South Africa's hits and misses in Round 14 of URC
OPINION: Round 14 of the United Rugby Championship saw the Sharks, Bulls, Lions, and Stormers all secure vital log points as the Race to the Eight continues to intensify.
With four rounds of regular-season action remaining, we look at the hits and misses from matches involving the South African sides in Round 14.
Hits
Pistol Papier
The Bulls may not have dished up one of their best performances, but electrifying scrumhalf Embrose Papier made sure to add yet another stunner to his rich collection of superb touches.
If there was any reason for the 28-year-old’s Bok snubbing, Papier absolutely annihilated it, yet again, with his latest showstopper.
While the hosts were 0-7 down at the 30-minute mark, Papier broke away from a scrum on the halfway and blazed a mazy 40-metre trail past several defenders to produce one of his finest individual moments of the season and a certain Try of the Year Contender. And there have been many…
He again created something from nothing in the second half when he gathered a nifty kick by Ruan Vermaak on turnover ball to score his second.
His consistent form is impossible to ignore.
Robust Roos
Stormers No.8 Evan Roos’ performance was a highlight of the game against Edinburgh as he earned the Man of the Match award for his strong tackling and carrying, and of course, his brace of tries in the 33-14 victory.
In the first half, Roos barged over the tryline, dragging a defender with him, to finish off a solid piece of team play. After the break, he brushed past defenders to grab the Stormers’ fourth try.
It was a top performance in a game marred by attacking frustrations.
Also Read: Stormers ready to ‘spin and win’ at Stade Mayol
SA Clean Sweep
While it wasn’t always pretty, all four South African sides got the job done to secure back-to-back weekends of clean sweeps over their European counterparts in the URC.
The Bulls’ game against Munster and the Stormers’ against Edinburgh were particularly frustrating, with both sides leaving ample opportunities out there and being guilty of a strew of errors.
Nonetheless, the Stormers (second), Lions (fifth), and Bulls (eighth) all currently have quarterfinal spots, and that will always be a hit, while the Sharks, in 10th position, will have to pull a couple of rabbits out of the hat to ensure that they crack into the Top Eight.
Misses
SA Sides’ Chucked Opportunities and Error Rate
While it’s always tough to complain about a winning team, or winning teams in this instance, a positive result shouldn’t allow negatives to be ignored.
The Sharks overcame Cardiff – and their own errors, poor execution and questionable decisions – in a thriller on Friday night thanks to their pack getting the upper hand over the opposition.
It was the Durbanites’ line-out and maul that proved the difference in the 21-15 result, while the injection of Ox Nche and Vincent Koch in the 30th minute also made a big difference.
The Lions, meanwhile, continued their impressive form against the Dragons on Saturday and stretched their winning streak, again earning a try-scoring bonus point in the 42-26 drubbing of the Welsh outfit.
But it was a very different story for the Bulls and the Stormers later that evening.
Both sides were guilty of silly errors and missed opportunities, and while a win is a win, it has to be said that most of the SA contingent will have to tidy up going forward, especially heading into the Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup knockouts next weekend.
Also Read: How Bulls will go about upsetting Glasgow in Champions Cup
Ungerer’s shift at 9
There were a few things the Stormers got wrong on Saturday evening, but Stefan Ungerer’s performance at scrumhalf was right up there.
His pass that was intercepted by Jason Lang just short of their own tryline led to a try, and although a number of Stormers players share the blame due to their poor positioning, Ungerer’s overall play – particularly his kicking from hand – was also lacking.
Tedious TMO Referrals
With the constant move towards speeding up the game, it’s baffling how TMO referrals are still allowed to take up time.
In the Stormers’ clash at Cape Town Stadium, there was a pause in the 50th minute after Lang found space on the right wing and kicked ahead, with the referee resorting to the TMO to rule that Liam McConnell was in front of the kicker before collecting the ball to dash to the whitewash.
Granted, there weren’t a lot of TMO referrals in that game or even the weekend overall, but McConnell was very clearly in front of the kicker, and this was just another instance of a review feeling totally unnecessary.
Referees have discretion and should use it, and at the very least pick up errors that happen right in front of them, and a decision should go up – or the team upstairs should intervene – only if absolutely necessary.
