Lions back to winning ways against Stormers

at Ellis Park Lions .................................................... (31) 52 Stormers . ............................................ (10) 31

ROOKIE winger Madosh Tambwe was the big hero for the Lions after running in four tries as his team hit back in style after a difficult few weeks with a convincing Super Rugby win against the Stormers yesterday.

The 20-year-old, who was born in Kinshasa and matriculated at Parktown Boys High just two years ago, produced a memorable Super Rugby performance with a 13-minute hat-trick –and a fourth try in the second half. It helped the Lions erase a tough last month where they lost three out of four matches.

A defeat to the Stormers could have spelled the end of the Lions’ challenge, especially as they go on tour to Australasia next week for matches against the Waratahs, Reds, Highlanders and Hurricanes.

Tambwe opened his account as early as the 53rd second when he collected a ball that had been chipped into space by opposite No 10 Damian Willemse and ran all of 60 metres untouched to score. Eight minutes later, the 20-year-old winger was at it again.

On this occasion he was in the right place at the right time to take a short pass and bust over from close range after the Lions had been stopped short from a driving maul, and then in the 13th minute his hat-trick was secured when he collected a cross-field kick by Andries Coetzee to score after the Stormers had failed to clear their lines properly.

The Stormers finally got on the board in the 21st minute when Wilco Louw barged over from close after a quality period for the visitors, but not long after that Lionel Mapoe powered his way over the tryline on the blindside.

Then, on the stroke of halftime, Smith went over to give his side a handy lead at the break.

The Lions stretched their lead in the 46th minute when Franco Mostert finished off after Elton Jantjies broke through the first line of defence, and then Tambwe produced some more magic to get his fourth – courtesy of another Jantjies special.

The Lions No 10 chipped the ball into space and it was brilliantly grabbed ou t of the air by Tambwe, almost out of the awaiting hands of Willemse; and the winger ran in untouched for his fourth try. The score was a virtual 14-point swing in favou r of the hosts after Willemse had dropped the ball over the tryline just minutes earlier.

The young Stormers flyhalf though made up for his mistakes later on with a well-taken try and replacement scrumhalf Paul de Wet also crossed, but not before Lions wing Ruan Combrinck grabbed a try.

At the death the Stormers were awarded a penalty try to give the scoreline some respectability.