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STORMERS AND LIONS ON FIRE IN SA DERBY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Published: 2026-01-13 18:49:26 Last Updated: 2026-01-14 11:23:35

In front of a sizable crowd at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, the Lions defeated the Sharks 23–22 in a humdinger in Durban despite receiving a 20-minute red card. Seven tries were scored in an exciting match as both teams were eager to give the ball air.
Only three tries were scored in the second game, which took place in front of over 53,000 spectators in Cape Town. The Stormers defeated the Bulls in a fierce arm wrestle, and the victory came just one minute before the game's conclusion at DHL Stadium, solidifying the home team's top spot in the standings.
With their fourth victory in eight games, the Lions climbed up to seventh place on the table (21 points), while the Stormers are in first place with 36 points. The Sharks, who received two bonus points at home, are in 13th place with 14 points, while the Bulls, who earned a bonus point in Cape Town, are in 10th place with 16 points.
The next round of the Vodacom URC is set for the weekend of January 23 and 24, coinciding with two rounds of rugby for the local teams in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. On Friday, January 23, the Lions go to Wales to play the Ospreys, Edinburgh welcomes the Vodacom Bulls to Scotland, and the DHL Stormers play the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Cape Town the following day.

In the final moments of the Lions' Vodacom URC derby against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban, Junior Springbok scrumhalf Haashim Pead scored the game-winning try. The hosts' poor tee-kicking accuracy cost them dearly, as they lost 23–22 despite scoring four tries to three. With two early tries by Etienne Oosthuizen and Francke Horn, the Lions got off to a good start and silenced the large Durban crowd with a 15-0 lead after ten minutes. Both teams had a positive attitude and did their utmost to keep the ball alive.

But after 25 minutes, the Hollywoodbets Sharks rallied with two of their own tries, from Siya Kolisi and Emmanuel Tshituka, making it 15–12. The Lions had a six-point lead thanks to Chris Smith's second penalty goal, but they lost Ruan Venter to the sin bin late in the first half, and Jason Jenkins of the Sharks scored a try to bring them within one point of the visitors at the interval.

Venter's yellow card was upgraded to a 20-minute red due to a high degree of risk of his hit on Aphelele Fassi shortly after the hosts went over early in the second half. The Lions were given a little reprieve when a try was disallowed due to an earlier knock-on.

Edwill van der Merwe followed up and scored from a deft kick downfield shortly before the visitors were reduced to 15 players, but it took the Sharks 15 minutes to take the lead as the Lions knuckled down. But the Lions didn't give up, and Pead's magnificent blindside snipe from a tap penalty near the Sharks' tryline sealed the win after the buzzer.

Article Tags: Viral Rugby SA Derbies Championship Vodacom South African Lions Stormers