Last-gasp storm reverses the tide

The DHL Stormers looked dead and buried with four minutes to go, but fought back with a try and then a last-gasp penalty from flyhalf Tim Swiel to score a 39-37 win over the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg which reverses their recent trend of narrow defeats in PRO14 Rainbow Cup SA.

The Stormers created enough opportunities to win the game comfortably but were let down by some lamentable handling, many of those errors coming when a try looked a distinct possibility on a day when the Cape side were good at creating space on attack.

The Lions had their flair and better finishing ability to thank for the fact that the only time they were headed before Swiel’s 83rd-minute winning penalty, was early on after Abner van Reenen’s opening three-pointer in the sixth minute.

The scores were level at 22-all four minutes into the second half, and then 29-all later in the game but for most of the way it was the Stormers doing the chasing. And given that the Lions tend to be a team that finish strongly, and that the Stormers and Western Province have made a habit of wilting on the highveld in the last quarter down the years, that scoreboard advantage looked likely to be a telling one in the end. But think again.

The Lions looked like they had won it when wing Rabz Maxwane ran nearly the length of the field to score a try off an excellent break from replacement scrumhalf Morne van den Bergh off a dominant scrum.

The Lions’ rookie flyhalf Jordan Hendrikse had put the Lions back into the lead (32-29) with a 70th-minute penalty that looked like capping a fine debut for the youngster.

So the five-pointer put the Lions 37-29 ahead and with just six minutes remaining it looked like it would be enough for the Lions. The Stormers broke back with a try by their centre Dan du Plessis that came off a strong surge down the left flank from replacement loose-forward Johan du Toit, with three minutes left on the clock when the conversion was kicked by Swiel to make it a one-point game.

The Lions tried to slow down with a series of pick-and-go drives in the last two minutes and were within seconds of doing so when Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies forced a turnover penalty. It saved Stormers from defeat.

Swiel set up the line-out in the Lions’ half with his kick and from there the Stormers had enough control and patience to force the penalty that enabled Swiel to win the game for them. Both sides netted try-scoring bonus points and there was plenty of flair on show but just too many mistakes.

Scorers:

DHL Stormers 39 — Tries: Dan du Plessis 2, Bongi Mbonambi, Marcel Theunissen and Edwill van der Merwe; Conversions: Abner van Reenen 3 and Tim Swiel; Penalties: Abner van Reenen and Tim Swiel.

Emirates Lions — Tries: Wandesile Simelane, MJ Pelser, EW Viljoen, André Warner and Rabz Maxwane; Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse 3; Penalties: Jordan Hendrikse 2. —