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Cape Town - Stormers' coach Rassie Erasmus said the team's setbacks in the past few weeks helped to galvanise the side's resources after conceding two early tries to the Lions at Newlands on Saturday evening, when the home side scored a record 56-18 victory.
The Stormers trailed 3-12 after 21 minutes after suffering a setback which saw the promising wing Nick Koster stretchered off the field.
"I was as shocked as any one else when the Lions scored those two tries," said Erasmus. "Then we also lost (Nick) Koster. But we have experienced some hectic times in the past few weeks, and I feel that it stood us in good stead today.
"It was a major setback when we lost Koster.
"The team has learnt to cope with setbacks and these players really believed in themselves."
Jean de Villiers, the Stormers' captain, acknowledged that he missed a tackle which allowed the Lions in for their first try. However, he said that his side had managed to capitalise on the Lions' mistakes.
Loffie Eloff, the Lions' coach, said the Stormers had the ability to capitalise on errors and that saw them take the game away from his team.
"When we conceded that early second-half try, the team started to panic," said Eloff. "We started to play as individuals, and our structures fell apart.
"I am going to establish what happened in the second half because we held our own in the first half and I can't explain now what happened after halftime.
"We have to get the passion back, just like the Stormers showed today."
Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar said his side committed too many unforced errors at the start of the second half.
The Stormers trailed 3-12 after 21 minutes after suffering a setback which saw the promising wing Nick Koster stretchered off the field.
"I was as shocked as any one else when the Lions scored those two tries," said Erasmus. "Then we also lost (Nick) Koster. But we have experienced some hectic times in the past few weeks, and I feel that it stood us in good stead today.
"It was a major setback when we lost Koster.
"The team has learnt to cope with setbacks and these players really believed in themselves."
Jean de Villiers, the Stormers' captain, acknowledged that he missed a tackle which allowed the Lions in for their first try. However, he said that his side had managed to capitalise on the Lions' mistakes.
Loffie Eloff, the Lions' coach, said the Stormers had the ability to capitalise on errors and that saw them take the game away from his team.
"When we conceded that early second-half try, the team started to panic," said Eloff. "We started to play as individuals, and our structures fell apart.
"I am going to establish what happened in the second half because we held our own in the first half and I can't explain now what happened after halftime.
"We have to get the passion back, just like the Stormers showed today."
Lions captain Cobus Grobbelaar said his side committed too many unforced errors at the start of the second half.
