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Stormers maul the Highlanders

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:55

On the charge: Stormers captain Schalk Burger

The Stormers got their campaign back on track, following last week's hiccup, when they comprehensively beat the Highlanders 33-0 in their Super 14 showdown at Newlands on Saturday.

The Stormers scored four tries for the first time this year and there was a massive sigh of relief at sweltering Newlands on Saturday. Humidity was high and yet it was a match of great action, often changing in one period of play from one end of the ground to the other. This happened mostly late in the match and at the end of each passage of play, players lay exhausted on the ground while bearers of water rushed about, bringing relief.

It was a proud day for the Stormers - coming back from the silly defeat against the Brumbies, scoring four tries and keeping their opponents without a single score. Their defence was rugged. The Highlanders came close on occasion but somehow the Stormers kept repulsing them.

The Highlanders' coach afterwards praised their effort on defence, noting that they had the best defence in the Super 14 so far. In four matches they have had just 38 points scored against them.

It must be a team with spirit and pride.

The Stormers stood up well to the Highlanders' strong front row.  They conceded two free kicks, but won a wheel and each side was penalised once for scrum infringements. They worked hard at the tackle. Both sides worked well at phase play with a difference.

The Highlanders went though many phases but for no metres; the Stormers made ground. The two teams shared the turnovers but it was in the line-out that the Stormers ruled. The Highlanders threw into 18 line-outs and the Stormers won eight of them.

The other facet of play where the dominated was in the mauls. Several times they drove mauls a long way down the field and twice they were rewarded with tries.

The match started well for the Highlanders. The Stormers fluffed the line-out and the Highlanders went through many phases but for no metres and no suggestion of a score. And then the Highlanders got themselves into trouble. They were penalised twice in quick succession at tackles and when Alando Soakai was penalised at the second tackle there was dissent and they were marched on 10 metres, bringing the kick into Joe Pietersen's range and he goaled. 3-0 after minutes. Three minutes later Clint Newland was penalised at tackle. 6-0.

The Stormers attacked and Juan de Jongh kicked a diagonal to his left. The ball beat Habana and went into touch. The Highlanders threw in and the Stormers won the line-out. They bashed. Sireli Naqelevuki was close and the next thing Deon Fourie was skipping over. 13-0. The crowed of 36 527 was delighted and, in there old Newlands tradition gave the Stormers a second round of applause as they made their way back.

Michael Hobbs missed a drop attempt, the Stormers took the drop-out quickly and Bryan Habana, the darling of Newlands in the way that Chester Williams and Carel du Plessis and others were before him, had an electric run.

The first scrum in the match came after 21 minutes. It was a Stormers put-in and they were freekicked, as they were at the first Highlanders' scrum.

The next points-producing penalty against the Highlanders was also a tackle, Adam Thomson this time. That made it 16-0.

Deon Fourie had a break and sent Naqelevuki charging at the line till a magnificent tackle by Jimmy Cowan brought him cleanly down. Pietersen was there but left the ball behind him and then Fourie as he tried to pick up the ball to score.

The start of the second half was drab with long breaks and lots of kicking. The only relief was an electric break by Cowan. Pietersen kicked out but the ball had been taken back and the Highlanders attacked with great enthusiasm. They were on the line. Cowan made a huge effort to get to the base of the goalpost but lost the ball forward. He also damaged his hand and left the field.

The Stormers attacked and then the Highlanders attacked. Schalk Burger flykicked a loose ball downfield and the Stormers attacked but back came the Highlanders on the counter. It was a long passage of play over many acres. When Pietersen failed to kick a penalty out the Highlanders countered from their own cornerpost. Then the Stormers launched a long maul till Burger broke away and plunged over the line for a try. 21-0 after 62 minutes.

At this stage the Stormers made many changes, eventually emptying their bench. To those nervous of comebacks, it seemed dangerous but in fact there was no danger. They scored two tries and the Highlanders were not again as close as they had been.

Another long maul brought Naqelevuki close and when Bronson Murray was penalised for collapsing a maul, they kicked out for a five-metre line-out from which Pieter Louw scored. 26-0 with 12 minutes to play.

There followed a period of higgledy-piggledy play as both sides set their minds on attack, the Stormers eager for a fourth try, the Highlanders eager for any try.

Gio Aplon, on at fullback for Pietersen, had the best solo run of the evening as he cut through the Highlanders in mazy fashion. The fourth try, when it came, was a bit of amazing skill. With about 20 seconds to play the Highlanders were still trying to score but the ball went loose near the half-way line. Habana flykicked it down the field. He chased and flykicked again. He chased and flykicked again and then gathered to dive over for the bonus-point try.  And Habana scored it. Delirium at Newlands. Peter Grant converted from far out.

Man of the Match: You have to admire Jimmy Cowan for his cheeky energy and Israel Dagg for his skill, but at 33-0 the Man of the Match had to be a Stormers - Sireli Naqelevuki who had far and away his best match for the Stormers, action man Deon Fourie, Schalk Burger who stood out as decisive tackler even in a side that tackled so well but who also made some of the best passes of the afternoon, Dewaldt Duvenhage with his quick accurate passing and variations of play and our Man of the Match tall Andries Bekker who ran, tackled, drove, organised the forwards and made the line-outs his fiefdom.

Scorers:

For the Stormers:
Tries: D Fourie, Burger, P Louw, Habana
Cons: Pietersen 2
Pens: Pietersen 3

For the Highlanders:
None

Teams:

Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Sireli Naqelevuki, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (captain), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Anton van Zyl, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Hanyani Shimange, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Lionel Cronjé, 22 Gio Aplon.

Highlanders: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Ben Smith, 13 Kenny Lynn, 12 Jason Shoemark, 11 Fetu'u Vainikolo, 10 Michael Hobbs, 9 Jimmy Cowan (captain), 8 Adam Thomson, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 John Hardie, 5 Tom Donnelly, 4 Josh Bekhuis, 3 Clint Newland, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh.
Replacements: 16 Jason Macdonald, 17 Bronson Murray, 18 Hayden Triggs, 19 Tim Boys, 20 Sean Romans, 21 Mat Berquist, 22 James Paterson.

Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Marc van Zyl (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa

By Paul Dobson

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