Well, the British & Irish Lions finally win a mid week game at last (And isn't the Lions coach Warren Gatland proud, eh? Against the team being coached by Dave Rennie (Although he is leaving after this year's Super Rugby season), this time against the Chiefs last night at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton so here's the live commentary according to Newshub:
Kia ora and welcome to live updates of the Chiefs hosting the British and Irish Lions at FMG Stadium in the Tron.
We bring you live streaming written commentary & all the action.
Commentary will start from around 7:30 pm (NZT).
Lineups
Chiefs
15.Shaun Stevenson, 14.Toni Pulu, 13.Tim Nanai-Williams, 12.Johnny Fa'auli, 11.Solomon Alaimalo, 10.Stephen Donald (c), 9.Finlay Christie, 8.Tom Sanders, 7.Lachlan Boshier, 6.Mitchell Brown, 5.Michael Allardice, 4.Dominic Bird, 3.Nepo Laulala, 2.Liam Polwart, 1.Siegried Fisi'ihoi.
Reserves: 16.Hikawera Elliot, 17.Aidan Ross, 18.Atu Moli, 19.Liam Messam, 20.Mitchell Karpik, 21.Jonathan Taumateine, 22.Luteru Laulala, 23.Chase Tiatia.
Lions
15.Liam Williams, 14.Jack Nowell, 13.Jared Payne, 12.Robbie Henshaw, 11.Elliot Daly, 10.Dan Biggar, 9.Greig Laidlaw, 8.CJ Stander, 7.Justin Tipuric, 6.James Haskell, 5.Courtney Lawes, 4.Iain Henderson, 3.Dan Cole, 2.Rory Best (c), 1.Joe Marler.
Reserves: 16.Kristian Dacey, 17.Allan Dell, 18.Tomas Francis, 19.Cory Hill, 20.Alun Wyn Jones, 21.Gareth Davies, 22.Finn Russell, 23.Tommy Seymour.
Match facts and stats
Referee: Jerome Garces
7.15pm: Kia ora all and welcome to a rocking FMG Stadium - it's been a beautiful day and it's great conditions underfoot. Can't wait to see the Beaver lead the boys out onto the park, about 20 minutes away from kick off, don't go anywhere.
7.25pm: Both teams off the field now. It's already extremely loud with the Lions fans making the bulk of the noise - they certainly bring something different. A packed ground with some good and hard running, threatening to be a cracker!
7.31pm: Love to hear the cowbells as both teams are welcomed to the field. So many red jerseys in the crowd, looks like a few plane loads have arrived this week.
7.32pm: Chiefs to present their challenge to the Lions with Hika Elliot leading the haka.
7.34pm: No one leads a haka better than Hika Elliot. Absolutely incredible energy and the challenge has well and truly been laid out for the Lions. The Lions fans in the crowd then start a chant of their own in response
KICKOFF: Dan Biggar gets us underway and the Chiefs and Finlay Christie is taken straight away but does well to recover and Donald hammers a kick onto the Lions side of halfway.
2 MINUTES LATER: Christie takes a quick kick from Biggar but he's taken in the air. A few hitups from the Chiefs and Donald drills it into the corner. However the ref comes back for advantage from the tackle in the air and it's a penalty to the Chiefs. A solid start by the home side. Donald puts the ball out 15m out from the Lions line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions win the lineout through Courtney Lawes and the Lions clear well to the half way line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs win the lineout and go midfield but Lachlan Boshier is caught high by the Lions and they win a turnover after the maul. Good defense by the Lions.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs looked to be getting done over in that scrum but the Lions play on and the Chiefs hold. It's Lions ball on their own 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Chiefs do well and left winger Solomon Alaimalo takes a very good high kick by Greig Laidlaw. But Shaun Stevenson puts it out on the full and it's Lions lineout on the Chiefs 10m line. Ref warns the Chiefs about blocking players.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions make a mini break through James Haskell and they're on attack on the Chiefs 22m line. Lions going side to side but they're determined to run it.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions about 10m out and they're keeping the ball in hand very well but the Chiefs are letting them run at them. The chant of Lions goes up around the ground. They've gone 20 phases before the ball's put down. The ref was playing advantage though and it's right in front.
1 MINUTE LATER: Kick is thrown over by Biggar. A really good start by the tourists but they're inability to convert good opportuities into tries could be telling this tour.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions take the kick off well and clear through a Laidlaw box kick - not a very good kick though and the Chiefs have a good opportunity to attack.
2 MINUTES LATER: Chiefs attacking well about 30m out and they can't breach this defense. Once again a very quick line by the Lions. Could come back for an illegal tackle by the Lions but the Chiefs knock on. TMO referral by the referee.
Joe Marler could be in trouble here, verr late and no arms - looking like a yellow.
