The Highlanders have come out on top over the Lions, winning 39-27 in a tough and gruelling Super Rugby match at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin tonight.
FULLTIME - HIGHLANDERS 39 LIONS 27
The Highlanders were just too strong in the end as the Lions tried to make a late comeback. Poor discipline in the final minutes cost the Lions with Lima Sopoaga slotting two penalty kicks to give his side a comfortable 12-point win.
80 mins - HIGHLANDERS 39 LIONS 27
THREE! Lima Sopoaga lands another penalty kick at goal to seal victory for the Highlanders.
76 mins - HIGHLANDERS 36 LIONS 27
THREE! The Lions are penalised for playing the ball on the ground and for the first time of the match Ben Smith points to the sticks. Lima Sopoaga gives his side a six-point buffer after he succsessfully slots the penalty kick at goal on a difficult angle.
72 mins - HIGHLANDERS 33 LIONS 27
TRY! The Lions are just not going away with reserve flanker Marnus Schoeman powering over to score from close range. They trail by five points after Elton Jantjies opts for a quick drop goal conversion.
64 mins - HIGHLANDERS 33 LIONS 20
TRY! The Highlanders midfielders combine with Tei Walden making the initial steal with his centre partner Rob Thompson putting in a schoolyard little grubber behind the Lions' defensive line. Thompson re-gathers the ball before offloading it to Walden who scores an important try for the home team.
Lima Sopoaga makes no mistakes with his conversion attempt.
62 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 20
DEFENCE! The Lions' flanker Kwagga Smith comes up with a superb turnover to relieve some pressure for his team.
59 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 20
PENALTY! The Highlanders turn down any shot at goal after the Lions are penalised for being offside. Lima Sopoaga kicks the ball deep inside the Lions' 22.
54 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 20
PENALTY! The Lions earn themselves a much needed penalty after the ref rules hooker Liam Coltman didn't release the Lions player after making a tackle. The Lions get out of the danger zone and kick the ball into touch just inside the Highlanders' half.
48 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 20
TRY! The Lions answer back with carbon copy of the second try in the first with Robbie Coetzee powering over to keep his side in touch of the Highlanders. It's another well-worked line-out maul which helps the visitors go over down the right edge.
Elton Jantjies misses his shot at goal.
44 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 15
TRY! Teihorangi Walden floats a great pass down the right flank to Ben Smith who holds the Lions' defence up before making an inside pass to Waisake Naholo who scores the Highlanders fourth try of the match.
Lima Sopoaga lands his attempt at goal.
41 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 15
TURNOVER! Kayne Hammington and James Lentjes combine and come up with an important turnover with the Lions penalised for not releasing the ball in the tackle.
40 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 15
And we are back underway! Lima Sopoaga opts to go short off the kick off.
HALFTIME - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 15
The Lions have shown great heart turning down a shot at goal and choosing to go for the five pointer just before the break. It appeared the Highlanders were going to run away with the match but the Lions fought back to score two quick tries.
44 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 15
TRY! Robbie Coetzee comes up with the ball as the Lions rumble over to score before halftime. It was an excellent line-out maul with the backs piling in to help their teammates.
Elton Jantjies conversion attempt from out wide hits the uprights.
39 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 10
TRY! Finally the Lions breach the Highlanders' defence, Elton Jantjies looks like he is going to throw the ball wide but he instead throws an inside ball to Harold Vorster who dives over to score the first try for the visitors.
Elton Jantjies slots the conversion from out wide.
34 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 3
WOW! An excellent try from Luke Whitelock, Rob Thompson decides to go on a run at the back of the ruck and he gets in behind the Lions' defensive line. He offloads to Elliot Dixon with Dixon linking up with Whitelock who stretches and grounds the ball over the try-line.
Lima Sopoaga's conversion drifts wide of the goal posts.
28 mins - HIGHLANDERS 14 LIONS 3
NO TRY! Teihorangi Walden needed to just keep it in the hands but he decides to grubber kick it, he puts too much weight on it and the ball goes dead. Waisake Naholo does not look happy with the All Blacks winger not expecting the kick.
