Lions hammer Hurricanes

The Lions turned a 22-3 deficit into a glorious 44-29 Super Rugby semi-final win against the Hurricanes at Ellis Park.

The Hurricanes were the defending champions.

The Lions will host the Crusaders in next weekend’s final.

Ross Cronje won the man of the match performance but it was a collective Lions effort that turned the early deficit into a one-sided last hour of the match.

The Lions were totally dominant in the second half. They scored just before the break and scored twice quickly after the break to take the lead. The hosts were also supreme in the last quarter against a failing Hurricanes outfit.

Mark Keohane’s Sport24 column predicting a Lions win

Elton Jantjies, who was caned for his quarter-final performance against the Sharks, showed his strength of character in contributing to the Lions victory.

The Lions in 2016 beat the Crusaders 42-25 in Johannesburg in the quarter-final and thumped the Highlanders 40-30 in the semi-final. This year they dismissed the Hurricanes 44-29.

They have certainly turned Ellis Park back into a fortress and a nightmare for visiting teams, especially those from New Zealand.

Sport24 match report

How the Kiwis reported on the Lions win

The Crusaders earlier in the day easily beat the Chiefs 27-13.