Stormers stay unbeaten

Second-half fightback in vain as Lions settle for losing bonus

Last updated: 24th March 2012  

Stormers stay unbeaten

Made to work: Stormers hold off hungry Lions to remain unbeaten

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The Stormers maintained their unbeaten start to the season by repelling a Lions fightback to secure a 24-19 victory in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The win takes the men from Cape Town top of the overall standings and remain the only team in the competition undefeated.

In a tale of two halves, the Stormers raced to an 18-0 lead thanks to two well-taken tries to hooker Tiaan Liebenberg (playing in his 50th Super Rugby game) and wing Bryan Habana (scoring his 50th Super Rugby try).

Full-back Joe Pietersen was on target from the tee, contributing a conversion as well as two penalties and it looked like the Lions were in for a long day at the office.

However, John Mitchell's pride weren't prepared to roll over so easily and started to find their rhythm in the second quarter of the match as Butch James converted a Tian Meyer try to take his team into the break 18-7 down.

The Lions continued to claw their way back in the second 40 with James's boot cutting the Stormers lead down to just two points (18-16) before the visitors pulled away in the last few minutes of the match with another two more penalties from Pieterson.

The Lions, who dominated all the territory and possession for 60 minutes of the match, did manage to bag themselves a consolation losing bonus point thanks to a drop-goal by wing Andries Coetzee on full-time.

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