The Hurricanes moved into second place on the points standings after an emphatic 38-12 victory over the substandard Lions in Wellington on Saturday.

The 'Canes were simply far too good for the visiting team from the Highveld, and scored five tries to two for the bonus point win, consolidating their push for a semifinal position.

It was not a game to keep recorded so that you can watch it again and again. It was not a delight to watch even once. In fact it was a drab, error-riddled game with occasional bright moments provided by the Hurricanes to relieve the tedium.

The Hurricanes got what they wanted from it. The Lions got what they deserved. Not what all of them deserved for a few deserved better — a few, six of them in the forwards and Walter Venter. They cannot hope to play at this level and commit childish errors. No coach on earth can achieve success with players who seem to lack commonsense and heart and skill all at the same time.

Earl Rose was the obvious example. Was he sober? If he was sober and playing like that he should never do it again. And he played the whole 80 minutes, presumably for quota/transformation reasons. There was no rugby reason.

The Lions kicked off and Jaco van Schalkwyk's kick did not travel 10 metres. He kicks so often would have thought that he could manage ten metres. That set the Hurricanes on the attack. Rose got a bouncing ball near touch and kicked a scruffy kick infield where his players were off-side. They could only have been off-side. Willie Ripia goaled. 3-0 after two minutes.

That was Rose's first error that counted for points.

He then, under no pressure, knocked on a straightforward pass. Franco van der Merwe, with apparently no knowledge of the Laws of the Game, picked up the knock-on in front of Rose. 6-0 after 9 minutes.

From the kick-off Tane Tu'ipulotu broke and kicked ahead towards the cornerpost on his left. Falling back Van Schalkwyk kicked dead and conceded a five-metre scrum. The Hurricanes went left an Ripia's left boot slotted a delicate grubber into the Lions' in-goal. Fullback missing, teenager Zac Guildford scored. If he had not have scored, Ma'a Nonu would have. Ripia converted. 13-0 after 10 minutes.

Nonu had a break, though his effectiveness waned somewhat during the match, and at a tackle/ruck Dewald Senekal could not contain his impatience and went childishly off-side as he did again in the second half. Ripia made the score 16-0 after 14 minutes.

In the first half there were 11 penalties, nine for off-side. In the second half there were just two late penalties — one for off-side. Ten out of 13 penalties for off-side is an unusually high percentage.

After this the Lions got together and had a good passage of play. They had three five-metre scrums. From two Joe van Niekerk charged and was stopped. The third, when the Lions opted for the scrum, ended in a penalty for the Hurricanes' because Willie Wepener had moved his head or something. Conceding a penalty at that stage is borderline insanity. You opt for a scrum and go wrong in the going down. That makes no sense. Either the player or the referee got things ridiculously wrong.

But the Lions came back and had a penalty five metres from the Hurricanes' line but Rose kicked the ball dead — behind the cornerpost.

The Hurricanes attacked down the right and grubbered ahead. Falling back Wepener saved a few metres from his goal-line and Vermaak passed back to Rose in his in-goal. Rose started running to his right, towards the posts and then threw a long, floated hospital pass to Van Niekerk who was immediately grabbed by Andrew Hore. Van Niekerk was not strong enough to hold onto the ball and Hore dropped to ground for a try. 21-0 after 28 minutes.

The Lions managed to kick that penalty out for a five-metre line-out. They mauled well and drove over at speed for a try by Wepener. Rose converted from far out. 21-7 after 30 minutes.

Cory Jane broke and Shannon Paku raced for the cornerpost. As Van Schalkwyk tackled him he threw the ball infield where first a Lion, then Weepu knocked on. The Hurricanes had two five-metre scrums but the Lions defended bravely and won a turn-over. They used the ball to break out and it went to Dusty Noble on the left wing. Noble kicked downfield where Guildford beat four tackles as he raced down the middle on counterattack. Ripia chipped and gathered and gave to Chris Masoe who gave to Nonu who scored in the left corner.. 26-7 after 37 minutes. That was the half-time score.

The Hurricanes need one more try for a bonus point. It took them 24 minutes to score it.

The first twenty minutes or so of the half belonged to the Lions. Their forwards won them possession and they put pressure on the home side. But kicking did not help. Twice they won good ball, once off a Hurricanes line-out, and twice Van Schalkwyk kicked out. The second time the Hurricanes attacked from their own 22 and the next time Van Schalkwyk touched the ball was to kick it dead to conceded a five-metre scrum.

But the Lions cane back and then Vermaak attacked from a good scrum. He did it at speed to get clear of the Hurricanes' loose forwards and then flipped the ball back inside to Jannie Boshoff who scored. 26-12 after 46 minutes.

The Lions were back on attack and Ripia kicked a long way downfield out of defence. There was no pressure at all on Rose but he knocked on. This was the end of the Lions' dominance in the half.

The Hurricanes attacked but lost the ball and were to be penalised when the Lions won a turnover. Rose kicked downfield, advantage was over and Jane countered, breaking past Rose and only scrambling defence and poor handling prevented a try from being scored. But the Hurricanes were on the attack. When Ethienne Reynecke balked at a line-out throw the Hurricanes bashed at the Lions' line and eventually Nonu powered over. 31-12 after 64 minutes and a bonus point.

The Lions tried to attack but Rose had a pass intercepted. They went through phases but Van Schalkwyk kicked out.

From a line-out substitute scrumhalf Alby Mathewson broke and gave to Thomas Waldrom who charged ahead. Tackle he popped the ball to older brother Scott who steamed ahead and score under the posts with an extravagant dive. Jimmy Gopperth converted. 38-12 with eight minutes to go.

When the final siren sounded the Lions were five metres from their line.

The tour is at last over for them and they can go home to their den to lick their many wounds.

Man of the Match: There were lots of Hurricane candidates but we have chosen combative hooker Andrew Hore who does so many things so well and has a sharp eye to a half chance.

Moment of the Match: The try that fresh-faced Zac Guildford started and Ma'a Nonu finished.

Villain of the Match: It threatened to get tetchy but settled down into an honourable affair. That said, Earl Rose got so many things wrong he would certainly be a villain for his own side, though perhaps a philanthropist to the Hurricanes.

Scorers:

For the Hurricanes:
Tries: Guildford, Hore, Nonu 2, S. Waldrom
Cons: Ripia 2
Pens: Ripia 3

For the Lions:
Tries: Wepener, Boshoff
Con: Rose

Teams:

Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Shannon Paku, 13 Tane Tu'ipulotu, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Zac Guildford, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo (captain), 7 Scott Waldrom, 6 Chris Masoe, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Tim Fairbrother, 2 Andrew Hore, 1 John Schwalger.
Replacements: 16 Hikawera Elliot, 17 Jacob Ellison, 18 Craig Clarke, 19 Thomas Waldrom, 20 Alby Mathewson, 21 Jimmy Gopperth, 22 Conrad Smith.

Auto and General Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Jannie Boshoff, 13 Walter Venter, 12 Doppies la Grange, 11 Dusty Noble, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Franco van der Merwe, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Cobus Grobbler, 19 Wilhelm Koch, 20 Chris Jonck, 21 Rudi Vogt, 22 Louis Ludik.

Referee: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Touch judges: Julian Pritchard (Australia), Garratt Williamson (New Zealand)
Television match official: Ben Skeen (New Zealand)
Assessor: Stuart Beissel (New Zealand)