Stormers survive the Hurricane
25 Feb 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports on the Stormers’ unconvincing 39-26 win over an ill-disciplined yet plucky Hurricanes side on Saturday.
A last-minute effort by fullback Joe Pietersen so nearly earned the Stormers a bonus-point try, but it seemed fitting that the Cape side were denied a full-haul of log points. In fact, the Stormers turned in a performance that was at times so loose that they were fortunate to walk away with a win at all.
They dominated the early stages of the first half, their forwards manhandling the tourists at the point of contact and via the rolling maul. The loss of captain Schalk Burger to what appeared to be a serious knee injury did little to stall their forward momentum, and by the 34th minute they had established a formidable 20-9 lead.
It was all the Hurricanes could do to spoil at the breakdowns and at the maul, and by the end of the half they had lost props Tristan Moran and Ben May to yellow cards for professional fouls. Despite the two-man disadvantage, however, the Hurricanes stonewalled the limited Stormers attack and struck with a try of their own right on half-time. Beauden Barrett followed up a cool goal-kicking display with a game-breaking offload right on the buzzer, and centre Tim Bateman finished under the posts.
Suddenly the team that had been on the wrong side of a savage beating was only seven points adrift. The Hurricanes were also first to score in the second stanza when Barrett intercepted a loose pass by Jean de Villiers and raced clear. The young flyhalf showed terrific pace to avoid a desperate Gio Aplon en route to the tryline, and then managed to get up and slot a difficult conversion.
The next 20 minutes was a mixed bag for the hosts, who produced some impressive forward drives but also put themselves under unnecessary pressure with basic errors. If they had been playing a more experienced Hurricanes outfit, they may not have been so fortunate to escape with the spoils.
They were awarded a penalty try after a sustained period on attack in Hurricanes territory, and Pietersen continued to knock the penalties over to generate some breathing room. There were some positives in an largely erratic display, and Pietersen’s goal-kicking under pressure was certainly one of them.
The maul also worked well, but the Stormers still seem to lack that killer instinct on attack. They should have scored a try towards the end of the first half and buried the Hurricanes, but flyhalf Gary van Aswegen eventually opted for the drop goal after it was clear the hosts weren’t going anywhere. This after stand-in captain Jean de Villiers had decided to turn down goalable penalties and push for the try.
There were also a number of youngsters on show for the hosts, but considering their fine start, they should have put this inexperienced and ill-disciplined Hurricanes side away by far more.
319 Comments
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25 Feb 2012, 17:37 pm
stormers pack manhandling canes, guess 1 man out, but quite amazing.
25 Feb 2012, 17:37 pm
Harry Etzebeth won’t allow his son to play for any province but Province.
Neither will Cliffie.
25 Feb 2012, 17:37 pm
Pectoralis Major!!!!!
25 Feb 2012, 17:38 pm
all the way from Zwide Township!!!!
25 Feb 2012, 17:38 pm
Joe is kicking better than Morne.
25 Feb 2012, 17:38 pm
Pietersen kicking beautifully.
25 Feb 2012, 17:38 pm
Viva Zwide!
25 Feb 2012, 17:39 pm
Bod are you not yearning for the orange orchards and your Spanish bf with whom you shared a sleeping bag?
.
25 Feb 2012, 17:39 pm
Schalkie was fouled, the other guy was yanking him down from around the neck whilst the other guy low down.
25 Feb 2012, 17:40 pm
Bod are you not yearning for the orange orchards and your Spanish bf with whom you shared a sleeping bag?Are you dyslexic?i am watching the hockey.3 zip to SA now!
.
25 Feb 2012, 17:41 pm
Stormers need to work on their breakdown ball security.
25 Feb 2012, 17:41 pm
etsebeth clearing out better than bakkies at the moment.
25 Feb 2012, 17:41 pm
Guns don’t let extraball see you talking about pectoralis anything.
He will give you a six page lecture.
25 Feb 2012, 17:42 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-86:
Good on yer son…. I know there is nothing worse than watching the Stormers play some rugga…
Stick to the hockey
25 Feb 2012, 17:43 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-104:
Is he from Loyiso High?
