Thrilling Super Rugby final expected in Wellington
Can the Lions' fairy tale ends happily when they take on the Hurricanes on Saturday in New Zealand in the final of the 2016 Super Rugby tournament?
The Lions meet the Hurricanes on Saturday in Wellington with both teams aiming to land their first Super Rugby title.
The match kicks off at 09h35 SA time. This will be the first time the Lions have reached the final and on Saturday morning they are aiming to become only the second South African franchise to win the title, following the success of the Bulls in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, will be make a third final appearance after their failed efforts in 2006 and 2015.
Both sides are in superb form at the moment, with the Johannesburg outfit returning to New Zealand on the back of a record eight-match home winning streak following their semi-final victory last weekend over defending champions, the Highlanders.
The Canes have won seven consecutive matches on their way to a home final, including last Saturday’s semi-final win over the Chiefs in treacherous conditions at the Westpac Stadium.
However, the Lions will be buoyed by their superb record of late against New Zealand teams. They have won their last three games against Kiwi opposition, scoring in excess of 40 points on each occasion.
Another thrilling encounter is on the cards inside the stadium otherwise referred to as the Cake Tin. This final pitches the best attack against the best defence, with the Lions having averaged a competition high 36.4 points and 4.8 tries per game, whilst the Hurricanes have conceded the least average score per game, a lowly 19 points per match so far.
The Wellington battle will also pit the two most outstanding flyhalves of the 2016 campaign against each other.
Emirates Lions’ pivot Elton Jantjies was in sensational form last week in the semi-final win over the Highlanders, a performance which saw him crowned as Man of the Match. His opposite number, Beauden Barrett, is also the talisman for the Hurricanes and he too was in splendid form last weekend against the Chiefs.
Jantjies has scored 187 points so far this season in 15 matches, including three tries, while Barrett has collected 208 points in his 17 matches, which includes eight tries.
Encouraging news for the Emirates Lions is that their regular No 8, Warren Whiteley, has been declared fit and he will lead the side on Saturday.
The final will be handled by New Zealand referee Glen Jackson.
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