Stormers show true grit to edge Bulls in Loftus thriller
URC REPORT: The Stormers produced an outstanding defensive performance in their 23-19 victory over the Bulls in a Round 14 clash at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.
The Capetonians outscored the home side by two tries two one in the match, but it was a nervy finish as the Bulls were camped inside the Stormers' 22 in the final stages of the game.
After a Manie Libbok drop goal, John Dobson's players tackled like men possessed to keep the Bulls out in those last few minutes to secure the four points.
In front of a Southern Hemisphere URC record crowd of 41 205, the Bulls managed to get a losing bonus point, but they now have a record of five defeats from five games against the Stormers in the URC.
They also find themselves 13 points behind the Stormers in the South African Conference.
With their pack setting the tone, the first quarter belonged to the hosts, who enjoyed three-quarters of the possession with the same amount of territorial advantage, while Chris Smith's three penalty goals to a solitary effort by Manie Libbok saw the men in blue lead by 9-3.
Smith added three more but a few minutes later the visitors made their first scoring opportunity count as Herschel Jantjies showed great vision to find Marcel Theunissen unmarked with a wide pass on the left for the Stormers No.8 to go over untouched from 22 metres out.
Libbok's conversion and a penalty goal a few minutes later handed the Stormers a 13-12 lead late in the first half. The hosts would not have been happy as they failed to make their opportunities count, while they were probably also not patient enough on the attack in the visitors' half.
The second half started with a typical late afternoon Highveld downpour and more of the same from the Stormers, who managed to keep the Bulls pinned in their own half before scoring the second try in the 52nd minute when Junior Pokomela crashed over after some helter-skelter stuff from both sides to stretch the Capetonians' lead to 20-12.
The Bulls failed to vary their play enough, but when they finally got into striking distance in the 65th minute - with David Kriel still in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on - Elrigh Louw broke a tackle before putting Sibusiso Nkosi over the hosts' first try to put them back within striking distance.
Libbok made it a four-point game again with a brilliant drop-goal in the 73rd minute, setting up a tense finale at Loftus and giving his team a little bit of breathing space on the scoreboard.
And tense it was, with the Stormers winning two crucial turnovers inside their own 22 late in the match to cruelly deny the Bulls in front of a packed house, and stretch their winning streak over the men from Pretoria.
Player of the match
Stormers captain Deon Fourie led from the front as his side claimed a fifth successive URC win over the Bulls.
Influential throughout and if it had not been for his intervention to prevent Cornal Hendricks racing over for a certain try in the first half - a score that could have made it 19-3 - the outcome of the match could have been very different.
Play of the match
The scintillating counter-attack that led to the Stormers' second try ultimately proved decisive in a close-fought game.
Dan du Plessis evaded two would-be tacklers to feed speedster Suleiman Hartzenberg before Marcel Theunissen took up the charge down the right.
He was hauled down just short of the line but the Stormers kept up the pressure and enabled Junior Pokomela to power over.
The scorers:
For Bulls:
Try: Nkosi
Con: Nkosi
Pens: Smith 4
For Stormers:
Tries: Theunissen, Pokomela
Cons: Libbok 2
Pens: Libbok 2
DG: Libbok
Yellow card: David Kriel (Bulls, 59' - cynical play, deliberate knockdown)
Teams:
Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Harold Voster, 11 Sibusiso Nkosi, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Zak Burger, 8 Elrigh Louw, 7 Cyle Brink, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Jacques Du Plessis, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Jan-Hendrick Wessels, 17 Simphiwe Matanzima, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Morne Steyn, 23 Lionel Mapoe.
Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Marcel Theunissen, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Deon Fourie (captain), 5 Gary Porter, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Brok Harris.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Junior Pokomela, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: AJ Jacobs (South Africa) & Griffon Colby (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Additional source: SA Rugby