British and Irish Lions vs Stormers LIVE: Result and reaction from South Africa tour match
Follow live reaction from the tourists’ final warm-up before the Test series begins next weekend
Follow live reaction after the British and Irish Lions beat the Stormers in the tourists’ final warm-up before the Test series.
Scrumhalf Ali Price impressed as the visitors scored seven tries in a comfortable 49-3 victory on Saturday. It was another slow start for the Lions in the opening 20 minutes but once they found their groove they were far too strong for the hosts, who battled with the tourists’ impenetrable wall of defence and quick ball at the breakdown.
Price allowed them to play with that high tempo in the opening hour and he must now be putting pressure on tour captain Conor Murray for a starting place in the first test against the world champion Springboks at the same venue next weekend.
Loose-forward Hamish Watson was an aggressive runner with ball in hand as was excellent hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie, while more good news for coach Warren Gatland was the return of lock Alun Wyn Jones who got 30 minutes under his belt after dislocating his shoulder three weeks ago. Follow all the reaction:
Stormers 3-21 Lions
The two sets of players are back out there, a great ring of floodlights shining down at an empty Cape Town Stadium. Marcus Smith has the ball - off we go again!
HT: Stormers 3-21 Lions - Cowan-Dickie, Beirne and Price impress
A very different game to the one on Wednesday for the Lions to deal with but I’d say Luke Cowan-Dickie, Tadhg Beirne and Ali Price have probably been their three best. Cowan-Dickie scored a try and had another ruled out and his, Beirne, and Hamish Watson’s ability to influence the breakdown has been key in stalling a spritely and creative Stormers attack. Price had an up-and-down first half hour but is clearly the best nine the Lions have when they are playing at a high tempo - he was picking holes and runners superbly as the half wore on.
We haven’t seen too much of the midfield yet - the trio of Marcus Smith, Robbie Henshaw and Elliot Daly hasn’t quite clicked yet. Henshaw’s probably been the best of the three of them. Based on Warren Gatland’s pre-match comments, I suspect we’ll see some changes reasonably early in the second half, but given Chris Harris started twice last week, I think the midfield may remain intact for a little while.
Stormers 3-21 Lions
The Stormers will have been very disappointed to concede that try on the half-time hooter, because the scoreboard reflects a very different game to the one they have enjoyed. For the first half hour they played very well against a very sloppy Lions side that has struggled a little for cohesion and accuracy, but have defended, on the whole, quite well.
The Lions grew into it, as it always seemed likely they would, and when they were able to play with quick ball and kept the tempo high against tiring bodies, they showed the difference in quality between the two sides.
TRY! Stormers 3-21 LIONS (Jonny Hill try, 41 minutes)
This time the Lions take their opportunity! Price has really grown into this game and is causing consistent problems. He again makes a half-break and Duhan van der Merwe is the man in support this time, eschewing any chance of a pass to crash into a defender.
The ball is quick for Price again and Adam Beard again provides linking hands to get the ball wide to Stuart Hogg. The last man on the line is Hogg’s clubmate Jonny Hill, lurking as he likes to with chalk on his boots, and the full-back finds him very nicely. Another simple run-in for one of the long-striders - and an outstanding converstion from Marcus Smith from the left to send the Lions down the tunnel much happier with their efforts. A good half for Exeter.
Stormers 3-14 Lions, 39 minutes
That’s a chance missed! The Lions bring back the ball with interest however as the Stormers fail to find touch and Ali Price spots an ailing body or two, the Stormers fatigued at the end of a busy half on what looks a humid night in Cape Town.
Price arcs around and picks his moment to jab his left foot and step through a gap in the line. He’s just about clung on to by the shirt elastic, but Robbie Henshaw arrives perfectly in support.
Jack Conan awaits an inside pass from Henshaw with nothing but open pasture ahead of him 15 metres from the posts, but Henshaw hasn’t quite got full grasp of a slippery ball, and his pass hits the deck.
Stormers 3-14 Lions, 38 minutes
It’s Cowan-Dickie again over the top of the ball as the Stormers play very loosely, and he’s snatched it, too. Robbie Henshaw stabs a grubber through...
Spun out of play! Stuart Hogg might have got there before Sergeal Petersen, too, had Henshaw not quite put so much on it. The Stormers clear well after an effective lineout.
Stormers 3-14 Lions, 36 minutes
The Lions are definitely keen to attack the ball at the breakdown, perhaps inevitably with Cowan-Dickie, Hamish Watson and Tadhg Beirne in the side. It makes sense against this multi-layered Stormers attack, too, with their invention often leaving carriers isolated, though also ever-threatening. A good contest so far.
TRY! Stormers 3-14 LIONS (Luke Cowan-Dickie try, 34 minutes)
There’s no stopping Luke Cowan-Dickie!
That scrum had resulted in a penalty for the Lions, kicked for the corner, and the lineout maul is initially forced infield.
The Lions cleverley spin it away from the Stormers bodies, though, and suddenly space opens for Cowan-Dickie, who jettisons his chariot from those in-front and breaks for the line. He’s chopped down just short, but an undulation of his body, legal on this occasion as he is not fully grasped, gets him to the line. Marcus Smith converts again.
Stormers 3-7 Lions, 31 minutes
That could have been a try both ways! Jack Conan slips free of a tackle on the left-hand side and Adam Beard is eyeing up a more extended canter for the line outside him with support with him, too, as Conan releases the pass. But Sergeal Petersen goes make-or-break, jumping into the passing lane as the last defender and thus out of the picture if Conan dummies.
Conan does pass, though, and Petersen has plenty of toe to go the distance if he catches cleanly...
But the full-back knocks on! Just a scrum.
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