So it is a Lion s-Crusaders final

It was a comprehensive victory over the star-studded Hurricanes team with the Lions trailing 22-3 minutes before halftime.   They scored 41 points with the Hurricanes responding with only 7 points.
The problem was that the Hurricanes scored two tries from Lions mistakes and when they cut out the mistakes the Hurricanes have very little else to offer.  
On that display the Lions have a good chance to beat the Crusaders - especially at home.  
 

 Lions have a chance against the saders but if it was played in NZ I wouldn't give them much of a chance at all.

 The Lions played well.

  Hakwa, how about that yellow against Barret?

 Lets look at the situation objectively.   Last year the  Crusaders lost badly in Johannesburg in the play-offs - so is it going to be a repeat case?
The Hurricanes last year beat the Lions in Johannesburg and went on to lose badly against the Sharks.  Maybe the Hurricanes have problems in playing tough matches in a row.   They beat the Crusaders and then had an unconvincing game against the Brumbies.
It i s that Crusaders game that leaves me with doubts as to them beating the Lions.    

 Lets look at the situation objectively.   Last year the  Crusaders lost badly in Johannesburg in the play-offs - so is it going to be a repeat case?
The Hurricanes last year beat the Lions in Johannesburg and went on to lose badly against the Sharks.  Maybe the Hurricanes have problems in playing tough matches in a row.   They beat the Crusaders and then had an unconvincing game against the Brumbies.
It i s that Crusaders game that leaves me with doubts as to them beating the Lions.    

The Crusaders are better this year than in 2016, and have consistently been the best team- but they have not played the Lions yet. 
Crusaders have the best forwards out of all the New Zealand teams, and perhaps the tournament. Crusaders play a game plan that is a mix of 15man and 10 man rugby. The Crusaders lineout and scrummaging is going to put much more pressure on the Lions. 
The Hurricanes are opportunists that use the width of the field with all out 15 man rugby-  and they almost put the Lions away in the 1st half.  Hopefully, the Lions will not start badly again. 
It should be a good game. 

Ou Mikey, puleeze, puleeze predict the Lions are going to lose. Be a patriot don't listen to your doubts about the Crusaders, predict a Lions loss. Just as you did against the Chiefs.....it's the surest way to get a win for the Lions.

 No excuses DbDraad.
Barret deserved the yellow. 
I would have given his brother and the Canes coaches a red for playing dumb rugby .

Hakwa
Must agree with you about the Barrett yellow card  and also about the way the Canes played the game.
They were playing trying to use the opposition faults and not playing a positive game. It worked in the first half with two of the three  tries scored being basically due to Lions mistakes.    There were in fact only two Hurricanes tries due to really good play on their part.


 

This from Rugby 24: ... 'But some gloss was taken off the victory by the controversial yellow-carding of Hurricanes flyhalf and 2016 Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett at a key stage of the semi-final. While All Blacks playmaker Barrett sat in the "sin bin", the South Africans scored two tries and transformed a seven-point deficit into a 39-29 lead at Ellis Park stadium. South African referee Jaco Peyper judged that after making a tackle, Barrett correctly rolled away, but illegally dragged the ball with him. However, big-screen replays suggested Barrett accidentally pulled the ball away and was not guilty of a cynical foul. A couple of SuperSport TV analysts believed expelling Barrett from the field for 10 minutes was a harsh call. "It was a pretty tough decision against Beauden," said former Springboks loose forward and coach Nick Mallett. Former South Africa flyhalf Naas Botha said: "It was a tough call against Beauden to show him a yellow card." The incident could heighten calls for neutral match officials in the closing stages of an annual competition involving Argentine, Australian, Japanese, New Zealand and South African franchises. By the time Barrett returned, the defending champions were on the back foot and an intercept try by Lions flank Kwagga Smith completed a particularly pleasing success.'

