Willemse drops in as Stormers end their Munster drought

MATCH REPORT: Double World Cup winner Damian Willemse scored 14 points – including a crucial late dropgoal – as the Stormers scored their first United Rugby Championship win over Munster.

The Stormers outscored the Irish province by four tries to three, but it was the boot of Willemse that sealed the deal.

Named Man of the Match for his efforts, Willemse slotted four conversions, a penalty and a dropgoal – while he produced some great marshalling of his team from the flyhalf position.

However, his penalty (74th minute) and dropgoal (76th minute) took the score from a nervy 21-19 lead to a more comfortable 27-19 and ended the match as a contest.

The Stormers were not always clinical enough for their razzle-dazzle to be effective.

And from the litany of errors, the visitors profited greatly.

When the Stormers did get it right, it looked spectacular.

Tactically Munster was more astute, but had their share of errors.

The Stormers’ scrum was another aspect in which they dominated the visitors, while their defence suffocated the Munster attack.

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— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 19, 2024

Munster showed their intentions from the outset, trying to beat the rush defence with long, looping passes.

In contrast, the Stormers preferred some interpassing and stepping to beat the cover.

Munster’s passing cost them early in the match, when Suleiman Hartzenberg intercepted and sprinted 70 metres for the opening try. Damian Willemse added the conversion for a 7-0 lead in as many minutes.

Munster struck back just before the end of the first quarter – a skewed kick collected by Jack Crowley and hacked downfield. Then a great counter ruck inside the Stormers’ 22 allowed Tom Farrell to score Munster’s first try. Crowley added the conversion to make it seven-all.

The visitors were next to score – a scrum penalty allowing them to set up a line-out five metres from the Stormers line. Replacement hooker Eoghan Clarke burst over after the initial maul moved forward ominously. Crowley was wide with the conversion – 12-7 after 28 minutes.

It was a powerful riposte from the home team – a scrum penalty, a line-out maul that became a penalty and a quick tap by Marcel Theunissen to go over for the Stormers’ second try. Willemse added the conversion as the home team reclaimed the lead – 14-12.

A string of penalties early in the second half gave the home team some great territory and several line-out mauls inside Munster’s 22.

While the mauls were repelled, it was sublime handling that opened up the visitors’ defence and allowed Ruhan Nel to sprint over for the try. Willemse added the conversion – 21-12 after 48 minutes.

Munster’s started throwing everything but the kitchen sink at the Stormers, but ran into one of the most famed defences of the competition – a solid blue wall of massive double hits.

They did eventually get over the line, a series of raids by the forwards allowing replacement Gavin Coombes to charge over. Crowley added the conversion to make it a two-point (19-21) game with 11 minutes remaining.

With five minutes remaining Gavin Coombes was penalised at the breakdown and Willemse made it a five-point lead – 24-19.

Willemse slotted a sweetly struck dropgoal minutes later, as the Stormers took a giant leap towards their first win over Munster – 27-19.

The game ended with a Ruhan Nel intercept for his second try – the Stormers’ bonus-point score.

Willemse’s conversion made the final score 34-19.

The scorers

For the Stormers
Tries: Hartzenberg, Theunissen, Nel 2
Cons: Willemse 4
Pen: Willemse
DG: Willemse

For Munster
Tries: Farrell, Clarke, Coombes
Cons: Crowley 2

Teams

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis (captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 John Schickerling, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sithembiso Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Dave Ewers, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Jurie Matthee.

Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Seán O’Brien, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 John Ryan, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Jeremy Loughman.
Replacements: 16 Eoghan Clarke, 17 Kieran Ryan, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Ruadhán Quinn, 21 Ethan Coughlan, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Gavin Coombes.

Referee: Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) & AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)

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