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Five-try Stormers blow 'Canes away

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 21:13

Stormers star: Fullback Joe Pietersen - Pic: Doug Fitz-Gerald

The Stormers continued their impressive march towards the top of the log, blowing the Hurricanes away with a 37-13 rout at a packed Newlands on Saturday.

The win saw the Stormers move into second place, just one point behind the unbeaten Bulls.

Again, as has been the case in most of their games, it was the Stormers' resolute defence that put them into a winning position.

It was not until the 66th minute that the Hurricanes scored their first try - and by then the Stormers had raced into a 27-3 lead, the game was long over as a contest, with the bonus point secured, and captain Schalk Burger and superstar wing Bryan Habana were already resting on the bench.

They had been subbed with 15 minutes still on the clock, both receiving prolonged applause from the appreciative crowd of 44,350.

Newlands continues to draw the biggest crowds on average of all Super 14 franchises, as the stadium does for Western Province in the Currie Cup. And on Saturday, with the home team playing wonderful rugby, there was a festive atmosphere, with lots of clapping and cheering and one Mexican Wave after another.

The Hurricanes' second try came after the final hooter and at a time when the Stormers coaching staff had sent on six of their seven replacements. Even with this try, the Stormers have now conceded only a miserly 51 points and four tries in five games - a superb feat in 400 minutes of rugby in a tournament as competitive as the Super 14.

But their attacking play has improved too and against a side with less organised and resolute defence than the Hurricanes, the floodgates would have opened.

They were strong in their set piece play, powerful in collisions, they off-loaded skilfully in tackles, they were better at finishing what they created on attack than previously, and their driving maul is masterful. At one stage the Stormers had the Hurricanes' pack of forwards reeling backwards nearly 50 metres in a tightly controlled rolling, driving maul - an eye-opener for friend and foe.

This is a hungry Stormers' team and after the match skipper Burger described the performance as one of the best from a Stormers' team at Newlands in some years.

The Hurricanes found themselves under such sustained pressure, in the first half especially, that they were forced to kick far more than is their preferred pattern. Their game is one based around building phases and running at the opposition but under the pressure of time and space in which they found themselves for much of the game, they kicked the ball instead of running at the Stormers, and their kicking was seldom effective.

They were unfortunate to lose fullback Cory Jane to injury in the 28th minute, but then already, trailing 3-8, they looked like a team headed for a rough time of it.

Immediately after the kick-off, the Hurricanes raced ahead of a Piri Weepu kick and Joe Pietersen's angled penalty goal put the Stormers 3-0 up inside the first minute.

The Stormers' first try was a gem. From a turnover won at a ruck on the far left, they moved the ball wide right and Jaque Fourie cleverly committed defenders before skipping Sireli Naqelevuki and feeding Pietesen on his outside. Pietersen beat a defender and passed inside to Naqelevuki who rounded off for a fine try in the ninth minute. Pietersen's conversion flew wide left but the home team led 8-0.

In the 19th minute Hurricanes' flyhalf Wille Ripia pulled back three points with a penalty from 32 metres out and in line with the left upright (8-3).

After a period of sustained pressure on the visitors' defence, the Stormers appeared to score their second try in the 28th minute when Fourie cut the defence and Naqelevuki bowled over Jane to ground the ball, but referee Steve Walsh and assistant referee Marc van Zyl brought them back for a forward pass.

But three minutes later the second try did come as rampaging lock Andries Bekker passed to Naqelevuki on his outside and he played back to Pietersen on his inside. It was excellent rugby from all three of them and with Pietersen missing the conversion, the lead had been stretched to 13-3.

Just before halftime the Stormers carried the ball close to 50 metres upfield in a magnificent driving maul.

From there they attacked through a series of phases inside the Hurricanes' 22. The visitors' defence was solid as the Stormers moved the ball from the far right to the far left, but eventually when they moved the ball back from the left touchline, a gap opened for No.8 Duane Vermeulen and he raced through for a try which Pietersen converted.

The Stormers went into the break 20-3 ahead.

For the first 10 minutes of the second half the Hurricanes enjoyed a territorial advantage and exerted strong pressure on the home team's defence. They were able to penetrate but not cross the tryline.

In the 53rd minute, after long review of slow motion replays, TMO Shaun Veldsman advised that a referred possible try for Stormers' tighthead prop Brok Harris should not be awarded. The replays certainly looked inconclusive and he may well have been centimetres short of the goal-line.

But Harris got his just rewards for his sterling efforts in the game five minutes later when Peter Grant charged down an attempted clearance kick inside the 22 and from the ruck on the Hurricanes' line, Harris crashed over. Pietersen converted and the Stormers had taken their lead to 27-3.

The game by then won and lost, the Stormers sent on subs and almost immediately Hurricanes' left wing David Smith rounded off a neat attacking movement for a try which replacement flyhalf Aaron Cruden could not convert (27-8).

With eight minutes to go, Ma'a Nonu - fortunate to escape a citing last week for a tip tackle - shoulder-charged Grant and was penalised for the dangerous 'tackle'. Pietersen goaled and the Stormers led 30-8.

With two minutes to go TMO Veldsman advised that substitute hooker Deon Fourie had been held up in in-goal and had not grounded the ball.

But Jaque Fourie, superb on defence all season and in this game potent on attack too, showed he has power as well as finesse when he took on three tacklers and beat them all to score a try which Pietersen converted (37-8).

The Hurricanes had last say when, after the hooter, they were awarded a penalty and replacement scrumhalf Tyson Keats tapped, ran and scored a try which again Cruden could not convert (37-13).

The final whistle blew and a happy Stormers' team remained on the field to massive cheering while a deflated Hurricanes' team were left to ponder what went wrong.

Man of the Match: For the Hurricanes, flank Victor Vito was always a factor in the game, effective as a ball-carrier and tackler, and skipper Andrew Hore battled gamely as hooker and as leader. Neemia Tialata was again inmpressive at tighthead. The award could go to a host of Stormers' players - Pietersen and Grant were at their best and Naqelevuki played his best-ever game since arriving in the Western Cape. Up front, Harris, Bekker and Van Zyl were all stars, as were loose forwards Louw, Burger and Vermeulen. But our Man of the Match is Jaque Fourie - outstanding as organiser of the defence from midfield and tackling superbly himself, he also caused havoc with the Hurricanes' defence as he ran at them and committed tacklers before off-loading. This was a consummate centre performance.

The scorers:

For the Stormers:
Tries: Naqelevuki, Pietersen, Vermeulen, Harris, J Fourie
Cons: Pietersen 2
Pens: Pietersen 2

For the Hurricanes:
Tries: D Smith, Keats
Pen: Ripia

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 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 JC Kritzinger, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Pieter Louw, 20 Ricky Januarie, 21 Lionel Cronjé, 22 Gio Aplon.

Hurricanes: 15 Cory Jane, 14 Tamati Ellison, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 David Smith, 10 Willie Ripia, 9 Piri Weepu, 8 Rodney So'oialo, 7 Scott Waldrom, 6 Victor Vito, 5 Michael Paterson, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 Andrew Hore (captain), 1 Jacob Ellison.
Replacements: 16 Dane Coles, 17 John Schwalger, 18 Jeremy Thrush, 19 Karl Lowe, 20 Tyson Keats, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Alapati Leiua.

Referee: Steve Walsh (Australia)
Assistant referees: Stuart Berry (South Africa), Marc van Zyl (South Africa)
TMO: Shaun Veldsman (South Africa)

By Len Kaplan

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