Stormers hold off gutsy Lions

Stormers hold off gutsy Lions

24 Mar 2012

SIMON BORCHARDT reports on the Stormers’ unconvincing 24-19 win against the Lions at Ellis Park.

In the build-up to this game, much was made of the fact that the Lions had lost 11 first-choice players to injury. But their rookie replacements more than held their own against the SA conference champions, with scrumhalf Tian Meyer in particular looking like a Super Rugby veteran and the front row of Caylib Oosthuizen, Callie Visagie and Pat Cilliers – who had four Super Rugby caps between them coming into the match – achieving parity at scrum time, apart from one costly tighthead. The Lions dominated the breakdown, which wasn’t a surprise as the Stormers don’t have a recognised fetcher.

In the end, though, the Cape side was still too good on the night, racking up 18 points in the first quarter and then stepping up a gear at the end of the third to regain control of a match that was slipping away from them. But it was a far from convincing performance and the Bulls must be looking forward to their trip to Newlands next weekend.

The Stormers made the perfect start to the game when Bryan Habana tapped the ball back from the kick-off and nine phases later Tiaan Liebenberg crashed over for a try in his 50th Super Rugby match.

Fifteen minutes later, the Stormers won a tighthead and the ball went wide to Habana, who kicked ahead, raced past Warren Whiteley and dived on the ball just before it went dead for his 50th Super Rugby try. Joe Pietersen missed the conversion but slotted two penalties to make it 18-zip.

The Lions finally got on the board on the half-hour mark when a sustained attack on the Stormers’ line resulted in a try for Meyer. That gave the hosts a big boost and they began to dominate possession, taking the ball through 17 phases just before half-time, although they were unable to cross the whitewash.

The Lions’ fightback was evident by the fact that the Stormers had to make 55 tackles compared to their opponents’ 24 in the first half.

After 20 minutes of the second half that stat had blown out to 87-28 and the visitors’ lead had been cut to just two points after three penalties from Butch James.

But the Stormers raised their game in the final quarter and two penalties from Pietersen secured a win that takes them to the top of the combined Super Rugby standings.

The Lions did get a deserved bonus point when Andries Coetzee slotted a drop goal after the hooter, but they will be disappointed not to have got four.


445 Comments

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All

  • 1.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:03 pm

    RE-LOAD dragons

  • 2.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:03 pm

    GO STORMERS DRAGONS.

    Just do it.

  • 3.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:03 pm

    @Dawn(Dawn)-1:

    What’s a Bulls babe doing on a Stormers thread?

  • 4.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:05 pm

    SSTTTOOOOOORRRRMMMMMEEEEEERRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

  • 5.CoachPete: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:05 pm

    Stormers !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    By more than 14

  • 6.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:05 pm

    STORMERS JOU LEKKER DING!

  • 7.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:10 pm

    Beating you to the dragons, that’s what!

  • 8.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:11 pm

    Re-load!!!!!!

  • 9.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:13 pm

    Try in his 50 th!!!!

  • 10.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:13 pm

    Stormers starting off like a house on fire.

  • 11.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:14 pm

    YYEESSSSS

  • 12.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:15 pm

    Can one of Keo’s handlangers tell us what re-load is!

  • 13.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:17 pm

    Otherwise I will use it at will!

  • 14.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:17 pm

    The Lions propr cannot handle the Ginger bombshell

  • 15.CoachPete: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:18 pm

    @Dawn(Dawn)-12:
    When the forward momentum at a ruck has stopped then the players must re load from the back again when re entering and staying on their feet

  • 16.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:20 pm

    Thanks coach.

    So re-load is a Kaplan construct!

  • 17.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:20 pm

    Interesting. Many of the Bulls forwards were relying on their strength. Many Stormers forwards are relying on technique.

  • 18.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:21 pm

    Whatever.

    I own it now.

  • 19.CoachPete: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:21 pm

    @Dawn(Dawn)-16:
    Yes I believe so

  • 20.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:24 pm

    Etzebeth can re-load anytime.

  • 21.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:26 pm

    BRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

  • 22.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:26 pm

    Vat so!

  • 23.Robzim: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:27 pm

    Flying shoes

  • 24.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:27 pm

    The Stormers are playing Bulls type rugby. :D

  • 25.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:27 pm

    My boy is back!

  • 26.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:28 pm

    Give the kicking to Grant

  • 27.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:28 pm

    Fully re-loaded

  • 28.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:29 pm

    not a bad try for a vodacom cup player ne grant10

  • 29.namLion: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:30 pm

    two greatest weaknesses of the lions 1. cant defend against the up and under 2. always trying to run the ball from their 22.

  • 30.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:32 pm

    Moerse forward pass by Pietersen lol

  • 31.namLion: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:33 pm

    John Mitchell would love to RELOAD his entire squad

  • 32.CoachPete: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm

    @namLion(14261774)-29:
    Even their own up and unders (Butch James )

  • 33.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm

    Anyone who says Habana is playing rubbish obviously doesn’t know what they are talking about :-) Habana is fantastic.

  • 34.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:34 pm

    Lions need Elton.

  • 35.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:35 pm

    Defence looks good for Stormers

  • 36.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:36 pm

    Lions lineout is a shambles.

  • 37.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:36 pm

    Kolisi re-loaded!

  • 38.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:36 pm

    Juan driving the Lions backline back at will.

  • 39.saru1983: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:37 pm

    these little midget backs of the stormers can tackle :)

  • 40.Dawn: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:38 pm

    Etzebeth re-loaded!!!!

  • 41.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:39 pm

    Eben, control yourself boet…

  • 42.CoachPete: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:39 pm

    Ok Stormers kick for touch and maul it in
    These 3 pointers wont get us bonus points

  • 43.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:40 pm

    Ai Koster

  • 44.IAAS: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:40 pm

    The call are definitely favouring the Stormers right now. But they’re still dominant.

  • 45.namLion: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:43 pm

    @IAAS(I am a stormer)-44: agree

  • 46.Pee Wee: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:44 pm

    Try Lions

  • 47.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:45 pm

    Nicdely played Lions

  • 48.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:50 pm

    Duvenhage might as well have handed the scrum ball to Koster. It would have been ruled as scew in the olden days.

  • 49.Treehugger: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:51 pm

    Wonder where RedLion is, he has to be one of the most loyal and verbal Lions supporters through thick and thin.

  • 50.Michael: Reply to this comment
    24 Mar 2012, 19:51 pm

    Stormers making stupid mistakes

Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All

Keo.co.za has always promoted uncensored views, but has never tolerated racist or crass outbursts. Come on guys and girls. If you can't moderate yourselves or each other then I am going to be forced to regulate the posts and enforce a registration process for comments. The choice is yours.

Have your say

You must be logged in to post a comment.