The Stormers scored 33 unanswered second half points to rout the Lions 56-18 on Saturday in an all-South Africa Super 14 clash.

Lowly Lions led 12-3 midway through the opening half before a 30,000 Newlands crowd and were only five points adrift at half-time despite scrum-half Jano Vermaak being sin-binned.

But the Stormers dominated after half-time to run in five tries and victory lifted the Cape Town franchise five places to seventh on the Super 14.

Forwards Andries Bekker (two), Schalk Burger and Francois Louw scored half the Stormers eight tries after right wing Nick Koster and replacement Tonderai Chavhanga were early injury victims.

Victorious captain and Springbok centre Jean de Villiers believes a semi-finals place is within Stormers' grasp although this win was just the second in five matches and four of them were at Newlands.

"A couple of victories on the road after our bye next weekend and we will be in contention for the knockout stage. This result showed what we are capable of with everything going our way," he said.

Lions skipper and loose forward Cobus Grobbelaar said: "Stormers played very well while we made far too many unforced errors. We spent a lot of time pinned in our own half and lost a lot of turnovers."

The Stormers last lost to the Lions seven years ago, but after fly-half Willem de Waal nudged them ahead with an early penalty they lapsed into some bad habits and conceded tries to full-back Louis Ludik and wing Henno Mentz.

However, the Lions failed to gather the ball from the kick-off after their second try and Bok flanker Schalk Burger burst through to touch down and De Waal converted to bring his team within two points of their rivals.

As the first half progressed the Lions tackling deteriorated and further tries by flanker Louw and lock Bekker helped Stormers into a 23-18 advantage by the break.

Stormers controlled every facet of the second half and supporters who booed controversial loose forward Luke Watson during previous home matches cheered him on to the field on 53 minutes.

The son of 'Cheeky' Watson, an ANC activist during the apartheid era, outspoken Watson has angered conservative South African rugby supporters with his views.

Bekker (two), Burger, Louw, centre Gcobani Bobo, wing Sireli Naqelevuki, De Villiers and replacement scrum-half Dewaldt Duvenhage were Stormers try scorers with Peter Grant converting four and De Waal one. The latter also landed two penalties.

Apart from the tries by Ludik and Mentz, fly-half Andre Pretorius kicked a conversion and two penalties.

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