjekevu scored again two minutes later and Rose converted to make it 72-51. The young wing had shown skill in using his feet but again, as so often in the game, defence had been appalling.

From a line-out five metres out, the Lions drove across the tryline and captain Cobus Grobbelaar was credited with the try. Rose converted to reduce the lead to 72-58 with four minutes to play.

Unbelievably, the Lions, with a bonus point already for four tries, were in range to get a second bonus point for finishing within seven points.

The game went on and on as the Lions were awarded a penalty after the hooter, then a second penalty, then a third - and believe it or not, a fourth penalty as the clock approached 83 minutes.

Replacement lock Jacques Lombaard crashed over and Rose converted - and amazingly, at 72-65, the Lions had secured a second bonus point.

The end came at last, much to the relief of the exhausted players.

The Chiefs will be happy to get away from altitude and the Lions will try to continue to build a team as they travel to Australasia.

Coaches Ian Foster (Chiefs) and Dick Muir (Lions) both joked afterwards that their defence coaches had a lot to answer for - but it wasn't entirely a joke, as both teams' systems and attitudes need an overhaul.

Muir commented after the game: "We need to sharpen up on defence" - and he could have expressed it considerably stronger than that.

Man of the Match: Stephen Donald was superb as flyhalf and his goal-kicking was flawless. With a lot of mediocrity around him, he stood out like a beacon of high standards in everything he did.

The scorers:

For the Lions:
Tries: Mjekevu 3, Clever, Spencer, La Grange, Chavhanga, Grobbelaar, Lombaard
Cons: Rose 7
Pens: Rose 2

For the Chiefs:
Tries: Bruce, Kahui 3, Donald, Messam, Poluleuligaga, Sivivatu, Leonard
Cons: Donald 9
Pens: Donald 3

Yellow cards: Sione Lauaki (Chiefs, 13 - foul play, dangerous tackle), Aled de Malmanche (Chiefs, 21 - foul play, collapsing the maul), Richard Kahui (Chiefs, 64 - foul play, dangerous tackle)

Teams:

Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Tonderai Chavhanga, 13 Deon van Rensburg, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Wandile Mjekevu, 10 Carlos Spencer, 9 JP Joubert, 8 Todd Clever, 7 Derick Minnie, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Willem Stoltz, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Hannes Franklin, 1 Heinke van der Merwe
Replacements: 16 Charles Emslie, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg / Kevin Buys, 18 Jacques Lombaard, 19 Jonathan Mokuena, 20 Jacques Coetzee, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Michael Killian

Chiefs: 15 Mike Delany, 14 Dwayne Sweeney, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Callum Bruce, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Junior Poluleuligaga, 8 Sione Lauaki (captain), 7 Luke Braid, 6 Liam Messam, 5 Culum Retallick, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Nathan White, 2 Aled de Malmanche, 1 Sona Taumalolo.
Replacements: 16 Hika Elliot, 17 Ben Afeaki, 18 Jarrad Hoeata, 19 Tanerau Latimer, 20 Brendon Leonard, 21 Jackson Willison, 22 Tim Nanai-Williams.

Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Sindile Mayende (South Africa)
TMO: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)

By Len Kaplan

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