It was a contrasting New Year’s for a jubilant Stormers group and a despondent Lions facet, as the hosts closed out a classy unbeaten year at the Cape Town Stadium with a 40-8 hammering of their South African rivals in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Saturday night time.
In the first Old Year’s Eve conflict between the two sides, it was the excessive flying Stormers, in entrance of an expectant dwelling crowd, that produced the items as they outscored the Lions six tries to at least one.
The final group to beat the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium was the Lions, in December 2021, nonetheless they by no means threatened to repeat that upset after the dwelling facet tore right into a 12-0 lead after 12 minutes and took a 19-3 lead into the halftime break.
Stormers coach John Dobson was completely thrilled together with his facet’s end to the year, with them choosing up a full home of 10 factors from their derbies in opposition to their Highveld rivals the Bulls and Lions, with them operating in 10 tries while conceding simply 4 over the two video games.
“The guys scored some great tries. Maybe once or twice we were a bit loose with the ball, but it’s New Year’s Eve, you’re in the lead and you want to entertain the crowd,” defined Dobson.
“Our breakdown in all probability wasn’t the similar normal from the final couple weeks however typically, it was a fairly good efficiency. I’m simply happy we scored some tries and constructed on these from final week. It would’ve been horrible to return right here and win 9-6 in a drudge.
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“To be where we are, having gone over a year (without defeat in Cape Town), these players are so resilient and keep improving.”
Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen for the second week in a row needed to admit that his facet simply wasn’t up to plain as they suffered their second heavy defeat in opposition to a South African coastal facet, after they had been crushed by the Sharks in Durban per week earlier.
“You have to threaten on both sides of the ball, in attack and defence and I think they outplayed us in both those departments. Their attack was exceptional tonight. They kept us under pressure throughout and then with that amount of x-factor on the outside they can punish,” stated Van Rooyen.
“They are probably the best defensive team in the competition currently and it showed tonight. At stages we managed to put them under pressure on attack but the decision making in the final third was disappointing and we couldn’t capitalise.”
The Lions and Stormers each hit the highway now in a troublesome January interval for either side.
The Lions are up in opposition to Munster this weekend, after which Connacht at the finish of the month in the URC, with Challenge Cup video games in opposition to the Dragons and Stade Francais in between on their 4 week European tour.
The Stormers play two URC video games away in opposition to Glasgow Warriors and Ulster, with an away Champions Cup recreation in opposition to London Irish, adopted by a house conflict in opposition to Clermont in between.
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