While John Dobson’s team snapped their four-match losing streak to remain in 13th spot on the log, the Lions suffered their third straight defeat, dropping from fifth place on the standings to seventh.
It has been a tough season for the Cape side in terms of results, and their struggles have been further compounded by the storm of injuries they’ve suffered.
The Stormers secured a crucial win against the Lions over the weekend. The referee sent off Ruben Schoeman with a red card in the 20th minute for a dangerous clear-out, reducing the Lions to 13 men. Later in the second half, the referee issued a yellow card to Manny Ras for a cynical foul shortly after he came on.
The hosts – leading 15 points to nil at halftime – ran in five tries to the Lions’ double and withstood a spirited fightback from the visitors, with replacement tighthead Neethling Fouche’s late try tightening the seal on the Stormers’ lead.
While the mood in the camp will no doubt be lighter following the weekend’s success, the Stormers (1.46) will also be sweating over the fitness of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who limped off the field with a hip pointer early in the second quarter after a heavy hit by Lions prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye.
As the Capetonians now shift their focus to their home challenge against the Sharks (2.80) on Saturday, we look at three takeaways from their victory over the Lions.
Stormers Still Making Too Many Unforced Errors
While the Stormers secured a positive result in Cape Town, they cannot ignore their errors. Knock-ons dropped balls, and wayward passes made regular appearances during their outing, especially in the first half, and while the Stormers were by no means the sole culprits in that regard, their part in the at-times messy affair is especially noteworthy considering the role its played in their season so far. The Stormers have simply been making too many unforced errors, and their execution of the basics was again problematic in certain stages of the contest.
Bok Returnees a Major Boost
The influence of the group’s internationals is something that goes without saying, but it’s still worth highlighting the impact they made.
Frans Malherbe dominated in the scrums, Deon Fourie quickly won a breakdown penalty, and Ben-Jason Dixon delivered his trademark hard-working performance.
Given the impact of these Boks, it’s worth wondering how the Stormers might have performed with their full lineup. However, injuries aren’t the only factor behind their struggles.
Libbok Shines with Outstanding Attacking Prowess
Although Manie Libbok’s struggles off the tee will probably stand out to most as the biggest focus of his performance, it shouldn’t. What should be the main takeaway is his attacking brilliance. The flyhalf proved to be a key playmaker with his slick hands and skilful kicks.
His pinpoint kick-pass to Suleiman Hartzenberg for their second try highlighted his genius. His goal-kicking still needs improvement, but his attacking brilliance outweighs this flaw
It’s something that can be worked on, it can be improved, and Libbok has shown us in the past that he can kick for goal. However, no one can teach his vision or what he brings to the attack. It should be a stronger case than his dip in form off the tee.
