Emirates Lions go down at the hands of Hurricanes

In Super Rugby it is imperative to win your home matches. Unfortunately, three South Africans sides lost their matches on home soil, losing those important points which always count at the end of the season.

Vodacom 2015 Super Rugby kicked off in great fashion over the weekend, with Emirates Lions starting the season in South African against Hurricanes on Friday February 13, while hard-fought derbies took place on the Saturday between Cell C Sharks and Toyota Cheetahs in Durban and Vodacom Bulls and DHL Stormers.

But it merely mirrored an extraordinary trend in the competition with only the Brumbies recording a home win on a weekend in which the six other home teams all went down, largely against the odds.

On the positive side of the equation were the Toyota Cheetahs and the DHL Stormers, who upset predictions to come out on top at Growthpoint Kings Park and Loftus Versfeld respectively, while the Hurricanes came away with the points from their trip to Johannesburg.

It was a particularly satisfying day for the Vodacom Cheetahs whose 35-29 victory in Durban not only yielded them a bonus point for scoring four tries, but was also their first on opening day since 2007.

It put them third on the first day log – trailing the Brumbies and Force on points difference – as they were one of only two teams to score four tries in the first round. The win ended the Cell C Sharks’ happy run in this fixture, having beaten the Toyota Cheetahs on opening day in 2011 and 2013.

DHL Stormers managed to tear up the form book in Pretoria – delivering only the Bulls’ second defeat in 20 matches at their Loftus fortress, while ending their own dismal form on the road – they won only one away match in 2014.

The form book decreed that the Hurricanes should win at Emirates Airlines Park (Ellis Park), and they duly recorded a sixth successive victory over the Emirates Lions. It ended a run of three successive wins for the Lions – recorded at the back end of last season’s competition – and also the Hurricanes run of losing on the opening day of the past four campaigns.

Emirates Lions 8 (8) Hurricanes 22 (11)

Emirates Lions were all fired up in the first half, and played up to expectations in front of an excited home crowd. They dominated the team from New Zealand and kept them in their half for most of the time.

Against all expectations the local team could not get the points on the board via their capable flyhalf, Marnus Boshoff, who didn’t have his kicking boots on. He missed a couple of penalties, which would have given his team more confidence as the match went along.

Emirates Lions came out in the second half trying to overhaul the deficit, but unfortunately they were outplayed by the Hurricanes, who waited for the mistakes of their opponents to time and again capitalise on that and converting it into points on the board.

Emirates Lions made twice as many line offloads (17 to 9 ), twice as many carries (124 to 68), twice as many passes (170 to 86) and twice as many metres (408 to 248m), but were outscored in tries two to one as they were unable to convert their possession into points on a night when they also left 13 points untaken from two missed conversions and three missed penalties.

The Emirates Lions’ opening try by Ruan Combrinck (conversions missed) was overhauled by Beauden Barrett’s second penalty in the 28th minute after which the Hurricanes were never headed.

The Hurricanes added insult to the Emirates Lions’ injury by denying them a bonus point by scoring eight points in the final five minutes to deny the home side a bonus point.

Scorers:

Emirates Lions – Tries: Ruan Combrinck. Penalty goal: Marnitz Boshoff.

Hurricanes – Tries: Matt Proctor, TJ Perenara. Penalty goals: Beauden Barrett (4).

Cell C Sharks 29 (16) Toyota Cheetahs 35 (20)

Toyota Cheetahs produced a performance of pragmatism and skill to upset the odds and run away with a bonus point victory at Growthpoint Kings Park.

They fell behind to a Pat Lambie penalty, but sounded a warning of their own when newcomer Jean Cook had scored their first try in the 13th minute. Pat Lambie scored and converted his own try to leapfrog the Sharks back into the lead midway through the first half.

But a second try for centre Francois Venter gave the Cheetahs the half time lead and further scores by replacing Carl Wegner (lock) and Boom Prinsloo (flank), which left the Cell C Sharks shaking their heads at their own inability to hold onto the ball when opportunities presented themselves.

Scorers:

Cell C Sharks – Tries: Pat Lambie, Lwazi Mvovo. Conversions: Lambie (2). Penalty goals: Lambie (5).

Toyota Cheetahs – Tries: Boom Prinsloo , Carl Wegner, Francois Venter, Jean Cook. Conversions: Joe Pietersen (2), Willie du Plessis. Penalty goals: Pietersen (3).

Vodacom Bulls 17 (5) DHL Stormers 29 (17)

Vodacom Bulls powered to a try in the fourth minute by Deon Stegmann, courtesy of a lineout drive, to suggest that they were quite capable of overpowering a more inexperienced pack.

However, a mistake by Jurgen Visser allowed Stormers’ newcomer Dillyn Leyds to collect a loose ball and run in untouched to put the visitors in the lead – thanks to Demetri Catrakilis’ conversion – after which the visitors grew in confidence.

South African Rugby Player of the Year, Duane Vermeulen, the new Stormers captain, powered in under the posts for a second try before the break to give the Stormers a 12-point advantage that they had reclaimed by the final whistle.

Three Handré Pollard penalties closed the gap in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, but the Stormers’ defence could not be breached and the boots of Catrakilis and replacement Kurt Coleman – who snapped over a drop goal – ensured the Stormers profited from every visit to the Bulls half.

Scorers:

Vodacom Bulls – Tries: Deon Stegmann. Penalty goals: Handré Pollard (4)

DHL Stormers – Tries: Dillyn Leyds, Duane Vermeulen. Conversions: Demetri Catrakilis (2). Penalty goals: Catrakilis (3), Kurt Coleman. Drop goal: Coleman.

Other results – Round 1:

Blues 18, Chiefs 23

Brumbies 47, Reds 3

Crusaders 10, Rebels 20

Waratahs 13, Western Force