Stormers flank Paul de Villiers is powered over the line for a try by the ‘bomb squad’ in their URC derby against the Lions in Cape Town on Saturday. Picture: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images The Stormers ‘bomb squad’ made a major impact to help them fight back from a halftime deficit to clinch an entertaining 34-27 bonus point win over the Lions in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon. After trailing 17-10 at the break, and with the scores level 17-all early in the second half,the Stormerssent all six of their forward replacements on in the 46thminute, and they firmly turned the tide in their favour, although the Lions stayed in the game until the end.
The result sees the Stormersfinish 2025 unbeaten, since the season kicked off in September, with them having won seven straight URC matches, and two in the Champions Cup, for a perfect start to the season, while the Lions have been up and down with three wins against six defeats. The first half of the match was completely dominated bythe Lions, but they only went into the break with a seven-point lead, thanks to tries at the start and end of the half. Straight from the kick-off Stormers eighthman Evan Roos dropped the ball, allowing the Lions to attack in their 22m, with the ball going through the hands before hooker PJ Botha got the chicken wing offload to loose forward Ruan Venter to power over for the score.
Flyhalf Chris Smith knocked over conversion, and added an 18thminute penalty to put the visitors 10-0 after the first quarter. Against the run of play the Stormers then hit back in the 26thminute, as a great long ball out wide from fullback Warrick Gelant allowed flank Paul de Villiers to break and pass to wing Dylan Maart, who outstripped the defence to get them on the board. Flyhalf Jurie Matthee added the extras, and then slotted a penalty in the 37thminute to draw the scores level with a few minutes to the break.
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On the stroke of halftime the Lions received a kickable penalty, but chose to go for the corner and that paid off, as their maul was stopped, but Venter was on hand to bash his way over for the converted score to give his side a very well-deserved lead. At the start of the second half the Stormers received a huge stroke of luck to draw level, after a good kick from fullback Quan Horn had a disastrous bounce, back over the Lions chasers into the hands of scrumhalf Cobus Reinach who broke away, passed to wing Leolin Zas, who then found outside centre Wandisile Simelane to score and level things up. The Stormers ‘bomb squad’ then arrived and made an immediate impact as in the 53rdminute they setup a lineup in the Lions 22m and powered the resulting maul over, with De Villiers dotting down and Matthee converting for a 24-17 lead.
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