The Stormers finally found their Super 14 scoring touch after five games and as a result the hapless Lions were at the receiving end of a 56-18 hiding at Newlands on Saturday evening.
At the break, the Stormers, who eventually ran in eight tries in the match, enjoyed a slender 23-18 lead.
This was the biggest victory margin for the Stormers over the Lions in the history of Super rugby.
Stormers flyhalf Willem de Waal over-kicked at the kick-off and that appeared to be a cue that Rassie Erasmus' team were poised for another error-ridden performance. Well, that's way it seemed, at least, for the next few minutes.
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De Waal and his fullback Percy Montgomery, probably playing under instructions, hacked early possession upfield but neither managed to trouble the Lions, who easily fielded the kicks and then sprung troublesome counter attacks.
The Stormers went ahead through an 11th minute De Waal (3-0) penalty and the Lions' response was such a telling one that they scored two tries in the space of five minutes.
First Louis Ludik streaked through the Stormers backline defence for an unconverted try after the Lions worked the ball out wide from a line-out.
Moments later, Lions flyhalf Andre Pretorius pulled off a great interception when several Stormers' forwards had ranged up in backline positions and sprinted some 30 metres before sending Henno Mentz clear for the visitors second try, which was converted in the 21st minute (3-12).
With both sides abandoning their kicking ploys and opting to run from every quarter, attack triumphed over defence in the rest of the first half in which the Stormers managed three tries to two penalties by the Lions.
The Stormers try-scoring burst was sparked off by Schalk Burger who had initially punished some shoddy work at a kick-off (after Ludik's try), and De Waal added the conversion (10-12).
De Waal struck with a penalty to stretch the Lions' lead to 10-15.
His effort was followed six minutes later by a second Stormers try through Francois Louw, who was a late inclusion in the side after Luke Watson was relegated to the substitutes' bench. Surprisingly, De Waal hashed the easy conversion (15-15).
As the halftime break loomed both flyhalves (De Waal and Pretorius) were on target with penalties to make for an 18-all scoreline but the Stormers forced one more unconverted try through lock Andries Bekker before the hooter sounded (23-18.
The Stormers needed just seven second-half minutes to put the game beyond the visitors who conceded two tries during this hectic passage of play.
The first try within 58 seconds of the restart was scored by Gcobani Bobo and the next by Sereli Naqelevuki. Both tries were converted by Peter Grant who had joined the fray in the first half following an injury to Nick Koster (37-18).
This 14-point advance lifted the Stormers' game somewhat and, when they continued with this cavalier approach, Bekker collected his second try in the 54th minute. Again Grant converted (44-18).
At this stage the teams made several changes, one of which saw Watson come on to replace Louw. Watson's rousing reception was a mixture of boos and cheers.
The changes saw both teams lose their cohesion and, although the ball was given lots of air, the trylines were often threatened.
The Lions came off worst as Stormers' skipper Jean de Villiers finally got in on the act, scoring near the end of the match. Grant's conversion saw the Stormers past the 50-point mark (51-18).
Right at the death, substitute scrumhalf Dewald Duvenhage wrapped up the try-fest with the Stormers' eighth try. (56-18).
Scorers: Stormers: Tries: Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Andries Bekker (2), Gcobani Bobo, Sireli Naqelevuki, Jean de Villiers and Dewald Duvenhage. Conversions: Willem de Waal, Peter Grant (4). Penalties: De Waal (2).
Lions: Tries: Louis Ludik, Henno Mentz. Conversion: Andre Pretorius.
Penalties: Pretorius (2). - Sapa
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