Tame Lions subdued by Stormers

The Stormers managed to convincingly beat an error-ridden Lions side 30-8 on Saturday in Newlands. The win keeps the Cape Town side’s faint Super 14 semi-final hopes alive.

The Stormers took their opportunities, with Peter Grant and De Wet Barry both cutting the Lions’ defensive lines at crucial times. A late Naas Olivier try sealed the match for the home side but the Lions can blame only themselves after a vastly inadequate performance.

From the start it was fast and furious. There was lots of eager, sometimes frantic endeavour. But not a lot happened. Both sides, it seemed were too desperate, too tense, overeager. Perhaps it was all about local derby. Perhaps that is what made the hands so hard and the handling so erratic. Even players whose handling is impeccable found it hard to pass and catch.

But then a lot of the stop-start nature of the match had to do with the deadly, first-time tackling, a certain barometer of grim intent. In the same spirit of determination every tackle/ruck was a clash. It was not a soft match.

It was also a match that the Stormers deserved to win and their hugging glee at the final whistle spoke of what this victory meant to them – regardless of their future in the Super 14.

On one occasion De Wet Barry produced a wonderful long break and raced down the midfield with not a team-mate in sight. Perhaps they, too, were astounded. Then with a try looking certain he hurled a long pass to his right – into touch!

The Lions had their early moment as well when the Lions won a turnover off Luke Watson and stately Jaque Fourie cut through and kicked ahead but Conrad Jantjes saved.

Grant got the scoring going with the simplest of penalty kicks when the Lions’ backs were off-side but a minute later Andr’ Pretorius levelled the scores when Watson was penalised at a tackle.

The match went on hither and thither and then Grant kicked a second penalty.

The Stormers battered at the Lions’ line and then Grant made scoring a try looked such a simple operation as he ran at the line and, when tackled, placed the ball over the line. He converted and now there was light between the two teams that was not extinguished. That made the half-time score 13-3.

That was the half-time score.

The Stormers came within centimetres of scoring when Andries Bekker stretched out the line and as he reached to ground the ball Jaco van Schalkwyk knocked the ball from his grasp.

From a five-metre scrum De Wet Barry made scoring look even simpler than Grant had done. Grant ran at a slight angle going left and Barry came in close to take the short give from him and score under the bar. 20-3.

The Lions’ only try was a gem. Earl Rose counterattacked from within his 22 and Van Schalkwyk dashed down the left before giving to Fourie who stretched his long legs down the touch-line for a try in the corner. 20-8 with 21 minutes to play.

Brent Russell came on at fullback and celebrated the occasion with a characteristic dart down the right and Breyton Paulse was stopped at the Lions’ line.

Grant kicked a penalty goal, but then the Lions attacked. The tried a scrum in the place of a penalty and then a line-out but they overthrew the line-out and in a flash Russell was racing down the right till Schalk Burger grounded the ball in the corner only for the TMO to advise that he was out before scoring. The Stormers carried on attacking. Joe van Niekerk ran powerfully from a scrum and then they went from far right to far left and Burger popped a pass to Naas Olivier who surfed over in the left corner. Grant converted from touch, the final whistle went and there was lots of glee.

Given their wonky season, the Stormers were glad of the win but a more ambitious side would have wondered how they let a bonus point slip with at least four golden chances flung away.

Man of the Match: Nobody did more on attack and defence with boundless energy and absolute concentration and determination that Schalk Burger

The scorers:

For the Stormers:
Tries: Grant, Barry, Olivier
Cons: Grant 3
Pens: Grant 3

For the Lions:
Tries: Fourie
Cons:
Pens: Pretorius

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Corn’ Uys, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Bolla Conradie, 8 Justin Melck, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Luke Watson, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Gerrie Britz, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 JD Moller
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Brent Russell

Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Doppies La Grange, 11 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 10 Andr’ Pretorius (c), 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Ernst Joubert, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Cobus Grobler, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Heinke van der Merwe
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Bertus Smit, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Enrico Januarie, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 Wylie Human

Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Paul Honiss (New Zealand), Jonathan Kaplan
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Arrie Schoonwinkel (South Africa)
The scorers:

For the Stormers:
Tries: Grant, Barry, Olivier
Cons: Grant 3
Pens: Grant 3

For the Lions:
Tries: Fourie
Cons:
Pens: Pretorius

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Breyton Paulse, 13 Jean de Villiers, 12 De Wet Barry, 11 Corn’ Uys, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Bolla Conradie, 8 Justin Melck, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Luke Watson, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Gerrie Britz, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 JD Moller
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Schalk Ferreira, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Joe van Niekerk, 20 JP Joubert, 21 Naas Olivier, 22 Brent Russell

Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Doppies La Grange, 11 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 10 Andr’ Pretorius (c), 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Jacques Cronje, 7 Ernst Joubert, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar, 5 Anton van Zyl, 4 Cobus Grobler, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Ethienne Reynecke, 1 Heinke van der Merwe
Replacements: 16 Willie Wepener, 17 Bertus Smit, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Willem Alberts, 20 Enrico Januarie, 21 Louis Strydom, 22 Wylie Human

Referee: Bryce Lawrence (New Zealand)
Touch judges: Paul Honiss (New Zealand), Jonathan Kaplan
Television match official: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)
Assessor: Arrie Schoonwinkel (South Africa)