Madosh Tambwe scored four tries as the Lions claimed a resounding 52-31 win over the Stormers in Johannesburg on Saturday. CRAIG LEWIS reports.
Coming into this clash, there were serious question marks that arose about the Lions’ campaign credentials following recent defeats to the Crusaders, Jaguares and Blues. As it turned out, the 2016 and 2017 runners-up provided an answer in the most emphatic answer.
This was the Lions at their effervescent best as they scored eight tries to three in an irrepressible performance that saw them re-establish their dominance in the South African standings (they are now 11 points clear at the summit of the local standings). It was also their 18th successive win over SA opposition.
While the Lions looked like a team with plenty to prove, the Stormers – by contrast – clearly appeared to be a fatigued side after eight games on the trot. The fact that they now head into a bye will provide little solace.
The first 15 minutes of this encounter proved to be one of the most remarkable opening exchanges of the season to date, with Tambwe wrapping up a hat-trick of tries and sending the Lions into a commanding 19-0 lead that had the Ellis Park crowd in raptures.
Tambwe’s opening try came after just 54 seconds after he cut through the Stormers’ defence, while the winger added a second in the ninth minute before he then latched onto a superb cross kick from Andries Coetzee to go over again just moments later.
It was a storming start from the Lions that saw them play with the type of confidence and enterprise that has deserted them in recent weeks, but which has been such a hallmark of their play on the way to back-to-back finals over the last two seasons.
On the quarter-hour mark, the Stormers would have known they needed to score next in order to have any say in this contest, and they did just that when Wilco Louw barged over in the 21st minute.
However, the Stormers’ attempts to establish some momentum on attack were repeatedly quelled by the work of the Lions at the breakdown, with Malcolm Marx winning two crucial turnovers, before Kwagga Smith also joined the party.
It was from the turnover won by Smith that the Lions also launched a typically lethal counter-attack, with Lionel Mapoe darting away for a try that sent the hosts into a commanding 24-7 lead in the 26th minute.
In the context of that scoreline, there was a crucial moment just before the break when Jano Vermaak looked to have scored for the Stormers, but a knock-on from EW Viljoen was correctly identified in the build up.
From that infringement, the Lions won a scrum penalty and set up one last attack in the Stormers’ half, with the movement finally ending with a superb try by Smith, which helped the hosts establish an unassailable 31-10 advantage at the break.
It was quite a remarkable lead when one considers that the Sanzaar stats from the first half showed that the Stormers h, in fact,ct enjoyed 73 percent of possession, while making 85 carries to 36, beating 27 defenders to 14 and making 114 passes to 33.
The key difference proved to be the seven turnovers won by the Lions, while they continued to make the Stormers pay for their poor lineout and exit play, and it was from a loose kick upfield that another ruthless counter attack culminated in a try to Franco Mostert soon after the restart.
The result was then well and truly sealed when a beautiful cross kick from Elton Jantjies found Tambwe in space again, with the winger going over unopposed for his fourth try.
The Stormers did show some fight as Damian Willemse and Paul de Wet scored in the final quarter, while the Lions also conceded a penalty try, but it could not detract from the emphatic nature of the hosts’ victory.
Lions – Tries: Madosh Tambwe (4), Lionel Mapoe, Kwagga Smith, Franco Mostert, Ruan Combrinck. Conversions: Elton Jantjies (6).
Stormers – Tries: Wilco Louw, Damian Willemse, Paul de Wet, penalty try. Conversions: SP Marais (2), Willemse. Penalty: Marais.
Lions – 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Ruan Combrinck, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Madosh Tambwe, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Dillon Smit, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Kwagga Smith, 5 Franco Mostert (c), 4 Marvin Orie, 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Dylan Smith.
Subs: 16 Corné Fourie, 17 Jacques van Rooyen, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Lourens Erasmus, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Marco Jansen van Vuren, 22 Howard Mnisi, 23 Sylvian Mahuza.
Stormers – 15 SP Marais, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian De Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (c), 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Jan de Klerk, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Ramone Samuels, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Subs: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Carlu Sadie, 19 Kobus van Dyk, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Jaco Coetzee, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Craig Barry.
Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
