Another defeat for Stormers

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 05: Peter Grant of the Stormers looks for support as Will Skelton of the Waratahs makes the tackle during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Waratahs at DHL Newlands Stadium on April 05, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Roy/Gallo Images)

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 05: Peter Grant of the Stormers looks for support as Will Skelton of the Waratahs makes the tackle during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Waratahs at DHL Newlands Stadium on April 05, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Shaun Roy/Gallo Images)

Published Apr 5, 2014

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Cape Town – The Waratahs snapped a four-match losing streak in Cape Town when they defeated the Stormers 22-11 in a Super Rugby clash at Newlands on Saturday evening.

The Australian tourists last won in the Mother City in 2006 and Saturday's victory consigned the Stormers to their sixth defeat in seven outings this season.

Early defensive lapses by the Stormers allowed the Waratahs to take play within five metres of the tryline but their efforts came to nought as they conceded a turn-over just a metre away from the target.

Centre Juan de Jongh initiated the Stormers response with a line-break on his own 10 metre line but again a turn-over allowed the Waratahs to stave off a threatening raid on their tryline.

Flyhalf Peter Grant put the Stormers into a 3-0 lead with an 11th minute penalty.

However, the lead was short-lived as three minutes later Waratahs scrumhalf Nick Phipps latched on to stray ball at the back of the Stormers scrum, and darted in unchallenged. Flyhalf Bernard Foley converted to give the Waratahs a 7-3 lead.

De Jongh again made his midfield presence felt in the 22nd minute but this time his break left the opposition defence in tatters and he was able to send winger Kobus van Wyk away for an unconverted try in the corner (8-7).

The lead changed hands five minutes ahead of the break when Foley converted a penalty after the Stormers infringed at breakdown play under their posts (10-7).

The Waratahs returned for second-half play with a greater sense of urgency and in the opening four minutes they came within a whisker of crossing the whitewash but again a turn-over allowed the Stormers to relieve the pressure.

Fullback Kurtley Beale and Foley did, however, make the effort count when they goaled penalties in quick succession to stretch the lead by eight points (16-8).

A massive scrum effort by the Stormers in the 55th minute saw play transfer into the Waratahs 22-metre area and after several attempts to bash their way over De Jongh made a valiant bid which needed TMO Shaun Veldsman to make a call.

De Jongh was adjudged to be short of the tryline but there was some comfort for the Stormers when New Zealand referee awarded them a penalty in front of the Waratahs posts. Grant goaled just on the hour to shrink the lead to five points (16-11).

Any thoughts the Stormers may have had of a fightback were dashed for the as Beale banged over a 45-metre penalty in the 63rd minute and the Aussie visitors regained an eight-point lead.

There was more woe for the Stormers in the 68th minute when Foley goaled from an acute angle from 35 metres out and with only 10 minutes playing time remaining.

Scorers: Stormers (11): Tries: Kobus van Wyk. Penalties: Peter Grant. (2) Waratahs (22): Tries: Nick Phipps. Conversions: Bernard Foley. Penalties: Foley (3), Kurtley Beale (2).– Sapa

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