Lions rue missed chances in narrow URC defeat to Stormers in Cape Town

One or two missed moments ultimately proved costly for the Lions, but head coach Ivan van Rooyen was full of pride in his side after their narrow 34-27 United Rugby Championship (URC) defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Johannesburg outfit pushed their hosts all the way to the final whistle and were still hunting a potential draw in the dying moments of the contest. That late surge was halted deep in Stormers territory when Springbok eighthman Evan Roos produced a crucial turnover under his own posts, stopping the Lions’ momentum and effectively sealing the win for the home side.

The visitors had plenty to be encouraged by, particularly after a strong first-half showing in which they enjoyed much of the territory and possession. Their tempo and physicality troubled the Stormers early on, allowing them to dictate large spells of play and keep the pressure firmly on the hosts.

However, the second half told a different story.

The Stormers, unbeaten and atop the URC log, emerged with renewed intensity and began to assert their dominance, particularly at the breakdown and in the set pieces. Four tries in total proved enough to swing the contest in their favour, as the Lions struggled to regain the control they had enjoyed before the break.

Despite the disappointment of letting the game slip, Van Rooyen highlighted his side’s resilience, especially after being forced into key changes among the forwards.

“We played well enough to get the win; it was one or two moments, I was really proud of the effort,” van Rooyen said.

“There were one or two calls that could have gone either way, but it didn't go our way. The ball bounced 30 metres back off the cricket pitch, but that is the game and the small margins. We made good solutions when we lost two five-locks in 20 minutes.

“We showed great character and fight, and we spoke about staying in the fight. We showed that for 80 minutes.”

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson acknowledged that the Lions were physically on top of them for large portions of the match, but they were prepared for the fire.

That preparedness showed in the fight of the Cape side when the Lions threatened to pull away from them early in the first half. Their defensive sets and strong scrum bailed them out of trouble time and again until they found a bit of attacking rhythm after 20 minutes of play.

“It wasn’t our best effort,” Dobson said.

“We knew we had to ride the storm for a while. We knew it was going to be tough. I think the overriding disappointment is how we did not close the game out. We knew we would get away from them in the second half a bit.

“The Lions were unlucky not to be more in the lead at halftime. They were unlucky not to get a draw out of the match. Our defence bails us out often.”