Lions’ season should still be celebrated
In the midst of the disappointment that follows the Lions’ loss to the
Hurricanes in Saturday’s final, we should not lose sight of what a
special season it has still been for the Johannesburg-based side. Not
only did they deservedly finish top of the South African group and
progress to the playoffs for the first time since 2001 (then as the
Cats), but they also impressively reached their first-ever final after
clinching resounding playoff wins over the Crusaders and Highlanders.
Moreover, it was their attractive and game-changing style of rugby that
should be celebrated. The Lions’ efforts over the course of the campaign
defied the perception that South African teams can’t play with the sort
of skill and freedom that has so long been associated with New Zealand
rugby. Although the Lions fell at the final hurdle, they should be
serious contenders next year when they face off against the Australian
sides during the conference stage. But for now, they certainly still
deserve plenty of plaudits for embracing a brand of rugby that has
provided a much-needed feel-good factor for South African rugby.
Conditions, tactical execution and errors cost Lions
While the Lions’ success this season should certainly still be
celebrated, there is no doubt that there will be some frustration at the
manner in which they came unstuck against the Hurricanes. Despite the
fact that wet weather had been expected in Wellington, they failed to
make the necessary tactical adjustments on game day, and played far too
much rugby in their own half, while their kicking did leave a lot to be
desired at times. The Lions should have also expected to face a
ferocious Hurricanes rush defence, and yet they looked rather rattled by
the ferocity of the hosts’ line speed, and ultimately Faf de Klerk and
Elton Jantjies didn’t have the time or space to run the game as they
would have liked. The Lions’ handling also let them down in the wet
weather (they knocked the ball on 14 times), and ultimately the
tactically superior Canes were able to feast on errors and keep the
scoreboard ticking over as they scored two opportunistic tries.
If you have the opportunity to top the overall log, take it
Hindsight is a perfect science, but one has to wonder whether the
Lions’ brains trust would make a different decision if they were able to
rewind the clock to the week before their final conference clash
against the Jaguares. The Lions opted to rest all of their top players
for this clash, and while it enabled the team’s first-choice contingent
to be fresh for a home quarter-final and semi-final, it also effectively
saw the Johannesburg-based side sacrifice top spot in the overall
standings. As a result, the Hurricanes ended up hosting the final in
typically adverse conditions that they would have been far more
accustomed to. There’s really no point questioning the ifs and buts of
the selection decision ahead of the Jaguares conference clash, but there
is a lesson to be learned in that if you have a chance to top the
overall log, this should be seen as a priority. No overseas team has won
a final in New Zealand, and the odds were always heavily stacked
against the Lions when they had to travel to Wellington. If the title
decider had been held at Ellis Park, we may well be celebrating the
Lions’ first-ever Super Rugby title.
Defence wins matches
There can be no denying that the Hurricanes’ incredible defence
provided the foundation for their victories throughout the knockout
stage. In their semi-final against the Chiefs, the Canes had to make 113
tackles to 68, and yet they still managed to repeatedly thwart the
Chiefs’ attack and keep the visitors from scoring a single try. Against
the Lions, they again had to make plenty more tackles than their
opponents, but their line speed effectively turned defence into attack,
while they cut down the time and space that Faf de Klerk and Elton
Jantjies would have desired. This season, the Canes have had a decent
84.8% tackle success rate, but it’s really been the slow-poison effect
of their rush defence that has been a hallmark of their success. They
didn’t concede a single try throughout the playoffs, and that about says
it all.
Hurricanes are deserved champs
Beyond lamenting a missed opportunity for the Lions, there really can
be no denying that the Hurricanes are worthy champs. The Canes cruised
through the conference stage of the competition before finishing with a
flourish to suddenly shoot to the top of the overall standings on the
final weekend of regular-season action. They continued to ride this wave
of momentum in the knockout phase, with the Kiwi side embracing an
effective all-round brand of rugby perfectly suited to playoff rugby.
Their defence complemented efficient attack, while their appreciation
for a strong kicking game and solid set piece provided a foundation for a
historic Super Rugby title. They finished the season in the top five in
terms of tries scored, clean breaks, carries, metres made, defenders
beaten and scrum success. After finishing as runners-up last year, they
shored up their shortcomings and ultimately emerged as completely
deserved champs in 2016.
Photo: Simon Watts/Getty Images
