SIYA’S SINBINNING SCUPPERS STORMERS

THE STORMERS really are their own worst enemies in Super Rugby 2019.

At least in New Zealand they were competitive before ultimately being beaten by the better team.

In Brisbane yesterday, they simply gifted away a desperately-needed away win to the Reds through a litany of errors.

After a penalty-laced 0-0 first half – the first time since 2013 neither teams register a point in the first 40 minutes of a Super Rugby match – the home team ran in three tries to the Stormers’ two to close out a 24-12 win.

Admittedly the Stormers were lacking some senior players with Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-steph du Toit and JD Schickerling all back in South Africa already, but the high error-rate was simply inexcusable.

The handling mistakes, particularly from the new front row, stalled momentum while the missed tackles – 30 overall – really hurt the Stormers.

Reds centre Sefanaia Naivalu certainly prospered from the feeble defence to bust straight through the line that allowed his skipper Samu Kerevi to make further metres before breaking open the deadlock shortly after the halftime interval.

This was a profitable period for the Reds, who took full advantage of Stormers captain Siya Kolisi being sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle on the stroke of halftime, with hooker Brandon Paengaamosa adding a further five-pointer while the visitors were reduced to 14-men.

“We started well. We created lots of opportunities. The yellow made such a huge difference. That was the turning point of the game,” Kolisi admitted after the game.

Realising something needed to be done urgently, Stormers coach Robbie Fleck made a string of changes, with prop Steven Kitshoff, hooker Bongi Mbonambi and scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies thrown into the fray. With Kolisi back after serving his 10 minutes, there was an immediate increase in tempo and quality, which allowed flank Kobus van Dyk to crash over.

The Reds, though, stretched their lead a few moments later when impressive scrumhalf Tate Mcdermott caught the Stormers napping close to their tryline with a quick tap and go.

Although Damian de Allende reduced the deficit with a second Stormers try that had the potential to set up a tense finale’, replacement back SP Marais once again missed a sitter under the poles.

The Stormers will look back at a couple of close moments in the first half when they missed out on two tries due to the breadth of the white chalk, but ultimately it was once again their lack of composure and execution that cost them dearly.

“We can’t keep on saying there are lot of positives,” Kolisi added. “We actually need to execute. It is getting close to the end of the season. We have to make sure those last passes go to hand.”

| Zaahier Adams