Stormers go down to Stade
Windy conditions prove almost too much for hosts and visitors
Stormers (21)
Stade Rochelais (22)
Scorers:
Stormers - Tries: Herschel Jantjies, Suleiman Hartzenberg. Conversion: Manie Libbok. Penalties: Libbok (3).
Stade Rochelais (22) - Tries: Louis Peneverne, Gregory Aldritt, Joel Sclavi. Conversions: Antoine Hastoy (2). Penalty: Hastoy
There was not to be a repeat of the December finale for the Stormers. This time Manie Libbok’s arms stayed by his side, disappointment writ large across his face, and groans from the majority of the 26,000 gathered at Cape Town Stadium yesterday.
Where Libbok’s last-second conversion in the Pool game with Stade Rochelais before Christmas sailed joyously between the uprights, yesterday the strong gusts which had made life difficult for both sets of players throughout the afternoon pushed the ball well left, giving the visitors a 22-21 victory, and a spot in the Champions Cup quarterfinals.
It had been a tough second half for the Stormers, who battled against the physical dominance exerted by the star-studded Stade pack, conceding a truckload of penalties while four forwards were forced off with injury.
However, they created some magic in the 75th minute, that allowed Damian Willemse to sprint up the left touchline. A protracted period of scrums being reset drew out the agony for the players and spectators, before finally Libbok was able to free Suleiman Hartzenberg with a delightful cross field kick on the right hand side.
That was virtually the sole moment of joy for the hosts in a second half, in which they defended manfully but couldn’t hold out against Stade’s greater bulk.
As had been forecast, this test for the Stormers and, indeed, South African rugby’s ability to sustain a long-term challenge among Europe’s elite and more well-financed clubs was a substantial one. They started better as the French side struggled to adapt to the blustery conditions, and while both teams’ desire to play an up-tempo game was worthy of praise, the errors that followed made for an unattractive first half.
There was one moment to delight the home fans when enterprise from Warrick Gelant exploited the extra room available because of Will Skelton’s yellow card, allowing Libbok to make a beautiful break, which led to a try under the posts by Herschel Jantjies.
The Stormers held a 13-0 lead at the break, but the bruising physicality was already taking its toll as they lost both flankers Ben-Jason Dixon and Deon Fourie to injury before half-time.
The worst followed, with Dixon’s replacement Hacjivah Dayimani copping an inadvertent blow to the head from Moerat. A few minutes later, it was the Stormers captain who was forced off the field with a head injury after positioning himself poorly trying to tackle Skelton.
The Australian lock was a menacing figure throughout, using his imposing size to crash through would-be defenders, but also showing off some deft distribution that allowed his forward pack to maintain momentum.
From there, it was the visiting captain Gregory Aldritt, who also gradually grew into the game, who punched holes in the Stormers defence, while at the base of the rucks Tawera Kerr-Barlow’s swift passing and clever use of space caused further trouble for the hosts.
The two-time defending champions surged over for three tries, all by members of the forward pack, indicating their superiority upfront. Penalty followed penalty for the Stormers, who battled hard to keep up and deserve credit for the courage they showed to keep the deficit to six points heading into the latter stages.
They created the chance their bravery deserved, but sadly couldn’t repeat the final outcome they managed four months ago.
Meanwhile, in yesterday’s lunch time kick-off power trumped panache in Pretoria, where the Bulls defeated Lyon 59-19 in their round of 16 clash in front of a sparse audience at Loftus Versfeld.
The home team outscored the French club by nine tries to three, with a performance built on the physical dominance established by the pack. From there the backs could party, led by the dazzling Kurt-Lee Arendse.
The Bulls tight five gained the ascendency early through the scrum, and although Lyon battled grimly at the breakdown, they were no match for the home team.
It wasn’t all muscle from the Bulls forwards, who — once they were on the front foot — provided excellent support lines, and showed off their own silky handling skills to overcome a brave but ultimately outclassed Lyon side.