YELLOW CARD: Good call by the ref there and no argument from captain Rory Best. However not good news for the Chiefs either with Toni Pulu receiving treatment on a leg injury and the medicab is on the field. Chase Tiatia comes on as his replacement.
Big break in play while the medicab is on, no one likes to see this.
Chiefs go for the corner and drive it into the corner. Forgoing the shot at goal - a risky call.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs take the lineout into a maul but CJ Stander does extremely well - coming straight through the middle and wrapping the ball up. Lions earn the turnover scrum about 7 metres out.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions win a scrum penalty. The Chiefs flankers a little too eager to detach and they let go of the weight. Not a very good decision by the Chiefs forwards there. Lions clear down to the half way, well done by Biggar.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions try and do a blind side move and they make about 15m through Elliot Daly but he's met by a very strong tackle by Alaimalo. Lions win a sloppy lineout by the Chiefs and are on attack about 25m out. Lions win a penalty at the breakdown, Chiefs player not rolling away. A shot at goal coming.
2 MINUTES LATER: Game has kinda fizzled out and Biggar knocks over another penalty. This is what the Lions do, just keep the board ticking over.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs charge down a kick from the Lions ruck and they win the ball just outside the Lions 22m. A little grubber from Donald is taken out by a Lions player and it's a Chiefs lineout inside the Lions 22.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs win a penalty at the breakdown as the Lions fail to roll away. Ref has a double blow on the whistle but calls a Chiefs player over to warn him. "Calm down you speak too much" ref Jerome Garces says. Chiefs line up the sticks right in front.
1 MINUTE LATER: Donald slots it and the Chiefs get on the board.
1 MINUTE LATER: Finlay Christie makes a brilliant break from the kick but the ball is back on the Chiefs 22 line after a couple of phases and Michael Allardyce drops the ball cold... Lions midfield attacking scrum on the Chiefs 22m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Solid scrum there but the Lions knock the ball on in the second phase and then Christie knocks the ball on. Both sides letting up there. Scrum Chiefs on their own 22.
1 MINUTE LATER: Marler comes back on, a 3-3 score while he was off. Tim Nanai Williams has a little chip kick after the scrum and the Lions have the ball on the Chiefs 10m but kick it out on the full. A weird phase of play there.
Chiefs knock the ball on from the lineout and it's now a Lions scrum about 35m out from the Chiefs line.
1 MINUTE LATER, TRY LIONS: Lions find an overlap and they go down the right touch line. Some sloppy work from the Chiefs at the breakdown and right winger Jack Nowell picks and go's and dives over straight through the ruck.
4 MINUTES LATER: Lions take the kickoff and kick it back but the Chiefs lose it on the Lions 10m. The Lions knock it down field in the Chiefs 22m and Christie is forced to clear down to the Chiefs 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions win the lineout but then knock the ball on in the first phase. Payne looked to regather it but not so as Garces signals a scrum to the Chiefs. A good attacking platform for the Chiefs in their own half.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Chiefs go wide and Tim Nanai Williams takes it up and tries to do an out-the-back pass but the ball goes forward. Scrum Lions on the half way line.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions go down the right touch line and have the ball on the Chiefs 22m. But they then look to go left but a big pass by Jared Payne is spilled.
A little bit of a break in play as the captains clarify something with the ref. If the Chiefs can hold the ball, they can cause the Lions some grief. Until this stage though, they haven't given themselves a chance.
1 MINUTE LATER: Donald is polaxed by Bigger and loses the ball and the Lions are on attack. They then get a penalty about 35m out on a pretty acute angle. Biggar looks to the corner.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions go for the lineout drive and they get to within inches of the line but the Chiefs hold firm. Ref blows his whistle and it's a turnover to the home side. 5m scrum Chiefs
2 MINUTES LATER: Chiefs win the penalty for a high hit about 10m out from their own try line and they get a chance to relive. Donald clears down to about the Chiefs 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions retrieve the ball after a chip kick from Donald that just doesn't work. Luckily though, the Lions take the ball into the ruck and Boshier wins a penalty at the breakdown. Chiefs ball just in the Lions half.
1 MINUTE LATER: Christie makes another brilliant break at the lineout and a couple of offloads see the Chiefs right into Lions 22m line. The tourists are then offside and the home side win a penalty. Beaver lining up the sticks as the siren sounds.
HALFTIME: Donald knocks it over and that's half time. Without any of the play, the Chiefs have done pretty well. I'd hate to look at the error rate from both teams however, not the cleanest of halves.
Once again they look a little one dimensional but against a Kiwi team that isn't shy to turn down kicks of goal, the Lions' game plan is enough.
HALFTIME ANALYSIS: A very scrappy half from both teams but you can't help but feel that if the Chiefs can hold the ball for longer than one or two phases, they can make dents in this Lions side. The visitors have had the better of the half but they can't finish either.
