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Chiefs 17 - 23 Lions
Full-time, What a second half, the Lions hold on to win.
80 min: Drop goal from Jantjies.
79 min: They will need to go the whole length but the Chiefs have a chance, turnover from the Lions.
77 min: TRY - Chiefs, just as I say it might be over, Marty McKenzie sets up Alex Nankivell who finds Tumua Manu for the try. Kick is good. Chiefs 17 - 20 Lions.
76 min: Knock on from the Chiefs and that may just be all she wrote.
73 min: Rugby played in the middle of the park from both sides, the Chiefs need to score very soon to have a chance.
66 min: Brad Weber sends a fantastic box kick down town and the Lions will have the lineout.
64 min: TRY - Chiefs, they have woken up! Everyone touches the pill and it's Nepo Laulala who scores. Kick is wide. Chiefs 10 - 20 Lions.
61 min: TRY - Chiefs, Brad Weber makes a dart down the wing - great run he finds Lienert-Brown and he gives it to Wainui who scores the first try for the Chiefs. Kick is wide. Chiefs 5 - 20.
56 min: Lions walk straight over it and get rid of the ball with a kick.
54 min: Held up, the Chiefs go the closest they have been all night.
50 min: Chiefs win a scrum - but can they actually win it?
48 min: The Chiefs win a penalty, could this be the turning point?
47 min: Chiefs clear under the pump, huge pressure on the scrum.
45 min: A rare mistake for the Lions, knock on by the line.
44 min: Lions are on the attack here early on in the second half, Lions win a penalty.
41 min: We are back - the Chiefs need a miracle turnaround.
Jack Debreczeni has gone off the field injured - had to go on the cart, doesn't look good.
That's half time. You will struggle to see a half this season where the Chiefs have played worse.
40 min: TRY - Lions, they turn defence into attack and the big number eight Warren Whiteley kicks the ball through to Aphiwe Dyantyi who scores. Kick is good. Chiefs 0 - 20 Lions.
39 min: Another knock on from the Chiefs and the Lions kick the ball away.
38 min: Shocking kick from Jantjies, giving the Chiefs a lineout on the 22.
36 min: TRY - Lions, after phase after phase the Lions finally go over for their first try - it's Carlu Sadie who scored. Kick is good. Chiefs 0 - 13 Lions.
34 min: Another penalty at scrum time against the Chiefs, Lions penalty.
33 min: Smith makes a mistake for the Lions, knock on - Chiefs scrum.
32 min: Another penalty won by the Lions, dominating at the moment.
29 min: The Lions win another penalty at scrum time, kick for the points coming, kick is good. Chiefs 0 - 6 Lions.
26 min: Chiefs make the turnover and win a scrum.
25 min: Lions continue to dominate at scrum time - winning another penalty.
23 min: Really good defence so far from the Lions, Chiefs lose it again - forward pass this time.
22 min: Great turnover from the Lions - the Chiefs make a meal of the lineout and the visitors kick it away.
21 min: Advantage to the Chiefs, penalty won.
19 min: Another turnover by the Chiefs, basic errors costing the home side so far.
17 min: Another knock on from the Chiefs, Polwart the man who drops it this time.
16 min: Knock on from the Chiefs in the lineout, a let off for the Lions.
14 min: The Chiefs play the advantage and go close through Wainui, but they come back for the penalty, lineout called.
12 min: Malcolm Marx makes a mini break for the Lions and it's all the visitors in this game so far. The Chiefs win a penalty at the breakdown - Brad Weber the man to win it.
11 min: Marty McKenzie makes a great catch but loses the ball forward trying to force the pass.
9 min: The Lions win a penalty off the scrum, they will take the points, kick is good. Chiefs 0 - 3 Lions.
7 min: The Lions go over the line, but held up is the call.
6 min: Elton Jantjies has made a great start.
5 min: The Lions decide to run it out, the Chiefs make a tackle but the Lions win a penalty.
3 min: Liam Polwart makes an interception and the whole of Hamilton is cheering on the big fella, but Lombard makes a great cover tackle to force the knock on, Lions scrum.
2 min: Great start from the visitors, making thei intentions clear with some early runs and a kick into touch.
1 min: Kick off here at FMG - Weber captaining the Chiefs for the first time.
Late change for the Lions, Malcolm Marx will start at hooker tonight.
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Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's coverage of the Super Rugby match from Hamilton as the Chiefs host the Lions.
The home side are missing are trio of marquee players, Damian McKenzie, Brodie Retallick and Nathan Harris will miss the match for different reasons.
McKenzie is gone for the season after suffering an ACL rupture in last weeks match against the Blues.
Retallick is out with a minor hand injury and Harris is having the night off with a non-mandated rest.
Brad Weber will captain the side for the first time.
Pre-game chat: All Blacks Brodie Retallick, Nathan Harris out of Chiefs against Lions
Injured fullback Damian McKenzie won't be the only All Black missing from the Chiefs, when they host the visiting Lions in Hamilton on Friday night.
With the backline utility sidelined for the season by knee-ligament damage, he has been joined in the stands by giant lock Brodie Retallick and hooker Nathan Harris this week.
Retallick has been ruled out with a hand injury, while Harris is taking a non-mandated rest.
Those absence leave the Waikato-based side understrength for a dangerous match-up against a team that lies at the bottom of the South African Super Rugby conference, but has made three consecutive finals, losing them all.
The Lions have a four-win/four-loss record this season and although they trail their conference, they currently lie just two points ouf of a playoff spot - ahead of the Chiefs.
Halfback Brad Weber will captain the team, with Retallick missing and co-captain Sam Cane still not back from his neck fracture.
"It is a huge honour to be named as captain for this Friday," says Weber. "I am excited for the opportunity and am thankful to have a great bunch of guys around me, which will make my job easier."
Jack Debreczeni will fill McKenzie's vacant number-15 jersey, while Tyler Ardron and Mitchell Brown form a new second-row combination without Retallick.
Liam Polwart will make his first appearance at hooker this season, joining Angus Ta'avao and Nepo Laulala in the front row.
TAB Odds: Chiefs $1.37 Lions $3.02
Line-ups:
Chiefs: 1-Angus Ta'avao, 2-Liam Polwart, 3-Nepo Laulala, 4-Tyler Ardron, 5-Mitchell Brown, 6-Luke Jacobson, 7-Lachlan Boshier, 8-Taleni Seu, 9-Brad Weber, 10-Marty McKenzie, 11-Ataata Moeakiola, 12-Anton Lienert-Brown, 13-Alex Nankivell, 14-Sean Wainui, 15-Jack Debreczeni
Reserves: 16-Samisoni Taukei'aho, 17-Atu Moli, 18-Sosefo Kautai, 19-Jesse Parete, 20-Pita Gus Sowakula, 21-Jonathan Taumateine, 22-Tumua Manu, 23-Shaun Stevenson
Lions:1-Sti Sithole, 2-Robbie Coetzee, 3- Carlu Sadie, 4- Stephan Lewies, 5- Marvin Orie, 6- Kwagga Smith, 7- Cyle Brink, 8- Warren Whiteley,9- Ross Cronje, 10- Gianni Lombard, 11- Aphiwe Dyantyi, 12- Franco Naude, 13- Lionel Mapoe, 14- Sylvian Mahuza, 15 - Andries Coetzee ,
Reserves: 16-Malcolm Marx, 17-Frans Van Wyk, 18-Johannes Jonker, 19-Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20-Marnus Schoeman, 21-Nic Groom, 22-Elton Jantjies, 23-Ruan Combrinck
