Cape Town - The Stormers sure did a lot of things right in their 20-10 United Rugby Championship win against the Sharks at Cape Town Stadium at the weekend, and one of the most pleasing aspects was how they closed out the game.
In their previous game against the Sharks at Kings Park, coach John Dobson’s team were far from their best. They were demolished in the scrums for a large chunk of the game and errors from both teams only added to what was a rather frustrating show.
But last Saturday, the Stormers were well in control.
They did much, much better at the scrums, even though the Sharks did manage to edge them. Their defence was the standout feature of their performance; they brought some good touches on attack, with Warrick Gelant instrumental in that regard; and did well to hold onto the ball.
Yes, they could have bagged a few more tries given the opportunities they created, but they were overall a pleasing sight to behold with ball in hand.
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On the individual front, there was much to be excited about.
Gelant was an absolute superstar, Manie Libbok looked much better at No 10, Herschel Jantjies continued his return to form, and Dan du Plessis put in one of his best showings in a while. Ruhan Nel was solid and some of his tackles could be used as the ultimate ‘how-to’ guide, while Seabelo Senatla was a constant threat. Up front, Deon Fourie shone.
It wasn’t a flawless performance but it was solid, and the fact that they went for the full 80 minutes was one of the highlights.
It’s something that had often been a major concern in the past. A strong first half would often be followed up with a poor second period, but at the weekend there was none of that.
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In fact, the hosts lifted the intensity after the break, and they kept going until the final whistle. Closing out the game and maintaining their lead wasn’t an issue.
At Kings Park the previous weekend, the Stormers were outplayed but stayed in it right to the death. While it wasn’t an 80-minute performance, they looked much better in the final quarter and fought back to ensure that the Durbanites had to settle for a 22-22 draw.
At Loftus Versfeld, the Stormers started strongly, and while they let the Bulls get back into the game, they stunned the hosts with a late try to come out on top.
With a trip to Ellis Park up next, another 80-minute performance will do a lot for the Stormers’ confidence – something they will certainly need ahead of their meeting with Connacht in Ireland, especially considering the unflattering introduction the South African teams had to the competition.
@WynonaLouw