Super Rugby Semi-final Preview – Lions vs Hurricanes


2017 Super Rugby, Semi-final match
 

Emirates Lions vs Hurricanes


Emirates Airline Park Johannesburg, South Africa
Saturday, 29 July 2017
Kick-off is at 14h30
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen, Rasta Rasivhenge
Television match official: Marius Jonker

Emirates Lions will take on Hurricanes in the 2017 Super Rugby semi-final match at the Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg on Saturday. 

Lions fans celebrating their victory during the Super Rugby Quarter final vs Cell C Sharks[/caption] Lions reached the last four after defeating fellow South African side Sharks 23-21 in the quarter-final clash at home last weekend. The hard-fought victory extended Lions' incredible winning streak to 13 games in this year's Super Rugby. Lions have also won 14 successive matches at home in the Super Rugby. Their last home defeat was against Hurricanes in April 2016.

Meanwhile, Hurricanes booked their place in the last four after defeating Australian side Brumbies 35-16 in Canberra last weekend. This was the Hurricanes' second successive win in the Super Rugby - having lost to fellow New Zealand side Chiefs, before enjoying their current run. The Hurricanes' last away defeat was against New Zealand side Crusaders in May, 2017. Since then they have won three games in a row on the road. Looking at Lions and Hurricanes head-to-head record - the latter have won all, but one of their previous 11 games.

Form Guide (Last five games)

Lions - W,W,W,W,W
Hurricanes - W,W,L,W,W

2017 Super Rugby stats

84 - Lions have scored 84 tries thus far, breaking the 2016 record of 81 team tries, with play-offs remaining
93 - Hurricanes stacked up a season-best tally of 93 tries.

The two sides average the most points scored per game of any teams in the competition so far this season

38 - Lions average 38 points per game
39 - Hurricanes average 39 points per game

How do they line-up?

Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Ross Cronjé, 8 Ruan Ackermann, 7 Kwagga Smith, 6 Jaco Kriel (c), 5 Franco Mostert, 4 Andries Ferreira, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Jacques van Rooyen. Subs: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Corné Fourie, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Cyle Brink, 21 Faf de Klerk, 22 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 23 Sylvian Mahuza.  

Hurricanes – 15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Nehe Milner-Skudder, 13 Vince Aso, 12 Ngani Laumape, 11 Wes Goosen, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 TJ Perenara (c), 8 Brad Shields, 7 Ardie Savea, 6 Vaea Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 4 Mark Abbott, 3  Jeff To'omaga-Allen, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Ben May. Subs: 16 Ricky Riccitelli, 17 Chris Eves, 18 Loni Uhila, 19 Reed Prinsep, 20 Callum Gibbins, 21 Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, 22 Otere Black, 23 Julian Savea.

 

Published: 07/28/2017