What now for the Stormers
But there is a lot of work to be contenders
A LATE try by flank Deon Fourie, created from a rolling maul that set up a narrow 19-18 victory, could prove a pivotal moment in the Stormers’ Super Rugby season.
Flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis’s nerveless conversion to seal the one-point win lifted a weight off coach Allister Coetzee and skipper Jean de Villiers after a heavy defeat by the Lions a week earlier.
The positive result was timely, with the Stormers leaving for Christchurch today where they face the similarly struggling Crusaders next week at a venue at which the Cape side has never won.
In the context of the coming tour, which includes matches against the defending champion Chiefs, last year’s runnersup the Brumbies and the 2011 champions the Reds, winning was all that mattered.
But when the enjoyment of the result has subsided Coetzee and his coaching staff will realise that there is much work to be done if they want to be serious title contenders.
On Friday the Stormers wasted several try-scoring chances, especially after wing Kobus van Wyk created two gilt-edged opportunities that were squandered through a combination of poor option-taking and lethargic support play.
Equally concerning for the Stormers was that their lineout, usually a solid platform, fell apart. They lost five on their own throw, which in the modern game is unacceptable.
Catrakilis’s accurate boot, landing five from five including four penalties, ultimately saw the Stormers home, but they were fortunate that the Hurricanes offered little in return.
The visitors scored two superb tries created from the individual brilliance of centres Conrad Smith and Hadleigh Parkes and scrumhalf TJ Perenara for wings Julian Savea and Cory Jane.
In many ways it was a typical Hurricanes performance. They just about held on up front, defended decently and finished clinically through the skills of some exceptional individuals. But they don’t look like title contenders at all, which underlines what a mediocre per- formance this was by the home team.
“There was nothing spectacular in the performance, nothing special, but there was improvement from last week,” De Villiers said.
“The one point we won by is huge for us.
“It doesn’t matter how we got there, all that mattered was that we got the result.
“This competition can get away from you very quickly and before you know it you could lose a handful of games in a row. Just look at what happened to the Highlanders last year when they started as a pretournament favourite and didn’t have a win halfway through the season.
“So you take the win any way it comes, enjoy it and move on.
“We have much to learn and so much to improve on. Our mauling worked for us when we scored the winning try, but two or three times we tried it and had no success.
“A few times I turned down kickable penalties and backed the maul and we got no reward from it, so perhaps we need to rethink that strategy on tour because our conversion rate hasn’t been that great.”
Schalk Burger was withdrawn just before the kick-off with a groin strain, but Coetzee confirmed the flank would tour. Also, there was an injury concern over lock Manuel Carizza, who sustained a wrist injury in the match.