Lions beat Highlanders to reach maiden Super Rugby final

Those statistics won’t make pleasant reading for Lions fans, yet those wearing black and yellow on Saturday could be forgiven for feeling a little edgy as the Hurricanes remain the only New Zealand franchise still to win a Super Rugby title.

Beating the Highlanders 42-30 at Ellis Park in a convincing display, the Johannesburg outfit now face the daunting task of travelling to Wellington to battle it out for the Southern Hemisphere’s prestigious trophy.

Fly-half Barrett scored a try and 10 points with the boot, while Willis Halaholo and Victor Vito also went over as Hurricanes secured a first play-off victory against another New Zealand side in seven attempts.

With the Lions having already clinched a playoff berth, Ackermann chose to rest his regulars ahead of the quarterfinals, but they were beaten 34-22 by the Argentines and ceded top spot in the standings to the Hurricanes.

In the other semi-final, resolute defence and Beauden Barrett brilliance paved the way for the Hurricanes to win through to the decider over the Chiefs, who thrashed the Western Stormers 60-21 in Cape Town in the previous week’s quarter-finals.

A fortnight on from the match in Argentina, the Lions and Hurricanes both won their respective home semifinals and will now meet in Wellington on Saturday for the final.

Lions did ride their luck at times but outscored the defending champions by five tries to four.

One point of difference is their defensive records in the playoffs.

The Highlanders hit straight back with a Matt Fadders try virtually from the restart, but Jantjies was back on target minute later again, to restore daylight between the two sides. Neither is certain to appear in the final.

And given the Lions boast a similarly in-form trio as the Hurricanes in Faf de Klerk, Elton Jantjies and Jaco Kriel, Saturday’s final is anything but a foregone conclusion. They have outstanding finishers among the backs and unsafe ball carriers among the forwards.

Home advantage is often critical in the competition.

While the Lions have proved themselves a worthy adversary, defeating the Crusaders and Highlanders at home easily, they now face a long trip to the capital, where the Canes will be bolstered with the odds heavily in their favour.