Five league points banked for the unbeaten Stormers and that’s the Christmas gift they gave themselves at the DHL Stadium on Saturday.
For the Lions, there was the consolation of a league point and hope that 2026 is the year in which they turn brave defeats into regular five-point wins.
The Stormers won 34-27 after the Lions lead 17-10 at halftime.
The table-topping Stormers, six from six pre-kick-off on Saturday afternoon in the URC, are now unbeaten in nine successive matches, given the back-to-back wins in the Investec Champions Cup.
But, for the opening 15 minutes, they looked like a team that had not won a game this season. They lost the opening kick-off receive into the sun and conceded a seven pointer within 49 seconds.
This was the Stormers first match back at the DHL Stadium since October, but in that opening quarter they played as if they’d never been to the DHL Stadium.
The hosts were missing in action and the visiting Lions were very much ready for action.
All credit to the visitors who played the more intelligent and calm rugby in the opening half-hour, led 10-0 nil within that period and deservedly changed ends in the lead.
Chris Smith, the former SACS and Maties No 10, relished his return to Cape Town and he was controlled and accurate in his play and goalkicking. His pack was disciplined, despite losing key players to injury, and flanker Ruan Venter was present in everything that was good for the Lions.
The Stormers, frantic and feeble for too much of the first half, know how to produce the fantastic and such was the nature of the match and the Stormers season that just when there should have been doubts, there was jubilation.
Two quick-fire tries, the unerring boot of flyhalf Jurie Matthee and the scoreboard read 34-20 with 15 minutes to play.
The bonus point had been secured, the power bench, all six of the forwards introduced on 44 minutes, in full flow, had changed the dynamic of the match.
The Lions, at this juncture, would have felt they deserved more, and true to their spirit and competitive attitude, they played themselves back into the match to trail 34-27 with seven minutes to play.
Then they threatened to share the spoils in a tense final three minutes that was a betrayal of the preceding 77 minutes, when both teams were guilty of charitable mistakes that lead to tries.
Champion teams stand up in the big moments and for all the inaccuracy of the Stormers for so much of the match, when the big moment demanded a response, they delivered to end the year with 32 from a possible 35 league points, and top of the table.
Scorers
Stormers
Tries: Dylan Maart, Simelane Wandisile, Paul de Villiers and Evan Roos.
Conversions: Jurie Matthee (4)
Penalties: Matthee (2).
Lions
Tries: Ruan Venter (2) and Kelly Mpeku.
Conversions: Chris Smith (3)
Penalties: Smith (2)
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