Lions player ratings v Stormers: ‘Thorn in the side’ Bok once again to the fore in a victory ‘relished’ by support cast
Morne van den Berg was yet again a star for the Lions as was skipper Francke Horn, inset
Following their excellent 24-10 win over the Stormers in the United Rugby Championship at Ellis Park, here are the player ratings for the growling Lions.
Lions player ratings
15 Quan Horn: Wasn’t much involved, but when he was, you could see the quality that had resulted in Rassie Erasmus including him as one of the three Lions backs in the upcoming midweek Springboks alignment camp. His best moments were a carry to the line in the lead-up to his team’s third try, and then a valiant effort to hold up the Stormers over the line that was ruined by Conraad van Vuuren’s red-carded assistance. 5
14 Kelly Mpeku: The rookie caught the eye with his tremendously effective contribution in last weekend’s win over the Sharks and while his latest appearance ended through injury just before the break, his selflessness to assist his team was again evident, particularly in the kick chase that led to the Lions’ second try. 6
13 Henco van Wyk: Overshadowed in the midfield last weekend by his partner Bronson Mills, but there was no denying him the kudos on this occasion, especially for the support line he ran to score his team’s second try on 25 minutes. Normally, it’s a run that doesn’t get rewarded nine times out of 10, but it did on this occasion. Oozed confidence after that, as seen in the wheels he showed when carrying from behind his line in the second half after a Stormers spill. 7
12 Bronson Mills: Excellent last weekend, he continued with his rich vein of form. Produced a lovely assist for the Lions’ opening try, and was a pest in continuously mowing down the Stormers carrying down his channel until the visitors finally got their sole try, a situation where he was left exposed near the posts. 7
11 Angelo Davids: Provided some moments of class. He was first to threaten the line with an 11th-minute gallop, and he then beautifully won the box kick that was integral in the creation of his team’s opening try. He showed he is a team player by sucking up without fuss getting subbed off when the Lions were reduced to 13 coming down the finishing straight. 7
10 Chris Smith: His experience again shone through in securing his team’s another treasured win in a season where they are now achieving beyond expectation. His unselfish involvement was epitomised by how he unhesitatingly went into a 24th-minute breakdown to ensure the Lions retained possession. Finished four from five off the kicking tee for nine points. 7
9 Morne van den Berg: Similar to last weekend’s derby, the Bok was a thorn in the side of the opposition with his ability to see space and kick perfectly into it. His box kick ignited the move for the opening try, and then a dink over the top of the defence sparked the second. His display wasn’t all flash, though, as there were numerous occasions where he was involved in holding up score-threatening Stormers players while he also switched to the right wing for a short spell during a HIA backline reshuffle. 8
Forwards
8 Francke Horn: You can’t but like his lead-by-action style of captaincy. He got through a heap of work here, not only with several physical contributions but also moments of deft skill such as his support for the aerial Davids, taking a pass after the catch and moving the ball on again in the blink of an eye. 7
7 Batho Hlekani: One of three Lions forwards heading to South Africa’s alignment camp, he enjoyed an excellent first half before visibly tiring in the second, suggesting he isn’t yet where he needs to be with his fitness. His value in the contact when fully charged was immense, as seen in the carries he made at the start of the moves that gave the hosts their first-half tries. 6
6 Siba Mahashe: Tackled, tackled and tackled to ensure his team came away with their valuable win. Leading the defensive line was something he relished, but he wasn’t simply a rock that the Stormers crashed into. He also showed the tasty pace that he has with the run he made to score on 22 minutes, a lovely try that he jubilantly celebrated. 8
Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for world-class coverage you can trust.
5 Darrien Landsberg: Played 59 minutes, exiting with his team comfortably 24-10 ahead before the Cape Town storm materialised. Got himself about the place to help lay his team’s match-winning foundation. What we especially liked was his springiness in quickly getting back on his feet after his involvements. 7
4 Etienne Oosthuizen: When he stays on task, he is an excellent operator as witnessed in his commitment to defence and being a breakdown nuisance to the Stormers and winning some turnovers. That was excellent, but he needs to respect the ball in attack. Throwing an offload to no one in particular, as he did on nine minutes, helps nobody. 8
3 RF Schoeman: Set out his stall by winning a penalty at the first scrum on what was again a pudding of an Ellis Park pitch where the turf continually didn’t hold firm. There were scrum penalties conceded, but he was an all-round contributor. Check out his juddering collision with Ben-Jason Dixon in the first half, which resulted in the Stormers player spilling the ball near the try line. 6
2 PJ Botha: Gets himself about in general play to feature at breakdowns, but the lack of quality in his set-piece was again frustrating. For whatever reason, he can’t find the target when throwing deep in opposition territory and was left relying on the front at shortened lineouts elsewhere. Also has his scrum issues before getting taken out of the firing line with 21 minutes remaining. 4
1 SJ Kotze: His best moment was the scrum penalty win on the stroke of half-time that would have given the Lions a 17-0 lead had Smith not missed his kick. A solid 52-minute contribution before the subs arrived. 5
Replacements: A very mixed bag. Erich Cronje quickly contributed, denting the defence with a break at the start of the 45th-minute move which he later finished himself. The Lions’ sub props, though, were unreliable, especially van Vuuren, who had a silly high tackle that was upgraded from a yellow card to a red. Back-rower Sibabalo Qoma was also an annoyance, getting yellow-carded within minutes of entering. 4