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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.
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.
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.
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.
CARRIES
CLEAN BREAK
DEFENDER BEATEN
TACKLE
MISSED TACKLE
TURNOVER WON
TURNOVERS CONCEDED
PENALTY CONCEDED
POSSESSION
SCRUMS
LINEOUTS
Blackadder was the difference, and the flanker's numbers back it up: 16 carries, the most in the match, two tries and three offloads.
Forwards
Backs
Replacements
Forwards
Backs
Replacements
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.
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.
