Brutal but brilliant Stormers victory
STORMERS coach Robbie Fleck wanted the challenge of playing against the Chiefs to find an answer for how far his team has come since last year. And he found a clear reply — a long way.
Last season the home team couldn’t live with the Chiefs on their way to a 6021 loss at Newlands and this year they stood toe-to-toe with one of New Zealand’s best for 80 minutes.
In all there were seven tries, four going the way of the Stormers with the Chiefs adding three.
Stormers flyhalf Robert du Preez scored 13 points from a try and four conversions but there were stars everywhere, on both sides.
It wouldn’t be over the top to describe this as one of the best Stormers’ performances in history considering the quality of the opposition and how youthful this Stormers team is. And they did it without some key players and a yellow card for flank Cobus Wiese.
The Stormers showed their commitment to playing more expansively is not just lip service as fullback SP Marais scored a sublime second-half try, after taking a wonderful offload from wing Dillyn Leyds, who was on his backside at the time. Marais also kicked two long-range penalties, which proved decisive.
The contest lived up to the pre-match expectation from the outset with a huge free-for-all between the two packs at a lineout in the opening minute where Eben Etzebeth and Brodie Retallick, the two best locks in world rugby, lit the touchpaper.
It illustrated how much feeling there was and set the tone for a brutal but brilliant contest.
Losing in-form lock Pieter-Steph du Toit before kickoff hampered the Stormers’ lineout with Chris van Zyl not having the same impact.
But Etzebeth was everywhere until he worryingly limped off with half an hour to play while callow flank Wiese was also monstrous, even though he earned a yellow card in the seventh minute for a silly shoulder barge on opposite number Liam Messam.
The Stormers opened the scoring with a fine try by No 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, who started the initial move with a neat break.
Chiefs flyhalf Aaron Cruden landed a penalty to put the visitors on the board before they scored one of the tries of the season.
From a turnover deep inside their own territory the Chiefs worked the ball through at least nine passes with rightwing Toni Pulu scoring in the left corner.
It was a signal and a warning of their capability to pounce on errors, a lesson the Stormers didn’t fully heed. Despite being a man down, though, the Stormers showed great composure to come back with captain Siya Kolisi, who had a whale of a game, scoring from close range in the 20th minute, which gave the home team the lead again.
But punishing mistakes is what the Chiefs do best and from a poor kick by scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage, Chiefs fullback Damian McKenzie sparked another long-range try.
He collected the kick just outside his 22, hard against the right touchline, and ghosted infield before turning at right angles with electrifying pace to carve a huge hole up the middle of the field. He made 40 metres before linking with Pulu, who scored in the corner.
The Stormers, though, rode the punches and scored after the halftime hooter through Du Preez, who burst through a weak Tawera Kerr-Barlow to give the home team the lead at the break.