25 mins - HIGHLANDERS 14 LIONS 3
NO TRY! Ben Smith is denied a try after a bizarre passage of play. Kayne Hammington throws the ball into a retrieving Lions player and Smith re-gathers the ball, he runs away and grounds the ball over the try-line. But he was in front of Hammington before the halfback delivered the pass. The referee overturns the initial decision to award the try.
20 mins - HIGHLANDERS 14 LIONS 3
MISTAKE! The Highlanders had a chance to add another blow against the Lions but the referee rules Rob Thompson's pass to Daniel Lienert-Brown to have gone forward. The Lions pack down a defensive scrum inside their own 22.
14 mins - HIGHLANDERS 14 LIONS 3
TRY! Liam Coltman runs into a massive hole with Kayne Hammington throwing a pin-point pass for the Highlanders hooker to score. The Highlanders were simply too hot to handle as the Lions were too slow to react with the pace the home team is playing at.
Lima Sopoaga adds the extras.
12 mins - HIGHLANDERS 7 LIONS 3
PENALTY! The Highlanders don't compete in the line-out and the Lions' flanker Kwagga Smith is penalised for an infringement in the break-down.
11 mins - HIGHLANDERS 7 LIONS 3
PENALTY! Ben Smith makes a great catch under the high ball but he is penalised for not releasing the ball after being tackled, the Lions look to touch and have a line-out inside the Highlanders' 22.
9 mins - HIGHLANDERS 7 LIONS 3
THREE! The Lions respond through the boot of Elton Jantjies, he slots an easy three points in front of the sticks. The Highlanders are lucky not to have a man in the bin after giving away three penalties in a row.
4 mins - HIGHLANDERS 7 LIONS 0
TRY! Lima Sopoaga powers over to score after re-gathering a no-look pass from Tom Franklin that hit the ground. Sopoaga converts his own try.
3 mins - HIGHLANDERS 0 LIONS 0
Early chance here for the home team as they charge into the Lions' 22 after they initially lost their own feed into the line-out.
HIGHLANDERS 0 LIONS 0
KICK-OFF!
And we are underway! The Lions kick off to the Highlanders and Tevita Nabura makes a great break down the left edge, the Highlanders shift wide and they lose the ball on the Lions' 40m line.
TEAMS:
Highlanders: 1.Daniel Lienert-Brown, 2.Liam Coltman, 3.Tyrel Lomax, 4.Alex Ainley, 5.Tom Franklin, 6.Elliot Dixon, 7.James Lentjes, 8.Luke Whitelock, 9.Kayne Hammington, 10.Lima Sopoaga, 11.Tevita Nabura, 12.Teihorangi Walden, 13.Rob Thompson, 14.Waisake Naholo, 15.Ben Smith (captain).
Reserves: 16.Ash Dixon (captain), 17.Aki Seiuli, 18.Kalolo Tuiloma, 19.Josh Dickson, 20.Marino Mikaele Tu'u, 21. Josh Renton, 22.Josh Ioane, 23.Sio Tomkinson.
Lions: 1.Dylan Smith, 2.Robbie Coetzee, 3.Johannes Jonker, 4.Andries Ferreira, 5.Marvin Orie, 6.Cyle Brink, 7.Franco Mostert (captain), 8.Kwagga Smith, 9.Nic Groom, 10.Elton Jantjies, 11.Aphiwe Dyanti, 12.Harold Vorster, 13.Lionel Mapoe, 14.Ruan Combrinck, 15.Andries Coetzee.
Reserves: 16.Jacques van Rooyen, 17.Ruan Dreyer, 18.Jacobie Adriaanse, 19.Lourens Erasmus, 20.Marnus Schoeman, 21.Dillon Smit, 22.Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23.Sylvian Mahuza.
34 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 3
39 mins - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 10
HALFTIME - HIGHLANDERS 19 LIONS 15
44 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 15
44 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 15
44 mins - HIGHLANDERS 26 LIONS 15
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