This past weekend we saw one of the most amazing Super 14 rugby games ever. The rugby was poor but the fact that there were 137 points in the Lions v Chiefs game meant there was certainly plenty of entertainment. {readmorelink}Read more{/readmorelink}

Most people will shrug off the match as just one of those things, but for those that had a bet on the handicap it was quite possibly either the worst night of their punting lives or their greatest escape of all time.

The bookmakers you see had the Chiefs 7.5 point favourites for the game and the overwhelming sentiment amongst my fellow punters was that the Chiefs would be too strong and win by 8 or more.

I was in a restaurant which fortunately had a TV and two of my mates, the Electrician and the Lawyer were watching with interest. They are part of a weekly handicap pool and had gone for the Chiefs. Early in the 2^nd half they were already looking ahead to the next match as the visitors ran riot.

I had gone for the Lions +7.5 and was taking some serious abuse at the table where words like “loser” were flowing even more freely than the beer.

The Lawyer smugly brought the spreadsheet up on his cell phone just to confirm that I had indeed gone for the home team. The pair chuckled as the Chiefs built up a 42 point lead and I know a few Lions backers who switched the TV off when with 10 minutes to go they still required 4 converted tries just to get within 8 points.

The mood at the table began to change as with 3 minutes to go and the Lions behind by 21 points I pointed out that 2 converted tries would see them home on the handicap. Seconds later the equation changed to 1 converted try needed and the Electrician let out a roar as the ball went dead after the hooter, only to groan when I pointed out the refs extended arm signaling a Lions penalty.

They duly crossed for their 9^th try and the conversion sealed the fate of Chiefs backers and my dinner companions. After 137 points the handicap was decided with the last kick of the game as the Lions lost by 7 and Chiefs backers were left to drink away the memory of the most unlikely loss.

This article was written for the CitiGaming supplement of the Citizen Newspaper and was first published on the 25^th of February 2010.

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and presents a sports betting radio show every Thursday night from 22h00 – 22h30 on 1485AM Radio Today or Channel 169 of the DSTV Audio Bouquet.

You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brentgraham or get on his mailing list by dropping him a line at brent@goodforthegame.co.za