All Blacks weather Lions storm to finish tour unbeaten
New Zealand completed a clean sweep of their South African provincial fixtures with a 41-35 win over the Lions at 10bet Ellis Park, but they had to survive one of the biggest scares of the tour to do it. Trailing 35-17 early in the second half, a heavily changed All Blacks side scored four unanswered tries in the closing half-hour to turn the game on its head.
Lions
New Zealand
N. Steyn (4'), S. Mahashe (6'), K. Mpeku (32'), E. Cronje (40'), F. Horn (46')
Tries
N. Hotham (10'), E. Narawa (24', 79'), E. Blackadder (35', 61'), R. Ioane (49', 55')
C. Smith (5', 7', 33', 41', 47')
Conversions
B. Barrett (10'), R. Mo'unga (50', 56')
This was the final midweek game before the tour returns to Test duty against the Springboks, and for long spells it looked as though the out-of-season Lions would spoil the party. They led from the fourth minute until just past the hour. That they did not hold on says as much about New Zealand's bench and tempo as it does about the hosts running out of steam.
A flying Lions start
The Lions came out hissing. Nico Steyn darted over after four minutes, Sibabalwe Mahashe added a second two minutes later, and Chris Smith converted both. Inside seven minutes the hosts were 14-0 up and Ellis Park sensed an upset.
New Zealand steadied through Noah Hotham and a first try for Emoni Narawa, but the Lions kept finding a way through. Kelly Mpeku and Erich Cronje both crossed, and when Francke Horn forced his way over from close range early in the second half, Smith's fifth conversion made it 35-17. Smith kicked flawlessly all evening, five from five.
Where the contest slipped away
Rieko Ioane scored twice in the space of six minutes to drag New Zealand back into it, and Richie Mo'unga's conversions closed the gap to 35-31. The decisive moment came in the 61st minute, when Ethan Blackadder scored his second to put the visitors in front for the first time all night.
From there the bench swung it. Narawa finished the job with his second try in the 79th minute. The Lions, short of match fitness after their season had ended, simply could not respond.
The numbers point to a game New Zealand should have controlled more comfortably. They carried 150 times to 78, made 15 clean breaks to four, and enjoyed 62% possession. But they also missed 19 tackles and coughed up 18 turnovers, which kept the Lions in it far longer than they would have liked.
Match Stats
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
Standout performers
Blackadder was the difference, and the flanker's numbers back it up: 16 carries, the most in the match, two tries and three offloads.
- Ethan Blackadder – 16 carries, 63 metres, two tries, three offloads
- Timoci Tavatavanawai – 138 metres from 13 carries, eight defenders beaten
- Rieko Ioane – 135 metres, two tries, six defenders beaten
- Emoni Narawa – 99 metres, two tries, seven defenders beaten
- Richie Mo'unga – 72 metres, 15 carries and two conversions that steadied the chase
10bet Lions
Forwards
- 1SJ KotzeLoosehead Prop
- 2PJ BothaHooker
- 3Sebastian LombardTighthead Prop
- 4Etienne OosthuizenSecond Row
- 5Ruan DelportSecond Row
- 6Sibabalwe MahasheFlanker
- 7Bathobele HlekaniFlanker
- 8Francke HornNumber Eight
Backs
- 9Nico SteynScrum Half
- 10Chris William SmithFly Half
- 11Erich CronjeLeft Wing
- 12Richard KrielInside Centre
- 13Henco van WykOutside Centre
- 14Kelly MpekuRight Wing
- 15Quan HornFull Back
Replacements
- 16Morne BrandonSubstitute
- 17Boan VenterSubstitute
- 18RF SchoemanSubstitute
- 19Hyron AndrewsSubstitute
- 20Sikhumbuzo NotsheSubstitute
- 21JC PretoriusSubstitute
- 22Haashim PeadSubstitute
- 23Boeta ChamberlainSubstitute
New Zealand
Forwards
- 1Siale LauakiLoosehead Prop
- 2Samisoni Taukei'ahoHooker
- 3Pasilio TosiTighthead Prop
- 4Sam DarrySecond Row
- 5Patrick TuipulotuSecond Row
- 6Wallace SititiFlanker
- 7Ethan BlackadderFlanker
- 8Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloaNumber Eight
Backs
- 9Noah HothamScrum Half
- 10Richie Mo'ungaFly Half
- 11Emoni NarawaLeft Wing
- 12Timoci TavatavanawaiInside Centre
- 13Rieko IoaneOutside Centre
- 14Fehi FineanganofoRight Wing
- 15Beauden BarrettFull Back
Replacements
- 16Bradley SlaterSubstitute
- 17Xavier NumiaSubstitute
- 18Saula Ma'uSubstitute
- 19Jamie HannahSubstitute
- 20Peter LakaiSubstitute
- 21Kyle PrestonSubstitute
- 22Josh JacombSubstitute
- 23Anton Lienert-BrownSubstitute
Plenty of credit for the Lions
Defeat will sting given how close they came, but the Lions can take a lot from this. Quan Horn was lively at the back with 56 metres and a clean break, Mahashe had a busy shift of 68 metres and 12 tackles, and Bathobele Hlekani beat four defenders off eight carries. Their lineout was perfect, 13 from 13.
The problem was fatigue and finishing. The hosts made 137 tackles to New Zealand's 86, a clear sign of how much defending they did without the ball, and their scrum came under pressure late when it mattered most. Once the game turned around the hour mark, they had left themselves too much to do against a side with far more in reserve.
One note of concern for New Zealand off the field: loose forward Anton Segner was ruled out of the rest of the tour after undergoing minor surgery to wash out an infection in his ankle joint, and will return home to continue his recovery.
What comes next
With the provincial leg done and dusted, attention shifts back to the Springboks. New Zealand, who took the first Test 33-16 at Ellis Park on Saturday, 22 August, meet South Africa again in Cape Town on Saturday, 29 August. On this evidence they have depth and match-winners across the squad, but they will want a cleaner performance before the series resumes.