For all the talk around the refs of the tour, Jerome Garces has performed very well so far. Good communication, good interpretation of the scrum and controlling the breakdown.
HALFTIME: Both teams are back on the field and we're ready to go for the 2nd half.
KICKOFF: Donald gets us underway and the Lions secure the ball well. Yet another box kick from Laidlaw...
1 MINUTE LATER: Tiatia can't take the ball and the Chiefs player is bundled out. Lions throw into the lineout isn't straight and it's a Chiefs attacking scrum on the 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs string a few phases together and then Stevenson throws a floating pass straight over Johnny Fa'auli's head into touch on the 10m line.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions take a driving maul about 15m and Laidlaw kicks the ball back. Stevenson then obliges and the Lions have the ball on their own 10. Solid D by the Chiefs and a midfield bomb by Biggar sees the Chiefs concede a penalty through blocking.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions can't get the ball in straight again and that's the second of the night by Best. Chiefs lucky there and they have a scrum on their 22m.
2 MINUTES LATER: A big hit by Siegfried Fisi'ihoi but the Lions are still on attack and the Lions go wide. Just inside the Chiefs 22 and the home side are holding on.
2 MINUTES LATER: A big hit by Fa'auili dislodges the ball and after a Stevenson kick, the Chiefs get it back inside the Lions half. But they do lose the ball and the Lions retrieve it as well. Better by the Chiefs there and they're putting some heat on the Lions on D. Lions ball on their own 22m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs earn the ball back and after a few phases they lose it. Then Laidlaw makes a mini break and Donald gives away a very stupid penalty on the half way line. He's arguing with the ref but he's not going to get his way. The Chiefs just starting to get on here with the game breaking up.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions maul the ball well and the Chiefs are forced to collapse it. The Lions are awarded a penalty and they might go for the corner here and they do.
1 MINUTE LATER: The Lions go down the blindside off the maul and hello there are handbags being thrown. Stephen Donald in the thick of it, facing up with Alun Wyn Jones who's just come on the field.
Lions have the lineout 5m out after the Chiefs took the ball out.
1 MINUTE LATER, PENALTY TRY LIONS: Yet another penalty try of the tour after the Chiefs bring down the maul. A yellow card is awarded to Chiefs man Mitchell Brown. Not a good play by the home side. No conversion and that could be the home side out for the night.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions take the kick off and clear well through Biggar. A quick throw in and the Chiefs have the ball on halfway and earn a penalty.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs hot on attack and they earn a penalty just outside the 22. They have to go for the corner and they do.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY LIONS: Chiefs lost the lineout through a very sloppy play and the Lions go about 80m. The try of the tour so far. Some really good support play after going wide and Nowell goes over.
1 MINUTE LATER: Too good from the Lions and it came from a Chiefs error. The Lions could go on with the job here.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions can't take the ball from the kickoff and it's a scrum to the Lions.
The Lions now dominate the scrum and they get a penalty.
1 MINUTE LATER: Biggar drives the ball into the Chiefs half and there could be another try coming here. Chiefs looking all at sea.
2 MINUTES LATER, TRY LIONS: It's Jared Payne as the Chiefs' defense opened like the Red Sea. A chip from Tim Nanai Williams is regathered by Jack Nowell and Jared Payne goes over. Truly awful by the home side.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions take the kick well and the Chiefs are falling off tackles. Biggar bangs it down field and the Chiefs have the ball on their 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: There's a break in play and Alaimalo limps off the park and the night gets worse for the Chiefs. They named an inexperienced lineup and they're paying for it now. The Lions could push past 50 tonight but it's Chiefs ball on their own 10m line.
2 MINUTES LATER: Chiefs win a penalty on the half way line and they go quickly. It's Chiefs ball on the Lions 22 but the visitors' D is holding well. The home side then knock on and that sums things up for the Chiefs.
2 MINUTES LATER: Lions earn another scrum penalty deep inside their own half. Using it as a very successful exit strategy.
1 MINUTE LATER: Lions ball on half way as they secure the lineout. Lions go left and there's a knock on in the tackle by the Chiefs. Scrum Lions just on the Chiefs side of half way.
1 MINUTE LATER: I know Stephen Donald's a legend but he's been a turnstile in defense as the Lions attack on the Chiefs 10m line. Chiefs earn a turnover and they get a chance to show some go on attack.
1 MINUTE LATER: Stevenson makes a little break but throws a loose ball and it's turned over to Biggar who kicks it back. Then the Chiefs kick it back and the Lions make a break down to the Chiefs 5m line through Tommy Seymour. The final pass is dropped and its Chiefs ball.
