[ad_1]
An impressive counterattack from Stormers I saw them break the Pumas’ hearts in a Super Rugby Unlocked match at full speed at Nelspruit’s Mbombela Stadium on Friday night.
Cape men won 42-37, after losing 30-14 at halftime.
HOW IT HAPPENED | Pumas vs Stormers
The Pumas appeared to be game over when they led 37-14 into the fourth quarter against an error-prone Stormers team. But the home team ran out of puffs as the visitors ran on four attempts in the final 20 minutes for a win.
For the most part, it looked like the Pumas were going to gain ground as their more imaginary opponents made one mistake after another.
But the Stormers, seemingly out of nowhere, found their rhythm late in the game to finally rush in six tries for a bonus point win.
The Cougars went ahead with an early penalty in the third minute from high-half Eddie Fouche, before the Stormers immediately responded when center Rikus Pretorius crashed after a charge from scrum-half Herschel Jantjies.
But the Stormers’ lead lasted just a minute when the hosts responded through winger Neil Maritz, who intercepted a reckless pass near his own goal line from Stormers No. 8 Juarno Augustus.
The Pumas had the Stormers on the defensive with their physical and direct approach.
In the 14th minute, a big kick from Fouche rebounded kindly to inside center Wayne van der Bank, who unloaded number 8 Jeandre Rudolph who finished under the posts.
Another Fouche penalty saw the hosts take a 20-7 lead after 20 minutes.
Both teams then suffered cruel blows from injury, with the Stormers losing captain Siya Kolisi in the 25th minute and the Pumas losing playmaker Fouché three minutes later. Both players suffered knee injuries in the rucks.
The Stormers counterattacked with a graceful attempt by scrum half Jantjies, which was launched after a great interaction from midfielders Pretorius and Dan du Plessis from their own half.
But the Cougars were unruffled and struck back in the 32nd minute after a great break from Rudolph on a lineout that set Van der Bank to score under the posts.
He saw them take a practical 30-14 lead at the break.
The hosts started the second period on a low note when Rudolph received a yellow card in the 44th minute for cynically throwing Jantjies at a billboard after the referee’s whistle had sounded.
But the Stormers did nothing to capitalize on their numerical advantage and the Pumas extended their lead in the 52nd minute when Maritz went around the corner for his second try. It came after a concerted period of attack by the locals.
Replacement high-midfield Niel Marais converted from the corner to give the Pumas a 37-14 lead after 53 minutes.
A few minutes later, the Pumas squandered a golden opportunity to extend their lead, but replacement striker Phumzile Maqondwana struck with the try line pleading.
That mistake proved costly.
The visitors were finally on the scoreboard in the second half when replacement prop Neethling Fouche passed near the posts in the 62nd minute after a concerted attack period.
At 37-21 in the fourth quarter, the Stormers kept trying and their efforts were rewarded when hooker Bongi Mbonambi went down in the 71st minute after a dominant lineout series.
Tim Swiel’s conversion made it 37-28 with eight minutes remaining.
Winger Leolin Zas finished off a great team attempt a few minutes later, with Swiel’s conversion making it a two-point game heading into the final five minutes.
The Pumas had run out of puffs and their hearts broke when Stormers fullback Warrick Gelant completed another great team attempt in the 78th minute.
It wasn’t pretty for most of the night, but the Stormers will take the house full of points, and certainly aware that a repeat performance won’t be enough later in the tournament.
In action next weekend, the Pumas host the Sharks in Nelspruit, while the Stormers face the Bulls in Pretoria.
Scorers:
Pumas
Attempts: Neil Maritz (2), Jeandre Rudolph, Wayne van der Bank
Conversions: Eddie Fouche (2), Niel Marais (2)
Penalties: Fouche (3)
Stormers
Attempts: Rikus Pretorius, Herschel Jantjies, Neethling Fouche, Bongi Mbonambi, Leolin Zas, Warrick Gelant
Conversions: Tim Swiel (6)
Teams:
Pumas
15 Devon Williams, 14 Neil Maritz, 13 Erich Cronje, 12 Wayne van der Bank, 11 Etienne Taljaard, 10 Eddie Fouche, 9 Ginter Smuts, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Francois Kleinhans, 5 Pieter Jansen van Vuren (captain) , 4 Darrien Landsberg, 3 Ruan Kramer, 2 AJ le Roux, 1 Morgan Naude
Substitutes: 16 Simon Westraadt, 17 Liam Hendricks, 18 Heath Backhouse, 19 Phumzile Maqondwana, 20 Dian Badenhorst, 21 Niel Marais, 22 Ali Mgijima, 23 Ig Prinsloo
Stormers
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Leon Lyons
Substitutes: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Kwenzo Blose, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Jaco Coetzee, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Michal Haznar
