The DHL Stormers bounced back from two successive defeats in the Investec Champions Cup, beating the Emirates Lions 29-10 in a Round 8 match of the United Rugby Championship.
Following a frantic first ten minutes of the match with both teams preferring to keep the ball in hand, a penalty was awarded to the Stormers following a "high tackle" on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu Manie. Libbok kicked it into the corner, from which Joseph Dweba scored off the back of a line-out maul. Libbok missed the conversion.
The first twenty minutes of the match were dominated by the Stormers. The Stormers led the possessional stats with 67% and the territorial stats with 74% at that stage. The dedicated and structured defence by the visitors stopped several scoring opportunities by the Stormers.
With the Stormers on the attack, Ruben Schoeman was shown a red card when he cleaned Manie Libbok out in a dangerous manner.
The Stormers set up camp in the Lions' red zone for several minutes before a Manie Libbok kick-pass found the safe hands of Suleiman Hartzenberg to score in the corner. Libbok missed his second conversion in a row. The Stormers led 10-00 after twenty-five minutes of play in the first half.
With six minutes to play, the Lions conceded their eighth penalty, which Manie Libbok kicked into the corner. Joseph Dweba scored his second try of the day off the back of the resulting lineout-mall. Libbok missed the conversion. The Stormers led 15-00 which was the halftime score.
The Emirates Lions were their own worst enemy in the first half, with a red card and seven other penalties conceded.
An aimless kick by Gelant gave the ball to the Lions on a tray. Edwill van der Merwe attacked from within his own half, chipped the ball over a few defenders to reclaim the ball and scored in the corner after just three minutes in the second half. Francis missed the conversion.
Manie Rass was shown a yellow, reducing the Lions to thirteen players after just six minutes of play in the second half.
The Stormers attacked from the Rass penalty and soft hands by Gelant put Leolin Zas in a gap to score the Stormers' bonus point try. Libbok converted to extend the Stormers' lead to 22-05 after seven minutes of play in the second half.
The Lions started to get their hands on quality attacking ball in the final quarter. A penalty against the Stormers set up a lineout five meters inside the Twenty-two of the Stormers. The Lions attacked with a short throwin which put Franco Marais in the gap to bulldoze his way to the Lions' second try of the match. Nohamba failed to convert.
With five minutes still to play the Stormers launched an all-out attack from within their own half. Fifty meters later Neethling Fouché received the final pass to run fifteen meters for the hosts' fifth try and to secure a 29-10 bonus point win.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers: Tries: Joseph Dweba (2), Suleiman Hartzenberg, Leolin Zas, Neethling Fouché. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2).
Emirates Lions: Tries: Edwill van der Merwe, Franco Marais.
Teams
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Neethling Fouché, 19 Adré Smith, 20 Willie Engelbrecht, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Jean-Luc du Plessis.
Emirates Lions: 15 Tapiwa Mafura, 14 Rabz Maxwane, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Marius Louw (c), 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Sam Francis, 9 Morné van den Berg, 8 Francke Horn, 7 WJ Steenkamp, 6 Jarod Cairns, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Juan Schoeman. Replacements: 16 Franco Marais, 17 Morgan Naudé, 18 Conraad van Vuuren, 19 Raynard Roets, 20 Izan Esterhuizen, 21 JC Pretorius, 22 Sanele Nohamba, 23 Manny Rass.