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Fulltime: Hurricanes 28 Lions 19
The Hurricanes hold on for another stuttering win, albeit over the formidable opponents, with Ben Lam's hat-trick the undoubted highlight.
Thanks for joining us - you might want to stick around to follow our Blues vs Waratahs updates, an encounter about to start in Sydney.
75th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 19
TRY to Lions! They strip the ball in a tackle and flying winger Mahuza sprints 50 metres untouched for a try - too little too late, surely.
Jantjies converts, they need two scores in four minutes.
74th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 12
The game is deteriorating as the benches clear - Fatialofa, who left for a blood bin, returns and then leaves seconds later, permanently replaced by Louisi.
66th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 12
West and Aso enter the game for the Hurricanes for Milner-Skudder and Julian Savea. Booth replaces Christie at halfback, Prinsep steps in for Evans.
65th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 12
Lions on attack, but turn the ball over. Shields kicks long off his left foot and Lam just fails to gather with an open run to the line.
61st minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 12
Toomaga-Allen is replaced by Eves. All the new props introduce themselves to their counterparts at the next scrum.
58th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 12
TRY to Lions! From the kick-off, the Lions go onto attack and Schoeman burrows over from near the line - a very soft try.
Jantjies sprays the ball wide right.
54th minute: Hurricanes 28 Lions 7
TRY to Hurricanes! Barrett makes a long run out of defence and when he is tackled, the ball is again tossed along the backline, for Lam to finish - his third try of the night.
Barrett converts and the Lions make a swag of replacements - both props and at centre.
53rd minute: Hurricanes 21 Lions 7
Schoeman makes yards out of defence and Jantjies kicks long to find touch about 10 metres out from the line.
51st minute: Hurricanes 21 Lions 7
From a defensive lineout, Proctor drops the ball onto his boot for Lam to run onto. He finds Milner-Skudder in support, but his pass drifts forward to end the movement.
45th minute: Hurricanes 21 Lions 7
TRY to Hurricanes! From the lineout, the forwards lay seige on the Lions line and eventually it is thrown wide to Lam, who shrugs off a couple of defenders to plant the ball in the corner.
That's his 11th of the season - the most in Super Rugby. Barrett needs his captain to hold the ball in this wind, but he finds the posts from the sideline.
43rd minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 7
Berry plays a long advantage for a head-high tackle - it's kickable, but Barrett goes for the corner and an attacking lineout.
41st minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 7
Hurricanes kick off with the tailwind. Fatialofa is deemed offside and Jantjies finds touch from the penalty.
Halftime: Hurricanes 14 Lions 7
Both teams have struggled to retain possession through the first half - Lions at lineouts and Hurricanes at the breakdown.
39th minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 7
TRY to Lions! From the scrum, Smith lunges to the line and when he is tackled short, Groom collects the ball and scoots under a couple of defenders to score.
That's a real bonus for the visitors on the stroke of halftime, but they have probably not taken full advantage of the wind at their backs and now face the prospect of playing into it over the second 40 minutes.
38th minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 0
A loose pass from Christie finds the Hurricanes scrambling behind their own line and Lions force a five-metre scrum by trapping Milner-Skudder.
30th minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 0
Berry plays advantage for a high tackle from Ardie Savea and Jantjies again kicks to touch. Lions win this one, but are penalised for replaying the ball in a tackle.
25th minute: Hurricanes 14 Lions 0
TRY to Hurricanes! Lions lose another lineout, Proctor breaks open the midfield with Milner-Skudder outside and Ardie Savea inside.
Proctor chooses Savea, who scores his first try of the season. Barrett converts.
23rd minute: Hurricanes 7 Lions 0
Hurricanes are dominating at lineout time and even when the Lions win one, the home side combat their rolling maul attempt and secure a turnover.
19th minute: Hurricanes 7 Lions 0
Hurricanes are trying to work their way out of their own half, but again turn the ball over. They eventually infringe and Jantjies kicks to the corner, but Hurricanes win the lineout against the throw and clear.
