RECAP: Lions v Stormers
READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round 16 clash between the Lions and Stormers at Ellis Park.
This will become the match report later.
Read all our Super Rugby previews for the weekend here.
Both teams are literally on the edge of a precipice.
With three rounds remaining the Lions are in eighth place (30 Points) and the Stormers in ninth (30).
The Lions have won a game more, thus earning the higher placing.
However, with two New Zealand teams, the Highlanders (29) and Chiefs 27), filling the next two places down, defeat at Ellis Park is not an option.
It’s safe to say the vanquished will join the ‘also-rans’ club and write the season off as a failure.
Recent results:
2019: Stormers won 19-17, Cape Town
2018: Lions won 26-23, Cape Town
2018: Lions won 52-31, Johannesburg
2017: Lions won 29-16, Cape Town
2016: Lions won 29-22, Johannesburg
Prediction: The Lions have won four of their last six Super Rugby matches against the Stormers, dipping to a two-point defeat in their last encounter. The Lions have won nine of their last 11 Super Rugby games at Emirates Airlines Park, with two of those last three wins coming after having trailed at the half-time interval. The Stormers have won their last three South African derbies on the bounce in Super Rugby, each by a margin of no more than five points. The Lions have been awarded 12 penalties per game thus far in Super Rugby 2019, the most of any team in the competition. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers) has made 13 tackles per game this Super Rugby campaign, the third most of any player in the competition and more than any other South African.
Prediction: Stormers
Margin: Three points
LIVE: Lions and Stormers
Kick-off: 17.15 local time; 15.15 GMT.
Our updates will appear below. There might be a slight delay in the match centre loading, please be patient. We apologise for any inconvenience.
Teams:
Lions: 15 Andries Coetzee, 14 Courtnall Skosan, 13 Lionel Mapoe, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Aphiwe Dyantyi, 10 Shaun Reynolds, 9 Ross Cronje, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Cyle Brink, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Stephan Lewies, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Malcolm Marx (captain), 1 Dylan Smith.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Henning Campher, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Johannes Jonker, 19 Reinhard Nothnagel, 20 Marnus Schoeman, 21 Hacjivah Dayimani, 22 Nic Groom, 23 Tyrone Green.
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Johannes Engelbrecht, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Joshua Stander, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 Cobus Wiese, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Frans Malherbe, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Marno Redelinghuys, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Dan Kriel.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Stefan Geldenhuys (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
