The Stormers wrapped up their first New Year’s Eve Vodacom United Rugby Championship match in Cape Town with a bonus-point win over the Lions on Saturday night.
Leading 19-3 at half-time, the URC champions finished 2022 unbeaten at the Cape Town Stadium after they ran in six tries – two from right wing Angelo Davids – in a 40-8 victory.
Veteran ballhawk Deon Fourie was huge at the breakdown for the Capetonians, while Man of the Match No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani was dynamic with ball in hand, as the Stormers’ ability to reorganize in defense suffocated the Lions in attack.
Stormers fullback Damian Willemse, taking the ball in the first receiver, cut the line after nine attacking phases to try to open, before Fourie rose with the ball in hand through the whitewash from the back of the textbook lineout maul.
The hosts boasted a 16-point lead at half-time after outside center Dan du Plessis crossed to the point down near the uprights after a sniping run from scrumhalf Paul de Wet. Flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse got the only points of the first half for the Lions from the tee, with opposite number Manie Libbok on song with two of his five conversions in the match.
The Lions drew first blood after the break when outside center Henco van Wyk finished off a clever trick in the corner from the visitors, but the Stormers came back through Davids, who dropped down for a bonus-point try courtesy of an electrifying breakaway. from Dayimani.
Libbok added the extras to make it 26-8 going into the final quarter, as substitute midfielder Morne van den Berg for the Joburg man midway through the second stanza was disallowed by the TMO for a knock on from forward Emmanuel Tshituka. in the buildup.
The Stormers, though, were on the right side of another TMO review after Davids and Dayimani combined again out wide for the former’s second, with replacement flanker Marcel Theunissen soaring over at the death to ring in the new year in style.
The Stormers will now turn their attention back to their trip to Scotland to face Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium next Sunday, while the Lions turn their attention to their clash with Munster in Limerick on Saturday night.
Goal scorer
Stormers: Try it – Damian Willemse, Deon Fourie, Dan du Plessis, Angelo Davids (2), Marcel Theunissen. conversion – Manie Libbok (5).
lion: Try- Henco van Wyk. Punishment – Jordan Hendricks