Stormers’ sinking feeling
Horror show as Highlanders rout Capetonians in a 27-minute blitz Sharks gamble on fringe players
Highlanders
The Highlanders scored through Osborne (2), Waisake Naholo, Liam Squire and finally Rob Thompson who rounded off the first-half rout, two minutes ahead of halftime.
Flyhalf Marty Banks was on target with three conversions.
The Stormers’ second-half start was a replica of the first, but this time they didn’t exploit their good fortune although Du Toit came close in the 45th minute but he lost the ball a fraction ahead of the try-line.
There was another chance for the Stormers to score when a five-metre line-out provided the platfor m, but as they relayed the ball across the danger zone they lost the ball near the corner flag and the Highlanders counter-attacked with telling effect.
At the end of it, Waisake Naholo ran in unchallenged to score his side’s sixth try. Banks’ conversion pushed the lead to 38-7.
Just past the hour-mark, the Highlanders claimed try number seven even though they had been reduced to 14 men after replacement prop Aki Seiuli had been sin-binned in the 57th minute.
The try was engineered with a tap from a close-in penalty by scrumhalf Aaron Smith, and the Stormers’ defence was caught napping as flanker Dillon Hunt scored a converted try at the corner flag (45-7).
Replacement prop Greg Pleasants-Tate raised the 50-mark with the Highlanders’ next try and Fletcher Smith added the conversion (52-7).
Replacement scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage rounded off his side’s scoring with a converted try (52-14).
But the Highlanders were not yet finished as they stormed upfield in the final minute to dot down through Matt Faddes – their ninth in the match. – ANA
can sides would learn from these mistakes, especially after that loss cost the Lions a home final, and who knows, a real shot at the trophy.
It is now the Sharks’ turn to take a gamble, and like the Lions of last year, there is much at stake. In the South African group, there are three spots up for grabs when it comes to qualifying, currently the Sharks take the third spot with their haul of 24 points, but only four points, or a win, behind them are the Jaguares, just waiting to pounce.
Should the Jaguares win, they could take the qualifying spot from the Sharks, leaving the Durban outfit only six games to try and claw back. Those games also include a run of three big South African derbies against the Bulls, Stormers and Lions.
Coach Robert du Preez has said from the outset of the competition that he is building a winning squad, not a winning team. He trusts all his players implicitly and that is clear.
This change of personnel has been called “rotation”, and a chance to give fringe players a chance to shine, but one has to wonder about the timing.
The Sharks are coming off one of their worst performances, as dubbed by the coach himself, against the Rebels, and it would not be unreasonable for an axe to be heaved.
There is a new captain in Philip van der Walt, who forms a great-looking loose trio along with the Du Preez twins, Jean-Luc and Daniel. The front row has had a complete overhaul as the deputies in Thomas du Toit, Chiliboy Ralepelle and Lourens Adriaanse are promoted, along with Ruan Botha for Etienne Oosthuizen at lock.
In the backs, Cobus Reinach makes way for Michael Claassens to partner Curwin Bosch while Jeremy Ward takes the No 12 jersey from the suspended André Esterhuizen. Odwa Ndungane fills in on the wing while Ryno Smith keeps his spot after an impressive effort against the Rebels.