Reds get physical against Stormers

THE DHL Stormers overcame a Reds bag of tricks that included shoulder charges and high tackles on their way to recording a 25-19 win over the Australian team in a robust Super Rugby clash at Newlands on Saturday.

The Reds were highly competitive once they got over being dominated physically by the Stormers for most of the first half and a late breakaway try to wing Filipo Daugunu caused some nailbiting among the Newlands faithful as the Reds pressed for what would have been an unlikely winner as the Stormers lead was shrunk to just six points.

Let it be said though that the manner in which the Reds came back into the game was not altogether savoury. There is just a railway line separating the Newlands rugby stadium from the cricket ground where a ball tampering drama and bad blood between the two teams continued to dominate the talking points after three days of an absorbing Test match, and at times it was almost as if a contagious disease had spread to this South African/Australia clash in another sport.

It shouldn’t be surprising that a team coached by former All Black tough man Brad Thorn should have a physical approach to the game.

But the visitors were fortunate to get away with as much as they did, and it was a miracle that they kept 15 men on the field in a first half that was blighted by shoulder charges or no-arms tackles on Stormers flyhalf Damian Willemse and Craig Barry.

The hosts looked to be cruising when they led 18-0 well into the last 10 minutes of the first half, and such was their physical domination of their opponents until that point, that it looked likely a big win was on the cards.

But the wheels momentarily threatened to fall off as suddenly the Stormers started to make handling mistakes and the Reds started to exploit laxness in their defense.

Flyhalf Jonno Lance broke a tackle to send in eighthman Caleb Timu and the Reds could well have scored again before the break as the Stormers started to fall off tackles. They survived to keep the score 18-7 in their favour at halftime, but the Reds were straight onto the attack after the restart and it wasn’t long before hooker Alex Mafi barrelled over for the try that cut the deficit to just four points at 18-14.

Full marks to the Stormers for the way they kept their composure and regathered their momentum.

Barry, making his first start for the Stormers after returning from his loan stint in the PRO14 with the Cheetahs, enjoyed a good game in the number 14 jersey.

He played there after being switched from fullback following the late withdrawal of JJ Engelbrecht. George Whitehead came into the last line of defence for the Stormers as the Cape team continues to rack up injuries and illnesses.

It was Barry who put the little grubber kick through that sat up perfectly for the other wing, Raymond Rhule, in the left corner as the Stormers propelled themselves into a 25-14 lead following another great-angled conversion kick from Willemse.

With the Reds having travelled from South America via London this week because of their failure to have their yellow fever vaccinations before flying out, it was going to be difficult for them to come back from there.

In truth, the Stormers should have put them away such was the pressure they exerted for long periods in the second half, but they dropped too much ball on attack and left several points on the table.

That looked like it might come back to bite them when the Reds wing broke out from his own 22 to score a spectacular try with less than a minute to go, but fortunately the Stormers were able to hold on for a deserved win.

It was deserved mainly because of what they did in the first half, with flyhalf Willemse dazzling with his footwork and also his great kicking out of hand.