"You have to give credit where it's due, we played a very good team, certainly worthy final contenders," he said. The Lions certainly deserved their victory on the highveld, and they will get their chance in next Saturday's competition showpiece against the Hurricanes in Wellington, a point observed by Joseph afterwards. With first-five Elton Jantjies, who scored the game's first try, in inspirational form for the Lions, the Highlanders were on the back foot from the start. Joseph will move to Japan in September to coach the national team, with assistant Tony Brown teaming up with Mark Hammett from next season. "They had the wood on us there [the scrum], the breakdown was another one," Joseph said.

Source: New Zealand Herald July 31, 2016 07:07 UTC