B&I Lions brush Stormers aside in Cape Town
MATCH REPORT: The British and Irish Lions ran in seven tries on their way to a 49-3 win over the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.
The home side started well and were full value in the early stages.
Both sides grew into the contest which quickly developed into an all-action encounter. While there was line breaks being made by both teams, neither side was able to break the deadlock.
As the action moved from end to end, it was eventually the reliable boot of Tim Swiel that got the Stormers off the mark with a penalty midway through the opening quarter.
It was a successful penalty that jolted the tourists into another gear as they started to gain some more territory and possession.
Adam Beard and Luke Cowan-Dickie scored tries within six minutes of each other as the British & Irish Lions kept ball in hand and continued to probe the defensive structure.
Lock Jonny Hill then capatilised on another good, flowing attacking move to score after the hooter sounded as the DHL Stormers trailed 21-3 at the break.
Once again, the Stormers started the half well and were again dominating possession and territory.
Unfortunately, the British & Irish Lions were defending for their lives and were stubborn in protecting their try-line.
The intensity of the match was notable as both sides pressed for an advantage.
Jack Conan helped his side extend their lead while Marcus Smith was flawless with his boot.
As the tourists continued to attack, the Stormers put their bodies on the line. As the match wore on, Zander Fagerson and Louis Rees-Zammit added their names to the scoresheet before a late Sam Simmonds score helped the visitors to a 49-3 win.
Man of the match: Duhan van der Merwe had another strong game out wide. He ran through defenders with ease on several occasions. Flyhalf Marcus Smith had a great debut for the B&I Lions. However, the award goes to hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, who was fantastic in open play. he carried the ball well and made some serious metres. He also tackled like a man possessed and scored a try in the first half.
Moment of the match: There were a few moments and it mostly involved Duhan van der Merwe knocking opponents to the ground when he carried the ball.
Villain: The Stormers’ attacking game.
The scorers:
For Stormers:
Pen: Swiel
For B&I Lions:
Tries: Beard, Cowan-Dickie, Hill, Conan, Fagerson, Rees-Zammit, Simmonds
Cons: Smith 7
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Leolin Zas, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (captain), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Leon Lyons.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Justin Basson, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Thomas Bursey, 22 Abner van Reenen, 23 Cornel Smit.
British and Irish Lions: Stuart Hogg (captain), 14 Josh Adams, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Ali Price, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Adam Beard, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Rory Sutherland.
Replacements: 16 Jamie George, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Alun Wyn Jones, 20 Sam Simmonds, 21 Gareth Davies, 22 Chris Harris, 23 Louis Rees-Zammit.
Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU)
Assistant referees: AJ Jacobs, Jaco Peyper
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen
AFP & rugby365com
