Lions 13 (6) vs Stormers 26 (26)

Stormers edge out Lions


Fullback and man-of-the-match Joe Pietersen scored 21 points for his team as the Stormers kicked off their Super 14 campaign with a 26-13 away win over the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

The Stormers did enough in the first half against an inexperienced Lions side to secure the victory but were prevented from scoring any points after the break.

The Lions will be worried about their start in the first half, they were nowhere and spent most of the half pinned down in their own 22 meter area, and also kept the pressure on themselves by conceding far too many penalties.

With the score 12-6 for the Stormers after about 35 minutes the visitors sealed the match with two quick tries just before half time.

First winger Habana broke through in midfield before passing to an unmarked Pietersen to dot down on the left, and then sloppy tackling by the Lions let Jaque Fourie through for his try only minutes later to set up a 20-point halftime lead for the visitors.

The Lions made four changes after the break and the new combinations not only kept the Stormers scoreless but cut the deficit to 13 points when replacement Fullback Michael Killian scored under the posts after taking a pass from Franco van der Merwe and Rose kicking the conversion.

Pietersen missed two kicks in the final 10 minutes that could have made it a more crushing victory for the visitors.

The Lions have much to think about before selecting their team for next Friday's match against last year's finalists the Chiefs.

The scorers: