Kolisi produces perfect storm for win at luckless Lions

JOHANNESBURG: Stormers loose-forward Siya Kolisi scored a try three minutes from time to put them ahead for the first time and they held on for a 22-19 win over the luckless Lions in their Super Rugby clash at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Trailing by four points with time running out, Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen opted for an attacking line-out and the visitors, who were blunt in attack for most of the game, drove over the line with Kolisi at the back of the maul.

The Stormers’ other points came via five penalties from flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis, while his replacement Kurt Coleman converted Kolisi’s try.

Loose-forward Warwick Tecklenburg scored the Lions’ only try of the game as he powered over from five yards in the first half to help the home side to a 13-9 lead at the break.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies converted that try and kicked four penalties as the Lions turned down two opportunities for an easy three points after the hooter as they went for a win rather than settling for a draw in a dramatic final passage of play.

After three games the Stormers have three wins while defeat kept the Lions bottom of the table and the hollow consolation from the match was a losing bonus point.

In Pretoria, centre Jan Serfontein earned a bonus point on the hooter for the Bulls as they claimed a first win of the Super Rugby season with a 43-35 victory over the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

Springbok Serfontein powered over the line with the last play of the game to go with earlier tries for scrumhalf Francois Hougaard and loose-forwards Deon Stegmann and Pierre Spies.

Flyhalf Handre Pollard converted three of those and added four penalties with a perfect kicking performance, while his replacement, debutant Tian Schoeman, 23, added a conversion and penalty of his own.

The Sharks had No.8 Ryan Kankowski and scrumhalf Cobus Reinach cross the line, but were only briefly in front in a game where they trailed 23-16 at half-time.

Pollard’s Springbok rival Pat Lambie, who has been criticised in the past for inconsistency with the boot, landed seven penalties and two conversions for a match haul of 25 points.