Stormers edge Bulls with late try in North-South derby
MATCH REPORT: A late try from replacement prop Ntuthuko Mchunu gave the Stormers a 13-8 win over the Bulls in Round Nine of the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.
It’s the Capetonians’ eighth win from eight matches in the competition as they gave themselves some breathing space at the top of the standings.
It was a game lacking in quality on the field, but it still managed to grab the attention. The tension and aggression associated with North-South derbies were there from start to finish.
With the scores level at 8-8 and the clock winding down, the Stormers gambled by turning down kickable penalties and opting for line-outs.
One of those line-outs turned into a powerful driving maul, which saw Mchunu going over for the winning score in the 79th minute.
It was a frenetic start by both teams, and the opening quarter had a bit of everything, including some huge hits. However, composure was lacking in the strike zone.
The Bulls thought they opened the scoring in the 18th minute when Embrose Papier pounced on a loose ball in the Stormers’ half with a kick before dotting the ball down in the in-goal area. However, a lengthy TMO review revealed that his knee crossed the dead-ball line before scoring.
After a rare entry in the Bulls’ 22, the Stormers could not find a way through a strong defence; their attack eventually ended with a failed drop goal attempt from Damian Willemse in the 23rd minute.
The first points of the game eventually came in the 31st minute when Handre Pollard caught the Stormers’ off guard with a quick-tap penalty before diving over for a five-pointer. However, he could not find the direction with his conversion attempt.
Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu made it a two-point ball game with a penalty goal in the 35th minute before the Bulls went a man down after Willie le Roux received a yellow card for some cynical offside play at a ruck.
After sustained pressure in the Bulls’ 22, Stormers No. Evan Roos broke away from a maul to crash over for a try.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu missed the conversion, and at half-time it was 8-5 to the Stormers.
The scores were level in the 44th minute, with Pollard adding three points after the Bulls won a big scrum penalty.
The Bok playmaker had two opportunities to put his team in front with penalties in the 55th and 57th minutes, but he pulled both kicks wide.
After a scrappy period of play by both sides, the Stormers turned down two kickable penalties, which could have put them in front.
And they were rewarded for taking a risk as Mchunu scored the five-pointer with just over a minute left on the clock.
Man of the match: The award goes to Bulls scrumhalf Embrose Papier, who was a constant threat with ball in hand. He was also a late inclusion in the starting line-up after Paul de Wet was ruled out with an injury.
The scorers:
For Stormers:
Tries: Roos, Mchunu
Pen: Feinberg-Mngomezulu
For Bulls:
Try: Pollard
Pen: Pollard
Yellow card: Willie le Roux (Bulls, 36′- cynical play, offside)
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Ruan Ackermann, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Lukhanyo Vokozela, 17 Ntuthuko Mchunu, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Adré Smith, 20 Ruben van Heerden, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Bulls: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Sebastian de Klerk, 13 Canan Moodie, 12 David Kriel, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje (captain), 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.
Replacements: 16 Akker van der Merwe, 17 Jan-Hendrik Wessels, 18 Khuta Mchunu, 19 Ruan Vermaak, 20 Reinhardt Ludwig, 21 Nizaam Carr, 22 Keagan Johannes, 23 Devon Williams.
Referee: Griffin Colby (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Morne Ferreira (South Africa), Sean Muller (South Africa)
TMO: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
