Wellington– A look at the key statistics of Saturday’s Super Rugby final played here at a cold, wet and windy Westpac Stadium would suggest the Lions were well on top and probably dominated the game.
Those statistics would be half right because the Lions – playing in their first final at this level of the game – did enjoy long periods of dominance over the Hurricanes. They bossed them in several areas, but what the statistics don’t tell one is how many try-scoring chances were created and lost, or taken.
And that is what ultimately was the difference in this Super Rugby final.
The Lions didn’t do enough when they had the ball, they didn’t really put pressure on the Hurricanes defence, while the few times they were camped in opposition territory they coughed up possession by conceding a penalty or knocking the ball on.
Rohan Janse van Rensburg got close to making an intercept that, had it come off and the Lions scored, would have put the visitors back in the contest, but alas, he failed to control the ball.
On one occasion late in the first half, the Lions had a scrum five metres out from the try-line and almost inexplicably they were pushed off it and conceded a
penalty.
The Hurricanes, though, made the most of the luck that came their way. And no one must say there wasn’t a bit of luck involved in them winning their first title after losing twice previously in the last match of the competition.
After Cory Jane had been denied a try in the seventh minute by TMO Ben Skeen because of a knock-on earlier in a move – after a rather clever cross-field kick by Beauden Barrett – the Canes crossed in the 22nd
minute through the winger after showing some silky smooth
handling skills.
Jane trapped the ball between his left hand and knee following a poor clearance kick by Lionel Mapoe, which went straight to the winger, and then he darted over the line, the conversion by Barrett putting the home team up 10-0.
It was always going to be a big ask for the Lions from then on.
Barrett had started excellently for the Canes; Elton Jantjies not. He looked rushed and nervous in the wet and windy conditions and displayed little of the authority he played with in almost single-handedly beating the Highlanders the week before.
He did slot a penalty in the 26th minute – the Lions’ only points in the match – but he was otherwise outplayed by Barrett, who controlled the game well with some excellent option-taking.
Surprisingly, the Lions enjoyed quality possession thanks to the likes of Warwick Tecklenburg and Co working extremely hard up front, but the backs simply had no answer for the impressive rush defence of the Canes.
Yes, they made more carries (120-103), beat more defenders (20-7) and made more line-breaks (4-3) than the Canes, but they couldn’t get past the home team’s defence.
As it turned out, the Canes finished the game having not conceded a try in five hours of rugby in the play-offs. The Lions went into the game having conceded seven tries in the quarters and semi-finals.
Yesterday the Canes made 122 tackles to the Lions’ 87, but missed 20 to the Lions’ seven… but they never conceded when it mattered.
In the end, coach Johan Ackermann’s men enjoyed 56?percent of the possession, but they probably tried to play too much rugby in their own half, instead of being more clinical and kicking into
the corners, but then that’s the way the Lions have played all season.
They backed their running game, their entertaining ball-in-hand approach, but in a final, away from home, in conditions that were atrocious, they probably got their tactics wrong.
This was one step too far… but boy, at least the Lions entertained us in 2016.
Result:
Wellington Hurricanes (10) 20
Tries: Jane, Barratt; Conversions: Barratt (2); Penalties: Barratt (2)
Lions (3) 3
Penalty: Jantjies
– The Sunday Independent