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Stormers score after the siren to profit from Lions' lack of closing

By Online Editors
Jean-Luc du Plessis. (Photo by Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

A last-gasp try by centre Ruhan Nel helped the Stormers edge the Lions 33-30 in a thrilling encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday.

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The result means the Stormers are still unbeaten in this year’s competition with three wins from three matches.

It was a dramatic finish to the game. After the full-time hooter sounded and with Lions leading 30-26, the Stormers launched one final attack from halfway and after several phases, it was Nel who ran in for the winning score.

It was the Stormers’ first win in Johannesburg since 2015

The Stormers nearly opened the scoring in the second minute when Seabelo Senatla kicked and gathered a loose ball before being tackled a few metres from the Lions’ tryline.

Continue reading below…

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Instead, it was the Lions who got the first points of the game in the eighth minute with Elton Jantjies converting a penalty into three points.

However, the Stormers found themselves on the board and in front in the 12th minute when No.8 Juarno Augustus stretched the ball over the tryline after sustained pressure inside the Lions’ 22.

Damian Willemse was successful with the conversion for a four-point lead.

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The Stormers went further in front in the 20th minute after scrumhalf intercepted a pass near halfway before sprinting downfield for the try.

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The Cape side then conceded their first try of the season when Lions fullback Andries Coetzee went over for the score after a great offload by Len Massyn in the tackle near the corner flag.

With momentum on their side and camped in the Stormers’ 22, the Lions went in front in the 30th minute after wing Courtnall Skosan collected a neat kick-pass from Jantjies to run in for his team’s second try.

Jantjies added the extra two points with the conversion for a three-point lead.

Willemse converted a scrum penalty into three points to level the scores in the 37th minute before adding another three points just before the break to give his team an 18-15 lead at half-time.

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It was a dream start for the Stormers in the second half after some great interplay out wide saw Sergeal Petersen run into space to score his team’s third try of the game.

Willemse then made it an 11-point ball game when he converted a penalty in the 48th minute.

The next 20 minutes was a bit of an arm-wrestle before the Lions finally hit back in the 68th when Jantjies ran through a big hole in the Stormers defence to score a try. He converted the try to close the gap to just four points with 10 minutes left on the clock.

The Lions started to run the Stormers ragged out wide and they were in front in the 73rd minute after Dan Kriel sprinted in for a try against his former team.

Jantjies missed the conversion, but the Lions were shortly awarded a penalty on halfway which gave the Lions the opportunity to wind the game down with just minutes to spare.

The Lions decided a shot at goal was the best way to close the match out, which Jantjies then expertly slotted from the 50-metre line.

The Stormers went wide from the kick-off and eventually lost the ball over the sideline, which again handed the Lions the ball. The Lions once again failed to shut the Stormers out, however, and promptly conceded possession from the ensuing maul.

With time up on the clock, the Stormers had one more play in them to snatch a late win. The ball was kept alive inside the Lions’ half for several phases and after some great interplay, the home side’s defence finally cracked with Petersen offloading the ball to Ruhan Nel to sprint in for the winning score.

– with Rugby365

Michael Fatialofa has released footage of his landmark first steps following spinal injury:

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J
Jon 22 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

31 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 4 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 7 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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