25 Feb 2012, 17:44 pm
Where did these props learn to play?
NRL style high n low tackles and driving down lineouts…
25 Feb 2012, 17:44 pm
Tiaan scored! No fair!
25 Feb 2012, 17:45 pm
Ben May is a big boy.
25 Feb 2012, 17:45 pm
Bod,SA going to the Olympics if they win is more important.It is woman’s hockey so you won’t be interested,watching boys is more your thing.India score 3-1 to SA.
25 Feb 2012, 17:46 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-110: 3-0…. its a whipping
Flick over to the England Wales game…. it might be a tad more interesting
25 Feb 2012, 17:47 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-118:
yeah but reckon young kitshoff drilling him a bit tho, okes getting frustrated, sending off probably overdue.
25 Feb 2012, 17:49 pm
15 against 13 and they go for the drop goal!
Well I suppose it’s points.
25 Feb 2012, 17:49 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-119:
Now you disappoint me…. you didnt use that word…. Brokesomething
Get with it son….
25 Feb 2012, 17:50 pm
3-1 and say needs to win by a 2 goal margin.
25 Feb 2012, 17:50 pm
yessus wtf are they droppie for, they got 2 on the bench, and a pack thats all over them, score the drie jou dom dose.
25 Feb 2012, 17:50 pm
Canes back to 14 men.
25 Feb 2012, 17:51 pm
Bloody stupid from van A. when a try is more important against 13 men..
25 Feb 2012, 17:52 pm
And that’s where inexperience hurts… Should’ve had a try.
25 Feb 2012, 17:54 pm
geez i tell you some poor brains by the stormers here, i mean how the canes are still in this is beyond me. if they lose here, only got them self to blame.
25 Feb 2012, 17:55 pm
Uurrgh
25 Feb 2012, 17:55 pm
kak, that’s why you don’t take 3 when 5 should be available.
Very nicely worked from the canes though.
25 Feb 2012, 17:56 pm
Fleckie is kak, against 12 men in the red zone his team couldn’t score a try & resorted to a drop goal but the Canes tear them apart for a fantastic try…rubbish man!
25 Feb 2012, 17:58 pm
That try before halftime was unfortunate.
25 Feb 2012, 18:00 pm
Very unfortunate.
25 Feb 2012, 18:01 pm
SA ladies hockey team win are going to the Olympics!
25 Feb 2012, 18:01 pm
@cab(cab)-129:
Tranquilo cab…. they aint going to lose. a small hiccup at the end that should be sorted out in the change room.
Another 39mins of the same and there shouldnt be a problem…
25 Feb 2012, 18:01 pm
Suitable gravitas, Tac!
25 Feb 2012, 18:02 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-137:
Hehe. Jy’s n skerp een.
25 Feb 2012, 18:03 pm
@Bod(bod)-136:
hola bodacious, u sound even more chilled out in spain than in the land of boom pipe…
25 Feb 2012, 18:03 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-132:
You can’t blame Fleck for Van As decision. With his backs covered he should have gone himself and set up 2nd phase. Just a lack of experience. His second bad decision today.
25 Feb 2012, 18:03 pm
Lol Steve Walsh looking biblical in the england game!
25 Feb 2012, 18:04 pm
@Dawn(Dawn)-113: lol really ????
25 Feb 2012, 18:05 pm
Baaaie skerp.
25 Feb 2012, 18:05 pm
Gonna watch Wales giving England a snotklap
25 Feb 2012, 18:06 pm
Game back on!
25 Feb 2012, 18:06 pm
Yes Guns really. Our extraball fancies himself a medical genius.
25 Feb 2012, 18:08 pm
Gary van Aswegen has made some errors today.
25 Feb 2012, 18:08 pm
Don’t expect to see any tries till second half unless it’s a welsh one or a Welsh kick Charged down!
25 Feb 2012, 18:09 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-147:
Personally I don’t rate him at all.
His passes look like they wobble through the air.
25 Feb 2012, 18:10 pm
Steve or WP, WP or Steve. Decisions, decisions.
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