Stormers too good for Bok-laden Sharks

URC REPORT: The Stormers recorded their first home win in the United Rugby Championship when they beat the Sharks 20-10 in their Round Nine fixture in Cape Town on Saturday.

The Stormers looked like the better team from start to finish and the winning margin could have been bigger if the home side made better use of their opportunities.

The first half proved to be a tight affair as both teams tried hard to gain ascendency and breach the defence, but only 10 points were scored in the first half with Sharks flyhalf Joaquín Díaz Bonilla kicking a solitary penalty goal and Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla scoring a pearler for the home side to hand them a 7-3 half-time lead.

The Capetonians kept the scoreboard ticking in the second half, while their effective defence limited the visitors to a converted try for their efforts, which allowed them to secure their second win this year.

Both sides had other opportunities to score points in the first half but handling errors and a missed penalty goal attempt by Bonilla resulted in a tightly-contested first half.

Bonilla kicked the first points of the match in the 19th minute after Springbok wing Makazole Mapimpi battled to gather a pass by his boot laces with an open tryline.

The Capetonians retaliated with some encouraging attacking play, but a knock-on cost them a chance to score in the third quarter, and the Sharks also missed out on a chance minutes later as Bonilla missed a three-pointer in the 34th minute.

Senatla, however, nudged the Stormers into the lead with a stunning try in the 36th minute after he received the ball out wide and put through a beautiful grubber kick, which he gathered with ease to touch down. Manie Libbok (Stormers flyhalf) added the conversion to hand the home side a 7-3 half-time lead.

The Stormers picked up where they left off early in the second half with Libbok kicking a penalty goal shortly after another try attempt went amiss as Ruhan Nel was ruled to have knocked on the ball before dotting it down over the tryline.

Lock Adre Smith added their second try shortly after from some good forward play and Libbok’s conversion handed them a handy 17-3 lead.

The Durbanites reduced their deficit on the scoreboard to seven points early in the fourth quarter as Grant Williams (scrumhalf) held off a defender to dot down following a great break and pass by Jeremy Ward (centre) and Boeta Chamberlain (replacement flyhalf) added the conversion, setting the scene for a gripping finish to the match.

Libbok extended the hosts’ lead to 10 points with a penalty goal with 10 minutes left to play, and despite both sides trying hard to add to their points tally in the dying minutes, the Stormers walked away with the victory.

Man of the match: Seabelo Senatla was a livewire out wide and he could have scored more if he had better service on his inside. Dan du Plessis also caused plenty of problems for the Sharks in the midfield. However, the award goes to No.6 Deon Fourie who was exceptional in all areas of the game. He was aggressive on defence and a hard man to bring down when he had the ball. He also made his presence felt at the rucks.

The scorers:

For Stormers:
Tries: Senatla, Smith
Cons: Libbok 2
Pens: Libbok 2

For Sharks:
Try: Williams
Con: Chamberlain
Pen: Bonilla

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Senatla, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ben-Jason Dixon, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Nama Xaba, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Damian Willemse.

Sharks: 15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Lukhanyo Am (captain), 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Tito Bonilla, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Phepsi Buthelezi, 7 Jeandre Labuschagne, 6 Siyamthanda Kolisi, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Retshegofaditswe Nché
Replacements: 16 Kerron van Vuuren, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Henco Venter, 21 Grant Williams, 22 Boeta Chamberlain, 23 Werner Kok.

Referee: AM Jacobs (South Africa)
Assistant Referees: Cwengile Jadezweni (South Africa), Morne Ferreira (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)

Source: SA Rugby