 Canes blew it, the Lions out played the Hurricanes in the second half, the Canes wasted to many opportunities and lost the plot!!  The two best teams now face off in the final, but I struggle to see the Crusaders travelling to SA and winning. 
The Lions title to lose now, if the Crusaders by some miracle win... then their could be controversy of how the Lions lost a home game against a travelling team. Especially with a SA ref SA assistant refs and SA TMO the Crusaders are against it all. But a team wont want one decision by a ref to determine the outcome. The Canes lost not because of the ref or refs they lost because.. Well ... they're USELESS!!!!! If the Canes played 40 minutes like that against the Brumbies last week they would have been wasted as well and the Brumbies would have been thrashed by 50-60 points by the Lions.

 
The card was deserved. He tried to cheat and suffered the consequences. It was very sad to see how the Canes started to whine and whinge about every decision taken. It destroyed their focus and let us back in. I wish they'd behaved like men instead of children.

The Saders are another though prospect to face. We have the home field advantage and that could be the difference. Throw in the last match under Ackerman's control and we could just pull this off.

This match against the Canes is just what we needed. Our mental state is currently on a high and I believe Jantjies has crossed over to a place where he's never been before.

I just wish he'd leave the "Carlos Spencer" flippy flippy passes alone.

Can you imagine winning this thing. I'm starting to believe we can.


Hakwa ... ... good on you!


GO LIONSSSSSSS!!

 Mozart
Can you quote nothing bar from controversial article?   Do you even realize what actually happened?
Barrett tackled the man and then was on the ground in the ensuing maul.  when the ball was recovered by the Lions he used his feet to hook the ball to the Hurricanes side while still on the ground.  
It could be argued it was not deliberate - but it did happen.   Chances are it was deliberate and a referee not giving a yellow 5 meter out would be remiss in his duty.   I have seen yellow cards for much less than what happened in this case.   
By the way actual replays showed that the writer is talking utter BS in the article quoted.   
Another standard posting by the ignorant rugby illiterate.

 
Barrett tried to cheat ... and the ref dealt with it as he should have.

The card was totally deserved.

I wonder what went through Barret's head to be so foolish? It cost his side 10 points in the end.

 

 "The card was deserved. He tried to cheat and suffered the consequences."
"Barrett tried to cheat"

so stupid statements,.... as the different replays showed Barret was trying to roll away (and trying to avoid the penalty that comes when a defender doesn't do so),.... but this makes no difference,.... Barret played the ball (dragged it with his feet) while he was on the ground and interrupted a clear Lions' attack (7 meters from the tryline and the defeder team clearly in the backfoot) which is a yellow no matter the intentions,.... it was a very unfortunate yellow,... but a yellow card according to the laws,.... Peyper had no choice

 ABasque, you'll have to excuse some of the rugby noobs on this site who think players can "cheat" on the rugby field. 
Should be a cracking final! I see Kieran Read is in doubt after a knock on his knee. That would have to be a big worry for you.

"Ou Mikey, puleeze, puleeze predict the Lions are going to lose. Be a patriot don't listen to your doubts about the Crusaders, predict a Lions loss. Just as you did against the Chiefs.....it's the surest way to get a win for the Lions."
Bit rich coming from the bloated old toad who had this to say at the start of the Super Rugby season:
"The Lions myth is over. Virtually every Lion has been discredited on the Intenational Stage.....they will finish mid pack. The Sharks will finish higher, but not make the playoffs."
But listen to the fat-faced fool pretending he's some kind of visionary!

LMAO!

 @rooi,

last news seems to be good,.... Read and Franks are travelling to Jbg,... though it doesn't mean that they are ready to play yet, they are news in the right direction (at least from a saders' point of view)

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this is from stuff (https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/95251873/crusaders-confirm-read-and-franks-will-travel-to-south-africa-while-crotty-eyes-first-super-rugby-title):

 "Coach Scott Robertson will take a squad of 25 to South Africa. All players, including No 8 Kieran Read and tighthead prop Owen Franks, travelled. The squad includes the 23 who played the Chiefs, as well as tighthead prop Oli Jager and utility back Tim Bateman.

Read left the field in the final minutes of the semi because he had "tweaked" a knee, and will be monitored ahead of the final. Franks was replaced by Mike Alaalatoa at halftime because of a sore Achilles tendon."