13th minute: Hurricanes 7 Lions 0
From an attacking lineout, the Hurricanes make ground up the sideline, but Toby Smith is bundled into touch in the corner. There may have been a knock-on and offside there, but everyone that counts missed them.
10th minute: Hurricanes 7 Lions 0
Hooker Marx is off for the Lions already, replaced by Robbie Coetzee.
Eighth minute: Hurricanes 7 Lions 0
TRY to Hurricanes! The ball is spread somewhat clumsily along the backline and Lam has to reach far behind to gather the final pass.
But once he has it, he steps out of a tackle and has a virtually unopposed run to the corner to open the scoring. Barrett canons the conversion off the upright and over.
Sixth minute: Hurricanes 0 Lions 0
Hurricanes turn the ball over twice, while building on attack, but the Lions' long clearance upfield goes out on the full. Another attacking lineout.
Fourth minute: Hurricanes 0 Lions 0
Lions pinged for not rolling away from the breakdown and Barrett immediately kicks to touch for an attacking lineout.
First minute: Hurricanes 0 Lions 0
Nic Berry will referee this game, as the Lions kick off. Hurricanes playing into the wind and Barrett's first clearing kick almost blows back over his head.
Pre-match
Word from the ground is that Jordie Barrett is out of the Hurricanes line-up. Nehe Milner-Skudder moves into the No.15 jersey and Vince Aso moves into the reserves - not a bad couple of replacements.
Prop Ben May also drops off the bench and Fraser Armstrong replaces him.
Remember, these two teams also met in last year's semi-finals, with the Lions winning en route to a home final loss to the Crusaders.
Conditions are very windy in Wellington (no surprises there), with the prospect of some rain.
*****
Kia ora, good evening...
Welcome to live updates of the Hurricanes Super Rugby clash with the Lions - a rematch of the 2016 finalists at the same venue.
The Hurricanes sit second in the NZ conference and come into this fixture off a 43-15 home win over the Sunwolves last week. The Lions top the South African conference, seven points clear of the second-placed Jaguares, but suffered a 27-21 road loss to the Reds in their last outing.
The TAB has the Hurricanes very firm favourites in this match-up, paying $1.13 for the win against $5.60 for the Lions.
Ngani Laumape returns for Hurricanes ahead of Lions clash
The Canes have named a very strong side that has no room for Vince Aso, who was one of the competition's top tryscorers last season and scored two against the Sunwolves last week (and had three others disallowed).
All Black Ngani Laumape returns in his stead, while Gareth Evans, Vaea Fifita and Jeff Toomaga-Allen are restored to the forward pack.
Hurricanes: 15-Jordie Barrett, 14-Julian Savea, 13-Matt Proctor, 12-Ngani Laumape, 11-Ben Lam, 10-Beauden Barrett, 9-Finlay Christie, 8-Gareth Evans, 7-Ardie Savea, 6-Brad Shields (c), 5-Michael Fatialofa, 4-Vaea Fifita, 3-Jeff To'omaga-Allen, 2-Ricky Riccitelli, 1-Toby Smith.
Reserves: James O'Reilly, Chris Eves, Ben May, Sam Lousi, Reed Prinsep, Jamie Booth, Ihaia West, Nehe Milner-Skudder.
Lions: 15-Andries Coetzee, 14-Ruan Combrinck, 13-Lionel Mapoe, 12-Harold Vorster, 11-Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10-Elton Jantjies, 9-Nic Groom, 8-Kwagga Smith, 7-Cyle Brink, 6-Marnus Schoeman, 5-Franco Mostert, 4-Lourens Erasmus, 3-Jacobie Adriaanse, 2-Malcolm Marx, 1-Dylan Smith
Reserves: Robbie Coetzee, Ruan Dreyer, Johannes Jonker, Marvin Orie, Hacjivah Dayimani, Ashlon Davids, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Sylvian Mahuza
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