Rare win for Chiefs
Scott Waldrom scored two tries as the Chiefs picked up a 34-30 victory over the Lions at Ellis Park.
Last Updated: 23/04/11 8:37pm
Scott Waldrom scored two tries as the Chiefs picked up only their third win of the season with a 34-30 victory over bottom-club Lions at Ellis Park.
The Chiefs went into the match as the last-placed New Zealand team in the competition but they ran in five tries to pick up a morale-boosting win on Saturday afternoon.
The margin would have been bigger had Chiefs fly-half Stephen Donald not missed four out of eight kicks at goal.
The win sees the Chiefs move ahead of the Hurricanes in the New Zealand conference and up to ninth place in the overall standings.
Patient
The New Zealanders absorbed early pressure from the Lions, who led 6-0 after two penalty goals by Burton Francis, before a tap penalty deep in their own territory started a move which went through multiple phases before Waldrom scored the first try of the match in the 22nd minute.
The Chiefs led 19-13 at half-time, scoring three tries, all by the forwards, despite only visiting the Lions' 22 metre area four times in the half. Waldrom added a second try and lock Romano Graham the third.
The Lions responded with a try by full-back Michael Killian after Donald missed touch with a clearance kick and wing Lionel Mapoe counter-attacked with a 40 metre diagonal run.
The pattern continued in the second half when prop Toby Smith scored a bonus point try after another patient build-up by the Chiefs.
A try by centre Dwayne Sweeney, after a break by wing Lelia Masaga, put the Chiefs 31-16 ahead but the Lions produced a strong finish with converted tries by flanks Josh Strauss and Cobus Grobbelaar.
