KEY POINTS:
The Chiefs are winless no more in rugby's Super 14 as a five tries-to-one routing of the Lions carried them to a 34-7 victory at Hamilton's Waikato Stadium tonight.
After three games on the road in South Africa brought two losses and a draw, and then a bye last week, the signs weren't good for the Chiefs as they were robbed of All Blacks lock Keith Robinson with a leg injury before kickoff.
But Kristian Ormsby and promoted locking partner Toby Lynn stood tall as the Chiefs kept the Johannesburg-based Lions scoreless until the last 10 minutes.
Two tries to Chiefs first five-eighth Stephen Donald, and one each to Marty Holah, Liam Messam and Tane Tu'ipulotu were too much for the Lions, who looked bereft of ideas to breach the rushing Chiefs line.
Playing former Blues pivot Tasesa Lavea at second five-eighth, the Chiefs effectively used Donald to hit the ball up, with Lavea assuming the field-kicking duties to good effect.
The Chiefs went to the sheds 13-0 up at halftime, with Donald opening the scoring with a penalty.
Soon afterwards No 8 Messam slipped a pass in the tackle to halfback Brendon Leonard who grubber-kicked into the in-goal for the first-five eighth to score his first try.
Halfway through the half, Lions No 8 Jacques Cronje was sinbinned for pulling down a Chiefs' attacking maul.
It immediately cost the Lions dearly as the Chiefs were able to pull down a carbon-copy lineout and maul and drive Holah over the line.
Shortly after the break, Donald crossed again after the Lions failed to properly control their own scrum ball inside their 22 and Holah was able to rip it free for Donald to go over untouched.
It wasn't until the 73rd minute that the Lions got on the scoreboard when a nice backline move put first five-eighth Andre Pretorius in the clear.
That just sparked the Chiefs into a frenzy of try-scoring action as Liam Messam regathered a toe-ahead for a sprint to the line and Tu'ipulotu intercepted a desperate Pretorius pass before embarking on an 80m run to the tryline.
Chiefs 34 (Stephen Donald 2, Marty Holah, Liam Messam, Tane Tu'ipulotu tries; Donald pen, con, Dwayne Sweeney 2 con) Lions 7 (Andre Pretorius try, Pretorius con). Halftime: 13-0.
- NZPA
