Resurgent second half display helps Stormers beat Lions in URC clash

The Stormers delivered a resurgent second half display as their patched-up team rode the challenge of the Lions in this United Rugby Championship clash.

Trailing 22-10 at the break the visitors to Ellis Park rallied as they kept their hosts, who are yet to win at home this season, scoreless in their 31-22 victory.

It however took the much changed visiting team an interminable period to find their rhythm and range.

In fact, some of the Stormers' Europe-bound contingent with the national team appeared to have their passports in hand in the first half. Collectively however the visitors had the book thrown at them in that period for disregard of the law book.

The Lions raised the flags with five penalties before halftime, while on other occasions they got themselves out of a tight spot through relieving penalties.

The Cape side was pressed into eight changes and it showed before the break.

They however played with greater cohesion, application and urgency after the restart. They hit the rucks with greater ferocity, they applied more diligence in protecting their own ball at the breakdown and gradually players like Evan Roos, Nama Xaba and Marvin Orie found their voice.

Their backs started finding space that was less apparent in the first half helping the visitors set up camp inside the Lions' half in the third quarter.

Initially they did not take full toll when the going was good and only had a Sacha Mngomezulu try to show for their toil after the break.

They however found another gear as tries through Clayton Blommetjies and a back of the maul effort from Pokomela got them over the line.

In the first half Willem Alberts provided a lot of energy to the Lions' engine room, Sanele Nohamba was on point with most of his activities behind the pack, while Jordan Hendrikse and Andries Coetzee provided vast distance with the boot.

The Stormers then looked like a team that was ill prepared to seize the moment.

Hendrikse's swinging arm tackle in the 22nd minute on Paul de Wet earned the Lions' flyhalf a yellow card.

It presented Manie Libbok the opportunity to hand the visitors the lead and he obliged off the kicking tee.

In the time Hendrikse was banished the Lions in fact added two penalties to their tally thanks to Nohamba while the Stormers only benefited from the swinging arm infraction.

The Lions however could not sustain their effort and looked more like they were the  team suffering the effects of long-distance travel.

Both teams lacked authority at the line-out and were rarely able to use it as platform from which to launch. There wasn't much in it at scrum time but the Lions crucially won battles on the deck when they were on the back foot.

Though the Lions made most of the early running and registered points via two Hendrikse penalties, the Stormers scored a converted try when they launched their first serious attack.

Angelo Davids barged over in the right hand corner next to the main stand to serve notice that the Cape side had lost none of their potency in attack.

On their visits to Ellis Park the Stormers tend to get over the line with much less fuss than their hosts.

It was a point they underlined in the second half as they condemned the Lions to another home defeat.

Scorers

Lions (22) — Try: Henco van Wyk. Conversion: Jordan Hendrikse. Penalties: Hendrikse (3), Sanele Nohamba (2).

Stormers (31) — Tries: Angelo Davids, Sacha Mngomezulu, Clayton Blommetjies,Nama Xaba. Conversions: Manie Libbok (4). Penalty: Libbok.

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