Stormers 57
Lions 40
Cape Town - Offloads are a wonderful thing and when executed properly there are few things in rugby that are more beautiful than a perfectly timed, accurate and opportunity-creating offload.
And although Stormers coach Robbie Fleck has spoken a lot about the importance they have placed on their skills development since Kiwi skills coach Paul Feeney joined the union late last year, things didn’t look too great in that department on Saturday (in the first half, that is).
Maybe the Stormers were nervous, maybe they were anxious, but one thing was evident - they were just too hasty to get the ball away and this resulted in awful 50-50 passes and even an intercept by Lions outside centre Howard Mnisi that led to a try by wing Madosh Tambwe.
They also struggled to hold onto the ball in the tackle, which saw their momentum being halted in the opposition 22 a number of times, and their support play wasn’t always on point.
But the Cape side got their act together in a proper way in the second 40 at Newlands to secure a massive 57-40 victory over a full-strength Lions side and end their pre-season campaign on a superb note.
In the second half, the Stormers hit back with a much-improved performance.
They counter-attacked and they showed some appreciation for the ball, but probably the most impressive thing was how they used the driving maul to great effect.
And their individual performances also went up a level.
Loose forward Nizaam Carr was one of the standouts and produced a few breaks and strong runs to get over the gain line in both the second and first half, while Springbok hooker Bongi Mbonambi had a busy afternoon as he crashed over the try-line no fewer than three times.
In the early stages of the game, the Stormers pinned the Lions down in their half for a good few minutes, but the Lions struck first after a clearance kick by
flyhalf and captain-for-the-day Elton Jantjies got them out of their red zone.
Tambwe got the first try of the match for Johan Ackermann’s team after enjoying a relatively unchallenged run to the whitewash. Mnisi capitalised on a fumbled Stormers pass and switched the ball to Tambwe, who finished things off before Jantjies converted (7-0).
The Lions struck again a few minutes later after turning over possession from an attacking Stormers line-out on the five which led to a try by powerful hooker Malcom Marx (14-0). The Stormers finally got a chance to get onto the scoresheet when lock Chris van Zyl went over for the Cape side’s first try. Flyhalf Robert du Preez converted to take the score to 14-7.
The Stormers were granted another chance to get out of their red zone after a knock-on by powerhouse Lions centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg, but the Lions turned it over and beautifully switched the direction of play to put an unmarked Tambwe over for his second try (21-7). Shortly before half-time, the Stormers managed to narrow the gap when inside centre Dan du Plessis ran a stunning line to dot down, and Du Preez converted the try to take the Stormers to 21-14. A Siya Kolisi made it level at the break.
Both teams got off to a firing start after the break, and this time the Stormers were first to visit the in-goal area when Mbonambi powered through a pack of Lions bodies to score his first try. It all started when the men in blue and white took down Jantjies, who was trying to gather a kick, just short of the Lions’ five-metre line and stayed in control at the resulting ruck to get the try. Replacement flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis converted for a 28-21 Stormers lead.
And a few minutes later, Jean-Luc created that magic that he so often showed last year with a beautiful, quick break before punting the ball downfield. Fleck’s men then quickly recycled the ball at the breakdown, before Mbonambi crashed over for his second try of the match (33-21).
Mbonambi got his third try when the Stormers made use of a solid driving maul to get over the line, before the Lions ran in tries by hooker Akker van der Merwe and flanker Ruan Ackermann to cut the Stormers’ lead (40-33).
But the hosts notched two more tries through Cobus Wiese and replacement loose forward Sikhumbuzo Notshe (52-33) in the last quarter of the game, and the Lions bagged a consolation try by Corne Fourie (52-40).
And just as we (and the Lions, probably) thought the game was over, Stormers replacement scrumhalf Jano Vermaak made the victory even sweeter for the Stormers with a try on the siren.
They say it’s not how you start, but how you finish. And although the Stormers turned their first-half performances around in a great way on Saturday, let’s hope that they don’t wait for the second half this season to play the way they did in front of a scanty Newlands crowd.
Stormers: Tries:
Chris van Zyl, Dan du Plessis, Siya Kolisi, Nizaam Carr, Bongi Mbonambi (2), Cobus Wiese, Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Jaco Vermaak Conversions:Robert du Preez (3), Jean-Luc du Plessis (3) Yellow cards: Carr
Lions: Tries:
Madosh Tambwe (2), Malcolm Marx, Armand van der Merwe, Ruan Ackermann, Corne Fourie Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3), Andries Coetzee (2)