Highlanders vs. Lions. Live chat & banter

 54 minute & Lions score a try from rolling maul. 18-23 to Highlanders.

 Lions up by 2 at 70 mins after some good play but a few home ground calls

 28-23 3 mins left.

 Some good rugby congrats to the Lions. 
Highlanders played well but did not do well in the second half. They had a big chance in the last minute & got it down to the 22 of the Lions but the Lions turned it over.

 IMO the Landers is is the best team in the competition ATM. Great win for the Lions!

Highlanders the best in the comp? That is a rather bold statement. I reckon they're only just in the top half and I suspect their final standing on the table will prove me right.
Hurricanes, Chiefs, Brumbies, Crusaders and Lions are the top 5 teams in this year's tournament . . . with the Highlanders, the Waratahs, the Bulls and the Hapless Stompies fighting it out for best of the rest.

 Ross Cronje is not a scrum halves backside, he doesn't know when to go the correct way when passing from the ruck and takes an age to get there in the first place. Oh and is there another lock that's partnering Mostert because I don't believe there is...

 What a change took place when jantjes and Faf repalced Boschoff and cronje.Faf completely outplayed AARON SMITH WHOSE MAIN CLAIM TO FAME WAS SPINNING THE BALL IN CROOKED IN SCRUMS. WAKE UP cCRAIG JOUBERT!!
FAF IS POSSIBLY THE BEST SCRUMHLAF IN WOLRD RUGBY RIGHT NOW.It was hiularious watching th small Lions pack walking th highlander backwards meteres at a time! We saffas just seem so  much stronger than even bigger kiwi opponents.
Kriel and Whitely were very good as was Vorster who has Bok written all over him. I do hope Dr Mozzzz and his little echoe ldense denise are catching on!!!!!
Combrink again looked good and all one can say in the end was well done to the highlanders for keeping the score that close.
Lions only lack one class lock.Lineouts are problematic loosing ball near you opponents lineis not on. They should use Whitely more
ou rooitwit are you referring to the hapless chiefs who got spanked by the rebels.Also just remember how badly the hurricanes were outplayed by the Mighjty Stormers. 
Rooitwit the sharks might well have won the game today given a decent ref butyour comments abou t the so called hapless Stormers smack of very sour grapes! bwahahahhahahaha
Jw stop complaining about the ref - Craig was very fair to the highlanders.

 Beeno: Did I use the word "ref" in this thread
Incidentally, all home teams won this weekend, coincidence or conspiracy?

 Rooi, the Canes had the rub of the green this year and the Chiefs are only a shadow of their former class without Cruden. Most potent backline around and the forwards ain't too shabby either. I'm relatively sure they'll beat the Cheaters next week and take some more scalps back in NZ. Saders will most probably not make the playoffs and the Brumbies aren't that great.
My gut feel is that the Landers will take out whoever they face in the quarters and they will be good enough to beat the Canes or the Chiefs in a semi. 

 DB: if the Highlanders do as you say that will be one huge accomplishment for their coach & team. They have been through a rough few years but they have some good players & a lot of guts.

 They should take the Cheaters and might struggle against the Farce in Perth, but I can see them beating the Canes, Chiefs and the Blues. The NZ conference is still wide open and even if they don't make it to the top, I can see them winning any playoff match. The Canes's luck will turn on them sooner than later and the Chiefs seems to be deflated without Cruden.

 Really painful to see the Landers lose the way they did with such a massive lead. Sopoaga is not doing himself any favours either for ABs selection with some of his decision making. Expect the coach to replay the video to the players and then severely flog them during training.