It was the visitors' seventh
win in eight matches after their home loss last week to Australia's Queensland
Reds, leaving them top of the South African conference in the southern
hemisphere competition, which has been expanded to 15 teams.
"It wasn't easy and the
Lions have a proud record here," said Stormers captain Schalk Burger.
"They had to chase the game but we hung tough." The visitors had to
do without key winger Bryan Habana and regular flyhalf Peter Grant, a late
withdrawal through injury. They then saw Grant's deputy, Gary van Aswegen, limp
off after just 13 minutes.
But Cronje stepped in with
aplomb, landing three penalties and two conversions to condemn the hosts to
their eighth loss in nine matches.
The Stormers opened the
scoring in the fifth minute through a long-range penalty by Van Aswegen, who
was also instrumental in the build-up to their first try, scored by winger
Danie Poolman after good running by center Juan de Jongh and Burger.
Scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage
converted Poolman's try, then handed over the kicking reins to Cronje for a
19th-minute penalty that gave the Stormers a handy lead.
The Lions' opening points came from flyhalf Burton Francis
via a 16th-minute drop goal and a 21st-minute penalty, which reduced the gap to
seven points.
Cronje booted his second
penalty on the half hour to open up a 10-point lead but the Lions scored their
first try from the restart when Francis broke before handing to eighth man
Warren Whiteley, who dived over under the posts.
But the home side's poor defense
let them down again six minutes before the break when center Jaque Fourie ran
through unopposed after a sweeping Stormers attack.
Francis added a second
penalty after the break, which was canceled out by Cronje in the 53rd minute as
play became increasingly scrappy in the wet conditions.
The Lions flyhalf, who began
the season as third-choice behind Elton Jantjies and veteran Andre Pretorius,
slotted a third penalty on the hour as the home side began to claw their way
back into the game.
They trailed by seven points
as the clock wound down but a last-ditch attack was snuffed out by replacement
Stormers back Johann Sadie, who scooted through a gap to dive over under the
posts and seal the win.
"We had a few
opportunities but they didn't let us in," said Lions skipper Doppies la
Grange. "All in all it was a much improved performance from our
side."