1 MINUTE LATER: There's a break in play as Shaun Stevenson receives attention. A Chiefs lineout 5m from their own line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Tim Nanai-Williams makes a break outside their own 22 and the Lions get a hand in the ruck but only knock it on so it's a scrum to the Chiefs on their 10m line.
2 MINUTES LATER: The Chiefs string some good phases together and get down to the halfway line but then Donald takes it forward and knocks it on the tackle. Lions then chip forward but the Chiefs regather on their own 10m line.
1 MINUTE LATER: Chiefs still keeping ball in hand on the half way line and the Chiefs earn a penalty but go quickly and get it up to the 22.
The Chiefs then knock the ball on in the tackle and Biggar clears. Chiefs take the kick and run it up and the Lions concede a penalty.
1 MINUTE LATER: The siren goes and the Chiefs are going for the quick tap.
FULL TIME, LIONS WIN: The Lions have claimed the victory with a comprehensive defensive display. Their defense was too much for the inexperienced Chiefs.
Thank you for joining us.
Chiefs 6 - 34 British & Irish Lions
And finally the Formula 1 circus heads to the streets of Baku in Azerbaijan as Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain) in the Mercedes will attempt to take over the lead of the championship because he is 12 points behind championship leader Sebastian Vettel (Germany) in the Ferrari after bouncing back in Canada with a win (Although he started on pole after a brilliant qualifying session but Mercedes had worked 24 hour shifts to get the car right)...And unfortunately I don't have the circuit guide for the Baku City Circuit (Because that track didn't appear in the Collins Grand Prix Circuits book) so here's former F1 driver Anthony Davidson providing the expert comments of the circuit in the F1 2016 game instead:
''Joining the F1 calendar in 2016. Baku City Circuit is a high speed thresh around the streets of Azerbaijan. Watch out for overtaking into the heavy braking zone of turn 1.''
So that is my 118th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII), good luck out there.
P.S. The All Blacks have named their team against the British & Irish Lions for the 1st of 3 tests at Eden Park in Auckland so here is the starting lineup:
1 (Loose head prop): Joe Moody (Canterbury/Crusaders)
2 (Hooker): Codie Taylor (Canterbury/Crusaders)
3 (Tight head prop): Owen Franks (Canterbury/Crusaders)
4 (Lock): Brodie Retallick (Hawke's Bay/Chiefs)
5 (Lock): Sam Whitelock (Canterbury/Crusaders)
6 (Blindside Flanker): Jerome Kaino (Auckland/Blues)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sam Cane (Bay Of Plenty/Chiefs)
8 (Number 8): Kieran Read (Captain, Canterbury/Crusaders)
9 (Half-back): Aaron Smith (Manawatu/Highlanders)
10 (First five eighth): Beauden Barrett (Taranaki/Hurricanes)
11 (Left Wing): Rieko Ioane (Auckland/Blues)
12 (Second five eighth): Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau/Blues)
13 (Centre): Ryan Crotty (Canterbury/Crusaders)
14 (Right Wing): Israel Dagg (Hawke's Bay/Crusaders)
& 15 (Fullback): Ben Smith (Otago/Highlanders)
And in the reserves are Nathan Harris, Wyatt Crockett, Charlie Faumuina, Scott Barrett, Ardie Savea, TJ Perenara, Aaron Cruden/Lima Sopoaga & Anton Lienert-Brown.
And the Lions have also named their team to take on the All Blacks this Saturday:
1 (Loose head prop): Mako Vunipola (England/Saracens)
2 (Hooker): Jamie George (England/Saracens)
3 (Tight head prop): Tadhg Furlong (Ireland/Leinster)
4 (Lock): Alun Wyn Jones (Wales/Ospreys)
5 (Lock): George Kruis (England/Saracens)
6 (Blinside Flanker): Peter O'Mahony (Captain, Ireland/Munster)
7 (Openside Flanker): Sean O'Brien (Ireland/Leinster)
8 (Number 8): Taulupe Faletau (Wales/Bath (England)
9 (Half-back/Scrum-half): Conor Murray (Ireland/Munster)
10 (First five eighth/Fly-half): Owen Farrell (England/Saracens)
11 (Left Wing): Elliot Daly (England/Wasps)
12 (Second five eighth/Inside Centre): Ben Te'o (England/Worcester Warriors)
13 (Centre/Outside Centre): Jonathan Davies (Wales/Scarlets)
14 (Right Wing): Anthony Watson (England/Bath)
& 15 (Fullback): Liam Williams (Wales/Scarlets)
And in the reserves are Ken Owens, Jack McGrath, Kyle Sinckler, Maro Itoje, Sam Warburton, Rhys Webb, Jonathan Sexton & Leigh Halfpenny.
2017 DHL New Zealand Lions Series
#Rugby'sGreatestSeries
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