All Blacks finally overcome stubborn Stormers in RGR opener

The All Blacks were given a stern test, but eventually managed to power away for a 38-21 win over a stubborn Stormers side, to get their Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour off to a winning start at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.

It was largely a very physical game of attrition between the two sides, that saw the result in the balance until the final 12 minutes of the match, when the visitors managed to hit the front and pull away late on.

The Stormers can be incredibly proud of their effort, especially after injuries meant a forward had to go into the backline late on, and gave it a proper go, with the scores locked at 14-all with 13 minutes left, before a loose final 10 minutes skewed the final scoreline.

Disastrous start

It was a disastrous start to the match for the Stormers as they lost scrumhalf Imad Khan to a seriously looking knee injury, and then conceded the first try after the All Blacks kicked to the corner and mauled their way over for hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho to dot down the converted try in the sixth minute.

That score seemed to spark the Stormers into life and after a sustained spell of dominance from the hosts they pulled level.

First the All Blacks picked up a yellow card, inside centre Anton Lienert-Brown for head contact in a tackle, with the Stormers then thinking they had scored after mauling over from a lineout, only for it to be chalked off by the TMO for an infringement in the maul.

But All Blacks flank Simon Parker had impeded the maul as well, which saw him yellow carded due to repeated infringements.

The Stormers again kicked to the corner and this time successfully forced their way over with loose forward Deon Fourie scoring, and young flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed levelling the scores in the 15^th minute.

The Stormers were then unable to make their numerical advantage out, as the All Blacks saw out their time with 13 men relatively comfortably.

The game had gotten a bit scrappy as it headed towards halftime, but the visitors then retook the lead just before the break.

A superb break from wing Rieko Ioane got them into the Stormers 22m, where they received a penalty, took a quick tap and attacked, spreading the ball to Parker to go over in the corner, converted by Beauden Barrett which gave them a 14-7 lead at halftime.

Another blow

There was a further blow to the Stormers at the start of the second half when captain Ruhan Nel didn’t return to the field, with Wandisile Simelane taking his place.

The battle of attrition continued over the first 15 minutes of the second half, before the Stormers stunningly levelled the scores.

After setting up a lineout on the All Blacks 22m, a wonderful short pass found wing Seabelo Senatla running the perfect line to hit a gap and go under the posts, which saw the teams go into the final quarter locked at 14-all.

But the All Blacks hit the front for the third time in the 68^th minute, after some good play in the Stormers 22m ended with Ioane, now playing in the midfield, picking up at a ruck and diving over to dot down.

The Stormers then had to shuffle their backline, after replacement scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage was forced off injured, with wing Senatla having to fill in at scrumhalf and loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani moved to the wing.

The All Blacks sealed the win in the final 10 minutes, as wing Leroy Carter stepped his way over, followed by fullback Josh Moorby chasing a charge down and going in at the corner to push them into a 33-14 lead.

But the Stormers hit back with a penalty try and yellow card to Moorby after cynical play, only for the All Blacks to score after the hooter through replacement hooker Asafo Aumua to end proceedings.

Scorers

Stormers: Tries – Deon Fourie, Seabelo Senatla, Penalty Try; Conversions – Yaqeen Ahmed (2)

All Blacks: Tries – Samisoni Taukei’aho, Simon Parker, Rieko Ioane, Leroy Carter, Josh Moorby, Asafo Aumua; Conversions – Beauden Barrett (3), Josh Jacombe