The Stormers now finish the year unbeaten, after a brilliant start to their 2025-26 campaign that has seen them win nine straight games.
The Stormers ‘bomb squad’ made a major impact to help them fight back from a halftime deficit to clinch an entertaining 34-27 bonus point win over the Lions in their United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
After trailing 17-10 at the break, and with the scores level 17-all early in the second half, the Stormers sent all six of their forward replacements on in the 46th minute, and they firmly turned the tide in their favour, although the Lions stayed in the game until the end.
The result sees the Stormers finish 2025 unbeaten, since the season kicked off in September, with them having won seven straight URC matches, and two in the Champions Cup, for a perfect start to the season, while the Lions have been up and down with three wins against six defeats.
Lions domination
The first half of the match was completely dominated by the Lions, but they only went into the break with a seven-point lead, thanks to tries at the start and end of the half.
Straight from the kick-off Stormers eighthman Evan Roos dropped the ball, allowing the Lions to attack in their 22m, with the ball going through the hands before hooker PJ Botha got the chicken wing offload to loose forward Ruan Venter to power over for the score.
Flyhalf Chris Smith knocked over conversion, and added an 18th minute penalty to put the visitors 10-0 after the first quarter.
Against the run of play the Stormers then hit back in the 26th minute, as a great long ball out wide from fullback Warrick Gelant allowed flank Paul de Villiers to break and pass to wing Dylan Maart, who outstripped the defence to get them on the board.
Flyhalf Jurie Matthee added the extras, and then slotted a penalty in the 37th minute to draw the scores level with a few minutes to the break.
On the stroke of halftime the Lions received a kickable penalty, but chose to go for the corner and that paid off, as their maul was stopped, but Venter was on hand to bash his way over for the converted score to give his side a very well-deserved lead.
Stroke of luck
At the start of the second half the Stormers received a huge stroke of luck to draw level, after a good kick from fullback Quan Horn had a disastrous bounce, back over the Lions chasers into the hands of scrumhalf Cobus Reinach who broke away, passed to wing Leolin Zas, who then found outside centre Wandisile Simelane to score and level things up.
The Stormers ‘bomb squad’ then arrived and made an immediate impact as in the 53rd minute they setup a lineup in the Lions 22m and powered the resulting maul over, with De Villiers dotting down and Matthee converting for a 24-17 lead.
Smith and Matthee traded penalties, before the Stormers forwards were in action again, getting them close from another lineout maul, before Roos smashed over for the converted score and 34-20 lead after 63 minutes.
The Lions crucially hit back in the 68th minute, attacking into the Stormers 22m, where Horn dropped the ball onto his boot for a perfect grubber that wing Kelly Mpeku chased and dotted down, followed by a Smith conversion to bring them within range going into the final 10 minutes.
The Lions had a few late opportunities in the dying minutes, but the Stormers held firm to keep their brilliant unbeaten record intact.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Dylan Maart, Wandisile Simelane, Paul de Villiers, Evan Roos; Conversions – Jurie Matthee (4); Penalties – Matthee (2)
Lions: Tries – Ruan Venter (2), Kelly Mpeku; Conversions – Chris Smith (3); Penalties – Smith (2)
