STORMERS TURN IT AROUND TO EDGE LIONS IN URC DERBY THRILLER
In a dramatic United Rugby Championship derby at DHL Stadium on Saturday, the Stormers staged a stirring second-half comeback to defeat the Lions 34-27, keeping their unbeaten start to the season firmly intact.
It was a tale of two halves and one huge bench as Cape Town’s men fought back from a first-half deficit to claim a crucial bonus-point victory.
The Lions came out the quicker side and struck an early blow after an early misfortune for the hosts. The Stormers fumbled a restart, and Lions flanker Ruan Venter capitalised to crash over for the opening try inside the first minute.
Chris Smith extended their lead with a penalty before the Stormers finally got on the board through a flashy score from Dylan Maart late in the first half. At the break, Johannesburg’s men led 17-10, having outworked the Stormers in both territory and tempo.
But nothing was going to stop the Stormers’ famed “bomb squad”. With that fresh artillery on the park after halftime, the hosts flipped the script.
A freakish bounce off the surface helped spark a score for Wandisile Simelane early in the second stanza to level the scores, and from there the momentum swung firmly in Cape Town’s favour.
Strong forward carries and a relentless driving maul led to tries from Paul de Villiers and Evan Roos, swinging the scoreboard to 34-20 before the Lions rallied late.
The Stormers now finish the year unbeaten and sit atop the URC standings with momentum firmly in their corner, while the Lions look ahead to another tough derby challenge when they return after the festive break.
Image credit: The Citizen