-------------------------------------------------------------

from where it could be deduced that Read is ready for the final,.... there's no extra backrow flying to SA,.... there are just 4 backrows (Read, Todd, Taufua, Samu) to fulfil the 3 starting spots plus the bench,.... Barret could play blindside (if Read cannot play) but in this case, one more lock would be needed to complete the 23 and there's no extra lock either

but I'm really worried about Franks,.... Oli Jager has been included in the squad which means that he's in doubt,....

And even though Read is such an important and good player, Franks could be the most indispensable player in the team, with Crotty,... as it's very difficult to replace them,..... apart from it, Franks is the best tighthead in the world

 
Yeah yeah ... we've all heard it before.

Cheats usually proclaim their innocence.

"Who me ... " or

"It was an accident, sir" ...

followed by their usual tearful demonstration. One could practically see the halo around his head. It soon slipped to an ankle bracelet.

Either way ... he didn't get away with it and his foolishness cost his team 10 pts. 

Love it when cheats are dealt with.

Oh ... and we won't be fielding our best side either ... so it's par for the course if Franks sits out.

 Rooi nek - as I wrote elsewhere the main Village idiot knows nothing about rugby.

Ah but if you took the trouble to read the article before opining, you would have noticed I merely quoted Mallett and Naas. Real rugby noobs. It was a penalty for sure, but those experts who you often quote think it wasn't a card, ... More egg.

 The egg was all in your face.   Stupid as per normal.   

 What p!sspoor supporters ............ your team's riding high, beaut weather & its the semifinal ....... but agsiestog, Ellis Park's half empty with a mere 27000 ion attendance .

 Yeah,at R300 a pop for a ticket,you can expect the stadium to be half empty

"Yeah,at R300 a pop for a ticket,you can expect the stadium to be half empty"

From what I'm hearing, the prices are not turning people away and tickets are selling like hot cakes. Expect Ellis Park to be close to full.

 
It's a Super Rugby final ... the first in SA for many years.

The Stadium will be sold out ... even at R300 a pop.

 Yeah the final will attract rugby supporters from everywhere.See the Semi in NZ -attendance was very poor too.The Crusaders won the semi off their defence,3 times more tackles made,in their own 25 they must have made a dozen turnovers.

 They do need to shift the Lions to a better stadium.

Every time i get ready to go to Ellis Park it feels like the opening scene from Wrong Turn.

Many people i know would go to a lot more games if we had a different venue. Sucks because when i was a lad my mates and i would walk there from Yeoville with no issues at all.

Even Soccer City is a better location.

 
Are you saying that you go to Ellis Park without your 9mm?

Me + 9mm + rugby match = dead referee

 Just picking through the bones from the game. It does appear that the Lions become more pragmatic in the second half and used the boot more than they did in the first half. They played for territory and it showed. The Hurricanes also got carried away and thought they were going for champagne rugby as there was no way the lions could hall them in, but should have shut the game down. 
In real team Bauden did look like he cynically played the ball. Good on the refs for not trying to ref the game through the television TMO. I hate it when there is such a heavy dependance on the TMO. 
You could also argue that NZ teams are extremely cynical in the red zone and will push the boundaries until they get a warning before they cut out their penalties. 
It will be a hard one to judge as the Crusaders have been playing wet weather rugby for the past 6 weeks and then to be playing at 24c on the high veld may be a big factor. 
Although, the have a stingy defence with great game management. Got quality all around and more experience campaigners than the canes. 
Franks, Crocket, Whitelock, Read, Crotty, Dagg which forms a solid spine for them. 
I hope the Lions can continue, but should be a cracker of game. Almost to close to call, will be watching from behind the couch. 

Plum, we would walk to Ellis Park from Hillbrow for a game and it was really a pleasant walk.....on my last visit to JHB I was shocked to see the state of Hillbrow and wondered what actually lives in such a S!!t hole.
Absolutely disgusting what has happened to the area and the country.

Just an update on this, the last of the 60 000 available tickets was sold on Monday afternoon already. Ellis Park will be full.

Go Lions!

 AJ Hillbrow back then was great. I was born in the 80s so never really got to experience it's nightlife but many in my family talk about how vibrant it was. 
Pity really, that entire area all the way from Braamfontein to Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville has such wonderful infrastructure. Wer e this a first world country you'd pay an arm and leg to live there. Instead it's a shytehole that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.