80WOW! Those last few minutes were insane. All structure went completely out of the window. The Stormers needed a bonus point and some desperate play at the end there just wasn't enough. What a courageous performance from the Lions who fought to the end. This means the Sharks can still make the semis if they can get a bonus point. What a weekend! We'll catch you later for that decisive game in Durban between the Sharks and the Chiefs.
79TRY LIONS BOSHOFF 22-13 Earl Rose puts through a delicate chip kick for Boshoff to chase it down. All the Players are absolutely finished
78TRY STORMERS DIACK 20-8 The Lions are dead on their feet and the Stormers are taking them apart as the game has become very loose CONVERSION GRANT 22- 8
77YELLOW CARD LIONS CONVERSION STORMERS GRANT 15-8
75Watson comes close to the line. The Stormers send it wide but Fourie intercepts! He's dragged down 40 metres later and the Stormers change back. TRY STORMERS NAQELEVUKI 8-13 At last the Stormers break through
73Van Schalkwyk kicks it out on the full and the Stormers finally have a chance to attack. Some good handling sees Jantjes take the ball into the Lions 22
71Jaco van Schalkwyk turns the Stormers forwards around again, finding touch near the visitors 22. Grant kicks it up field as Rose starts the counter attack. He kicks forward and it's a foot race between Vermaak and Watson. They both dive for the ball as Watson bats it out with his hand. The TMO doesn't agree, he says it went over the dead ball line from Vermaak's hand and the Stormers have a scrum. Watson gives it to Brown who clears, but the Lions are on the counter attack immediately.
69The Lions steal it again put their handling lets them down. The Stormers run it up and take play back towards the half way line. A draw isn't enough for the Stormers who are starting to look desperate.
67The Lions have a scrum just inside the Stormers half. Rose kicks it out and the Stormers line-out is under pressure 10 metres from their try-line.
65The Lions have already made 74 tackles! That's more than double the number made by the Stormers. The Cape side have had most of the possession but the Lions defence has been phenomenal. Can they keep it up though. Vermaak puts in a chip that heads for the corner.... The teams exchange kicks and now the Stormers try run it out of their half. It's become dreadfully scrappy out there.
63Tony Brown comes on at fly-half for the Stormers. Can he turn it around? The Stormers take it up through route 1. Bash, bash, bash as they make slow progress. Now they send it wide but de Villiers can't find Human on the outside
60The Stormers have done well to turn it over and they run it back. Walter Venter grabs it as it pops out of the ruck, he gives it to van Schalkwyk who charges towards the Stormers line. A desperate ankle tap from January stops him to save the Stormers!
57The Lions aren't ready to stop yet and they've got a scrum inside the Stormers half. The blue front row is having a tough day. Vermaak launches his back-line as the Lions go after another try.
55PENALTY LIONS ROSE, 8-8 . Fantastic kick from Earl Rose who slots a penalty from near half-way and right on the touch-line. It was Mujati who was blow up for hands in the ruck. It's all square in Jo'burg!
53The Lions turn it over as Naqelevuki is isolated. Benjamin makes ground down the left touch line. He's brought down and spills it in the process. Scrum to the Stormers inside their own 22. Watson takes it up but the Lions rip the ball away. Van Schalkwyk attempts another drop! It goes wide.
51More strong running from Joe van Niekerk takes play up to half way but the Stormers have the feed at the scrum. Again the Stormers send it through the hands but the Lions are up in defence in a flash every time and are putting in huge tackles.
49Much the same again as the Stormers make endless amounts of passes but the Lions defence stands firm. Another penalty, this time for coming in from the side from an offside position. The team from the Cape sets up another line out. Bekker takes cleanly and they try maul it up...but it's dropped and the Lions can release the pressure. What defence from the Lions!
46The Stormers are doing well to keep possession, sending it from one side of the field to the other. They're making slow progress. At last the ref hands them a penalty. The set up the line out, not choosing to go for posts.
44The Stormers immediately go on the attack. Jean de Villiers is looking dangerous but the team in blue is struggling to get over the advantage line.
42Peter Grant kicks us off for round number two! Franco van der Merwe rises high to take it cleanly for the Lions. Jano Vermaak puts in a box kick and the Lions runners are up quickly to chase. They send it wide from the ruck, Benjamin burns down the touch line, then Vermaak makes a great pass to Rose who scores! TRY LIONS ROSE 5-8. Rose brings his side back into it, but misses the conversion.
40The Stormers have a last chance to attack from a scrum but don't get very far. Another free kick goes the Lions way as the Stormers runners fail to recycle the ball quickly enough. Jonck thumps it into touch and it's half time! 8-0 to the Stormers who will need to up the tempo if they want to score those four tries for a bonus points.
