Late penalty try trips up Stormers against Jaguares in Argentina

A late penalty try allowed the Jaguares to record their fourth consecutive Super Rugby victory with a 30-25 win over the Stormers in Buenos Aires on Saturday night.

Both teams were guilty of numerous handling errors, but the home side managed to hold on the ball long enough to score three tries to the Stormers’ one.

It was only the boot of Jean-Luc du Plessis and Damian Willemse that kept the visitors in touch with the Jaguares as the pair shared six penalties.

The Jaguares stormed into an early 10-0 lead through a penalty from flyhalf Domingo Miotti and try by flank Pablo Matera.

The touchdown came virtue of a clean break from fullback Emiliano Boffelli, before he popped the ball to his former skipper Matera.

After the initial onslaught, the Stormers inched back into the contest through three penalties from Du Plessis to reduce the deficit to just one point.

However, shortly before halftime, Miotti also slotted a penalty to take the teams to halftime at 13-9.

Another penalty shortly after the resumption from Du Plessis brought the teams to within a point of each other once again.

The Jaguares, though, were determined to maintain that daylight between them and the Stormers, and wing Ramiro Moyano went over midway through the second half to extend the lead once again.

Miotti added the extra two points from the kicking tee.

But such was the nature of the game that the Stormers were bound to fightback. They did through Willemse, who traded places with Du Plessis at flyhalf.

Willemse added two penalties.

However, with the game in the balance, referee AJ Jacobs rightfully yellow-carded Stormers wing JJ Engelbrecht for a deliberate knockdown on the tryline.

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Jacobs then ran under the poles to award the seven-pointer to the Jaguares.

Although the Stormers hit back through their only try by Seabelo Senatla shortly afterwards, it was ultimately a consolation effort.

The visitors missed a golden opportunity to steal the game at the death when they fluffed a lineout in the Jaguares’ 22, with the hooter having already sounded.

Robbie Fleck’s team will return to Cape Town with their Super Rugby aspirations hanging by a thread, and having to worry about wing Sergeal Petersen, who was forced off the field early on in the first half with a knee problem.