The Stormers outscored the Sharks six tries to three in an impressive derby win in Cape Town on Saturday.
Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla dives over to score their opening try in their URC coastal derby against the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
After suffering two defeats to the Sharks in last seasons United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign, the Stormers gained a bit of a revenge with an impressive 39-22 win over their coastal rivals in a classic derby clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was a superb performance from the Stormers, who took full advantage of some ill-discipline from the visitors to build a big lead just after halftime, before the Sharks showed some good fight, before running out of steam.
It ends the Durban sides unbeaten start to the URC, after home wins over Ospreys and Leinster, while the Stormers bounced back well from a tight defeat to Edinburgh in Scotland last weekend.
Action packed start
It was an action-packed start to the match, which saw the Stormers score first in the sixth minute, after setting up the lineout deep in the Sharks 22m, securing the ball and mauling before spreading it wide for wing Seabelo Senatla to dive over in the corner.
In the 13th minute flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who missed his first shot at goal, found his range with a penalty to put the home side 8-0 up.
Straight from the kick-off the Sharks hit back, taking play into the Stormers 22m and onto their tryline, where loose forward Emmanuel Tshituka received a short pass and smashed his way over the score.
In the 29th minute the Sharks levelled the scores through a penalty to replacement flyhalf Gianni Lombard, but the visitors ill-discipline then cost them in the final five minutes of the half.
First Sharks flank Matt Romao was yellow carded under world rugby’s new tackle laws, not allowing players to tackle while on the ground, with his knee on the floor when he made a tackle on inside centre Jonny Roche.
The Stormers immediately took advantage, kicked to the corner, secured the lineout and rumbled a maul over for eighthman Hacjivah Dayimani to score.
Another yellow card just before halftime after repeated infringements saw Tshituka sent to the bin, which allowed the Stormers to rinse and repeat as they setup the lineout and mauled over, this time for hooker Andre-Hugo Venter to score, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s extras making it 22-8 at the break.
Second half
The Stormers playing against 13 men at the start of the second half took full advantage, as they attacked from the kick-off, with great running from Dayimani, prop Ntutukho Mchunu and Venter getting them into the 22m, before the ball spread and wing Leolin Zas got the try in the corner.
Despite getting a player back the Sharks were soon back in their 22m, with the Stormers earning a 5m scrum and powering it over the tryline for Dayimani at the back to dot down his second, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s extras to put them 34-8 up in the 47th minute.
The Sharks however wouldn’t go away and started a mini-comeback four minutes later, as they setup a lineout in the Stormers 22m, secured it and rumbled a maul over for Romao to dot down the seven pointer.
In the 57th minute the Sharks worked their way back into the Stormers 22m, got close and flank Phepsi Buthelezi smashed over for the try, with Lombard’s extras making it 34-22 and sparking hopes of a famous comeback.
But the Stormers firmly shut the door six minutes later, as they got their powerful maul going again from a lineout deep in the Sharks 22m, powering it over for replacement hooker JJ Kotze to score, with them then comfortably seeing out the win over the final 15 minutes.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani (2), Andre-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JJ Kotze; Conversions – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3); Penalty – Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Sharks: Tries – Emmanuel Tshituka, Matt Romao, Phepsi Buthelezi; Conversions – Gianni Lombard (2); Penalty – Lombard
