Following the Stormers’ 34-27 triumph over the Lions in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the thrilling action.
The top line
The Stormers came into this encounter with their tails up as they have won all six of their previous URC matches as well as back-to-back encounters in the Investec Champions Cup.
They made a poor start in this clash, however, as the Lions were fastest out of the blocks when Ruan Venter crossed for an early converted try before Chris Smith gave them a 10-0 lead via a penalty midway through the half.
The Stormers needed a response and that came when rookie flyer Dylan Maart dotted down in the 27th minute, with Jurie Matthee adding the extras, before the hosts’ fly-half landed a penalty in the 38th minute to level the scores at 10-10.
However, the Lions finished the half stronger as Venter went over for his second converted try on the stroke of half-time which meant the visitors led 17-10 at the break.
There was big news at half-time when it was announced at the stadium that Springboks playmaker Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who was out of action with a groin injury, had signed a contract extension with the Stormers until 2029 and after that it became a good day for the home side as their fortunes improved during the rest of this fixture.
The Stormers made a bright start to the second half when two minutes after the restart Wandisile Simelane went over for their second try and another five-pointer from Paul de Villiers 10 minutes later meant they held a 24-17 lead before Smith narrowed the gap with a three-pointer off the kicking tee in the 57th minute.
Evan Roos then crossed the whitewash in the 64th minute before the Lions struck back via a Kelly Mpeku try five minutes later which set up a tense finish.
Although the Lions spent some time in the Stormers’ half during that period, they made some crucial errors while chasing the game and the hosts held on for the win which means they consolidate their position at the top of the URC table.
Lions’ first half dominance not good enough
The visitors came out firing in the first half and raced into that 10-0 lead by the 20th minute and, if truth be told, they deserved to be in front as they were the better team at that stage.
The men from Johannesburg dominated most facets of play with their forwards laying a solid platform for their backs and they had the bulk of the possession and most of the match was played in the Stormers’ half.
Although the Stormers bounced back in the latter part of the opening stanza, the Lions would finish stronger when Venter crossed for his second five-pointer just before half-time.
However, that first half dominance was not enough as the home side got their act together after the interval and took control of proceedings during the second half.
The Stormers’ first half performance left a lot to be desired but it was a different story in the second half as they took the fight to the Lions who battled to contain them.
Although they continued to fight, they could not match the URC’s table-toppers and the visitors will regret not scoring more points when they were the dominant side in the opening half.
Paul de Villiers continues to shine
The Stormers have made a fantastic start to the competition and although stars like Roos, Cobus Reinach and Warrick Gelant have impressed in their run to the top of the table, there has also been some inexperienced players who have also done well.
One of those is young tearaway Paul de Villiers, who has delivered several excellent performances for the Cape Town-based outfit in the URC and Investec Champions Cup.
Today was no different as the 22-year-old was in the thick of the action from the outset and although the Stormers were on the back foot for most of the opening half, he gave a good account of himself during that period.
De Villiers continued to impress after the interval and showed why he has been one of the men from the Cape’s best players this year as he upped the ante on attack and was rewarded with a well-taken try in the 53rd minute.
He also had a high work-rate on defence, competed ferociously at the breakdown and at the end of the game his efforts were rewarded with the player of the match award.
Ruan Venter leads the way for the visitors
The Lions blindside flanker was another contender for the player of the match award as he came to the fore with an outstanding all-round performance.
The one-Test Springbok hit the ground running when he took advantage of a Stormers error from the kick-off and crossed for this encounter’s opening try as early as the first minute.
Venter brought plenty of physicality and toughness to the Lions cause as he tested the Stormers’ defence with his direct approach and his excellent ball-carrying ability gave his side good momentum, especially at close quarters.
His efforts were rewarded with another try just before half-time while he also proved a valuable source of possession for the Lions in the lineout.
Although he was not as influential in the second half, he can proud of his performance and was unlucky to finish on the losing side.
Stormers’ Bomb Squad does the job
The Stormers’ performance during the opening half of this encounter was arguably the worst 40 minutes which they have delivered so far this season.
John Dobson’s charges battled to get going as they made a plethora of unforced errors, especially in the forward battle, where they came off second best to their opponents in most exchanges.
Although they scored early in the second half, it did not take long for Dobson to make changes to his pack as in the 47th minute he brought on six forwards with Lukhanyo Vokozela, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Sazi Sandi, Adré Smith, JD Schickerling and Ben-Jason Dixon coming on to replace Andre-Hugo Venter, Vernon Matongo, Neethling Fouché, Salmaan Moerat, Ruben van Heerden and Marcel Theunissen respectively.
Those players’ impact was imminent as soon after they entered the fray it was the Stormers who were the dominant side as their new forwards laid an excellent platform for their backs.
They brought plenty of stability in the forward exchanges as they soon won some scrum penalties and also put in a big effort in the rucks and mauls where they held an edge during the rest of the match.
While the Lions did not just roll over and surrender, the decision to make all those changes proved a masterstroke from Dobson as his Bomb Squad ultimately saved the day for the Stormers.
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