Etzebeth’s men go down a Storm
KINGS TAKEN APART IN PORT ELIZABETH
Athird straight win entrenched the Stormers at the top of the Africa 1 Conference, as they mauled the Kings 41-10 in their Super Rugby encounter in Port Elizabeth on Saturday.
The result left the Stormers, who have a bye scheduled this weekend, as the only unbeaten South African side left in the competition.
New Zealand teams the Chiefs and the Crusaders were the only other remaining sides without a defeat.
Leading 17-3 at the break, the Stormers scored six tries in total, with three in each half.
Though the Kings showed a lot of fighting spirit in the first quarter, there was no stopping the Capetonians after wing Dylan Leyds scored the opening try.
“To be able to lead such a bunch of talented guys on the field was a humble experience for me,” said lock Eben Etzebeth who, barring one brief moment, stood tall in his first match as Stormers captain.
“It was something I dreamed about when I was still very small and it became true, so I believe I’ll sleep well later this evening.”
The Kings’ flying wing, Makazole Mapimpi, enhanced his growing reputation and made life difficult for the visitors.
“The one time they scored there was the first time they’ve scored against us,” Etzebeth said.
“So it was difficult and I had to put in some hard words, but the guys responded well and it paid off in the end.”
It was evident the Stormers had unearthed new talent, with the likes of utility back Damian Willemse and replacement scrumhalf Justin Phillips performing well.
“All the guys were great – Frans Malherbe, Pieter-Steph du Toit – but I’ll have to single out the entire team for the incredible game they had,” Etzebeth said.
“It’s a privilege to play with such a pack of forwards.”