39 The Stormers win their line-out for a change and send the ball through the hands. Great defending from the Lions keeps them out though. Jonck hoofs it up field after the ref gives the Lions a free kick for holding on. Watson runs the ball back, breaking a couple of tackles and bringing play back into the Lions 22.
37Great work from the Lions in the line-out gives them possession again. It was their dominance in the set piece that's saw them beat the Chiefs and they're doing well again here. The Lions join the ruck from the side and Grant sends the penalty kick up field.
35'Big Joe' van Niekerk goes on a barnstorming run near midfield but can't find his support on the outside. The Stormers pounce and the ball gets stuck in the ruck. Scrum to the visitors. Another big scrum from the Lions means January is forced to kick.
33TRY STORMERS DE VILLIERS 8-0. The Stormers send it wide and are stopped just short. Ricky Januarie sends it the other way and the Stormers captain shows his class and steps through to score the first try of the game. Oh my word! Peter Grant has missed a sitter of a conversion! 8-0 it remains.
31The Stormers choose the scrum. Heinke van der Merwe has been mammoth for the Lions in the scrum. Three times the scrum goes down, as the players look very out of breath.
29The Stormers lay siege to the Lions try line phase after phase of attack. YELLOW CARD LIONS VENTER. Walter Venter get told to have a rest on the sidelines for repeated off-side.
28Jean de Villiers ignites the Stormers back-line, making a great step and Watson and Jantjes are with him in support. The Stormers are inside the Lions 22. Walter Venter knocks the ball down, but the ref reckons it wasn't intentional so it's not a penalty but a scrum
26The Stormers line-out is mess again, by they come away with it. Grant punts but Rose bring it up and the Lions are on the attack in the Stormers 22. Jaco van Schalkwyk attempts a drop, but it goes wide.
24The Stormers try to run up near half way, but the Lions defence holds strong as the blues clad players don't move forward but simply drifty wide. More kicking sees Lions scrum-half Chris Jonck find touch 5 metres from the Stormers line. Here we go again!
22Grant punts up field and Rose receives it on the half way line. He tries a drop from 50 metres out! it sails wide and the Stormers are still ahead by 3.
20Grant clears from the base of the scrum, but Earl Rose puts in a huge punt to keep the hosts on the attack. For once the Stormers win their line-out and maul it up. But no, they've lost it! Rose puts in another monster kick and the Lions will try steal the Stormers line-out 5 metres from the visitors try line
18Jaco van Schalkwyk restarts. Jantjes replies, but van Schalkwyk's return puts the Lions on the attack. Again the Stormers line-out is a mess and the Lions have it! A knock-on from Fourie lets the Stormers out of jail.
16PENALTY, STORMERS, GRANT 3-0.
15The teams exchange kicks again and the Stormers end up with line-out near half way. The Lions are no push overs and it's a very evenly matched game out there. The Stormers crash it up into the Lions 22. Penalty for offside against the Lions again and the ref is having a word with their captain. Grant lines up the kick from out in front.
13The Stormers line-out misfires as the Lions steal it. The home side maul it up and Joe van Niekerk of all people puts in a kick!
11The Stormers spread it wide as they attack on the Lions try line. Watson is stopped just short after Jantjes breaks through the defence. Offside! The Stormers choose to go for line-out rather than kick for goal.
9Scrum to the Stormers inside their 22. Grant clears, but Rose replies with a high up and under. Conrad Jantjes makes a superb kick it put the Stormers on the attack. Line-out to the Lions deep in their 22. Van Niekerk takes cleanly and van Schalkwyk kicks up field
7As usual, excellent work in the set piece give the Lions possession, but Myburgh rips it back. Grant clears but Fourie comes charging back into the Stormers 22. Ludik breaks the line! OH ! It was forward the Stormers are let off. The Lions are out to play running rugby here.
4The teams exchange kicks and the result sees a line-out for the Stormers on the Lions 22 line. The Stormers mess it up though and it's the Lions who make some ground back and they have a line-out inside the opposition half
2There's going to be a war in the scrums today. The ref gives the Stormers a free kick off the scrum. Bobo makes some ground but Naqelevuki, knocks on.
1Jaco van Schalkwyk kicks us off! But he kicks it out on the full. Terrible start for the hosts!
0Welcome to a bright and sunny Ellis park in Johannesburg. The Lions host the Stormers in a South African derby that has the whole country on the edge of their seats. With the Waratahs and Crusaders already qualified for the semi-finals, the Stormers need a bonus point win here to join them.
0The match takes on another dimension given the fact that Pieter de Villiers is set to announce his Springbok squad later today. Here come the teams, Jean de Villiers heads the Stormers, "Baywatch" Grobbelaar lead the hosts in his 50th cap. There are loads of Stormers fans here, they've made the trip from Cape Town.