Stormers prevail in Ellis Park battle
Sat, 17 May 2008 17:02
Lion-hearted: Willie Wepener is tackled by Schalk Brits
The semifinal-chasing Stormers left it very late, but ultimately secured a hard-fought 22-13 Super 14 victory over a committed Lions team at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Stormers did however fail to get the all-important bonus point, and managed to score only three tries against the tough-tackling Lions.
They initially moved to fourth place on the standings, the Sharks snatched the remaining play-off place away from the Cape Town-based side when they smashed the Chiefs 47-25 in Durban later in the day.
There was a match beyond this match - or so it seemed for the Stormers. For the Lions this was the match, the centre of all their focus.
The Stormers were scoring a bonus point before they had scored any points while the Lions' were intent on stopping them from scoring any points and then getting points of their own, and they came close to winning the match - just centimetres from doing so.
The Stormers had the majority of possession. The penalty count was 8-1 in their favour, the free kick count 10-3. But before they kicked a penalty goal they were going for tries via line-outs. Before they were sure of winning their line-outs they were risking the match on line-outs and, despite the massive presence of Andries Bekker, the best line-out forward in Super 14, their line-outs were a mess. They lost seven throws on their own ball - seven while the Lions lost none. Their first attempt at a five-metre line-out produced by a penalty they lost.
They looked tense to the point of being frantic. It was not the way to play.
They had a golden chance right at the start of the game when they swept round to the right and Conrad Jantjes broke. Three faced two and one of the two drifted to take Luke Watson, one of the three. Jantjes needed just to hold the ball to make the easy five metres to the line, but instead he gave to Watson.
Eventually the Stormers decided that they should score and, when Walter Venter was off-side for the second time, Peter Grant goaled. 3-0 after 16 minutes.
Twice the Lions put pressure on the Stormers, once when Earl Rose kicked out five metres from their line and then when Chris Jonck did the same.
Rose then kicked an up-and-under which Grant knocked on and the Lions attacked but that fizzled out when Jaco van Schalkwyk was wide with a comparatively easy drop attempt.
Back came the Stormers and Grant went close. They bashed and battered, and Venter was sent to the sin bin for his third off-side offence. The Stormers preferred a scrum to a penalty and bashed with Sireli Naqelevuki prominent till Jean de Villiers slipped inside Jaque Fourie to score close to the posts. Grant's conversion attempt hit the upright and stayed out. 8-0 after 31 minutes.
The Stormers attacked again with Brits, Fondse and Naqelevuki throwing themselves at the Lions' line, only to be repelled over and over and eventually the attackers yielded a free kick.
Watson had a chip and catch but Pieter Myburgh knocked on.
Half-time came and the Stormers led just 8-0. All year they have been a first-half team. Would history - disastrously for their ambitions - repeat itself?
It seemed so in the first minute of the half. Fresh on Jano Vermaak kicked an up-and-under which nobody wanted and the next thing Rayno Benjamin was speeding away from the lethargically outstretched hand of Naqelevuki. Benjamin played inside, missing his support but Vermaak pounced on the bouncing ball and gave outside to Rose who scored in the corner. 8-5.
After this the Stormers laid siege to the Lions' den. They went through fast -phases but the Lions' first-time tackling was secure. They passed up a penalty in front for a five-metre line-out and the Lions held them out. Gcobani Bobo and De Villiers were close but not over. They kicked another penalty into a line-out and the Lions managed to fracture the maul.
Then the Lions broke out. Benjamin went away down the left and then Van Schalkwyk tried another drop - from inside the 22 and slap in front. But he was well wide.
Then - grossly, Brian Mujati went in the side of a tackle. It was the only penalty the Stormers conceded in the whole match. From far out and just in from touch, Rose kicked the goal that levelled the scores. 8-8 after 54 minutes.
The Lions had the better of the match for some time after this. Van Schalkwyk was away but Enrico Januarie brought him down with an ankletap. The Lions counterattacked and Vermaak chipped into the Stormers' in-goal where he and Watson stretched their hands to the ball but Vermaak knocked it on.
The Lions attacked as the Stormers ran everything at all coasts till Tony Brown got some sense and hoofed the ball downfield. Now the Stormers attacked and were close on the left. They went right but Jaque Fourie intercepted and was away but substitute hooker Deon Fourie caught him from behind.
Back came the Stormers bashing at the line. The referee played advantage and Naqelevuki took full advantage he dummied, left Joe van Niekerk sprawled on the ground, rushed past Rose and planted a try near the posts. Grant converted. 15-8 with five minutes left.
The referee did not let the advantage rest but gave a yellow card to Ross Geldenhuys for a dangerous tackle with aggravating circumstances.
From the kick-off the Stormers attacked moving swiftly downfield with quick close passes. Ross Skeate had a great gallop for the line till Benjamin felled him. The ball went right and Robbie Diack plonked the ball over the line. Grant hurried the conversion but kicked it from far out. 22-8 with three minutes left.
The Stormers knocked the kick-off on. From the scrum on the left the Lions went right. Rose grubbered ahead in a gap and Jannie Boshoff led the chase for the ball which rewarded him by bouncing up generously as he scored.
There was just time for the kick-off and for Rose to kick the ball out.
The Lions were not going to do their southern compatriots any favours. It was an honourable match. It was hard to believe that semifinal contenders were playing a team in contention for the wooden spoon. Such was the tigerish defence of the Lions on this Highveld evening.
It was also patchy but exciting - mainly because of the possibilities beyond the match.
Man of the Match: Earl Rose, Cobus Grobbelaar and Jaque Fourie are certainly contenders and even Walter Venter despite his yellow card, but our Man of the Match is Jean de Villiers for his ability to attack, the sweetness of his handling and his solid defence.
Moment of the Match: Two spring to mind - Jano Vermaak's almost try in his contest with Luke Watson and, our choice, Deon Fourie's tackle on Jaque Fourie which gave the Stormers the chance of a semifinal.
Villain of the Match: Nobody really. The vices that produced yellow cards were just an overflow of the virtue of fierce determination.
Scorers:
For the Lions:
Tries: Rose, Boshoff
Pen: Rose
For the Stormers:
Tries: De Villiers, Naqelevuki, Diack
Cons: Grant 2
Pen: Grant
Yellow cards: Walter Venter (Lions, 28) - Repeated infringement, offside; Ross Geldenhuys (Lions, 75) - Professional foul, hands in the ruck.
Teams:
Lions: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Louis Ludik, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Walter Venter, 11 Ryno Benjamin, 10 Jaco van Schalkwyk, 9 Chris Jonck, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Joe van Niekerk, 6 Cobus Grobbelaar (captain), 5 Gerhard Mostert, 4 Dewald Senekal, 3 JC Janse van Rensburg, 2 Willie
Wepener, 1 Heinke van der Merwe.
Replacements: 16 Ethienne Reynecke, 17 Ross Geldenhuys, 18 Franco van der Merwe, 19 Wilhelm Koch, 20 Jano Vermaak, 21 Jannie Boshoff, 22 Dusty Noble.
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Wylie Human, 13 Gcobani Bobo, 12 Jean de Villiers (captain), 11 Sireli Naqelevuki, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Luke Watson, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Pieter Myburgh, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Adriaan Fondse, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Ross Skeate, 19 Robbie Diack, 20 Bolla Conradie, 21 Tony Brown, 22 Dylan des Fountain.
Referee: Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Touch judges: Mark Lawrence (South Africa), Cobus Wessels (South Africa)
Television match official: Johann Meuwesen (South Africa)
