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, 18:32 pm
@Guns(Guns)-195:
First a forward pass and then he lost control?
25 Feb 2012, 18:33 pm
And Steve Walsh’s doing a diligent work for the Poms, not free of charge I suppose
25 Feb 2012, 18:33 pm
lol lost forward pissed Cains time! escaped prison WeePee time!
25 Feb 2012, 18:34 pm
yessus has jonker been offered a plaas in mitchell’s plain of iets?
25 Feb 2012, 18:34 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-201: and then a sympathy free kick! What did I miss?
25 Feb 2012, 18:35 pm
very poor decision by AC taking Van Aswegen off, that could actually destroy the boy’s career, poor panic decision by Coetsee this Francis is nowhere near the class of pivot as Van Aswegen potentially and Van Aswegen might not get over the confidence setback. The contrast by Hurricanes fly half is astronomical the young Barret is showing composed class beyond his years.
25 Feb 2012, 18:36 pm
Eng 6-3 Wales btw..
25 Feb 2012, 18:37 pm
E 6-6 W
25 Feb 2012, 18:39 pm
hallefknluja now they maul, flinkdink ekse.
25 Feb 2012, 18:39 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-206: van aswegen was kak skop take off the blinkers
25 Feb 2012, 18:40 pm
Man, be brave, kick one of these for the corner and push it over, pushing them all over the rest of the park.
25 Feb 2012, 18:40 pm
I am now convinced that when Schalk Burger left the field, the average IQ of the Stormer players actually went *down*.
25 Feb 2012, 18:40 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-206: Was also surprised they took Van Aswegen off so early,maybe an injury? I still don’t know how the Stormers got themselves into this dogfight.
25 Feb 2012, 18:41 pm
The Briesies must buy jonker a Breitling if they win…..
Thank **** I am a Bulls supporter. These poefters are pathetic.
25 Feb 2012, 18:42 pm
Etsebeth MOTM, oke is bladdy brilliant, cant believe hes 19.
25 Feb 2012, 18:43 pm
@cab(cab)-204:
I doubt it
1 He has his instructions from SARU via Andre Watson
2. It’s in his bloodline
25 Feb 2012, 18:44 pm
@Loftus(Loftus)-213: They lost their enforcer in Shalk. Guess he does not just skip around the park. The second he went off Cains mentally though it was to their psychological advantage.
25 Feb 2012, 18:44 pm
Joker Jonker the worst ref in the hemisphere blowing Hurricanes out the game
Between Jonker, Bryce Lawrence, Craig Joubert, Pyper, rugby refereeing going down the drain.
25 Feb 2012, 18:45 pm
Right dear Dawn half time 9-6 no try’s scored. U may now
Expect things to hopefully open up in the second half. English true test will now start.
25 Feb 2012, 18:46 pm
About time.
The Canes came out to spoil only and the Stormers nearly fell for it with their wayward passes.
25 Feb 2012, 18:46 pm
Got to keep this a grunt game now surely. These okes are still dangerous with ball in hand.
25 Feb 2012, 18:46 pm
that kitshoff got krag pure and simple, kiwis looking to scrap, they getting beaten upfront, stormers shouldve been doing this all game, sommer dryf.
25 Feb 2012, 18:47 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-218: The refine association has been on a firm mission ro control the direction of a game since the Dawn of the bookies.. They are obviously making some progress. Di**kneads they are..
25 Feb 2012, 18:48 pm
Fark.
Paddy O’Brien is not going to be happy about this.
Jonker’s inbox going to full come Monday.
25 Feb 2012, 18:49 pm
@ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-218:
The juries are still out on Peiper, let’s give the guy some break
Add Steve Walsh to that ‘dubious ‘elite swindlers rugby referees, one has to assume that it all allowed by the IRB for their own reasons.
25 Feb 2012, 18:50 pm
Reffing* to*
25 Feb 2012, 18:51 pm
Vermeulen big game too, got to get Bok call up too with Smith and Burger out.
When stormers get elstadt back, they could go all the way, its a helluva pack, TH a problem but have alot of mobility with brock and malherbe.
25 Feb 2012, 18:52 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-225: They bum chommies with the bookies as I said.
25 Feb 2012, 18:52 pm
@cab(cab)-215: He’ll be 21 in October. Means he is 20.
25 Feb 2012, 18:54 pm
bye bye BB – Bakkies Botha, hello EE – Eben Etsebeth
Move over rover the new 2nd row enforcer has landed
I rather have a misfiring Van Aswegen on the park than a poor journeyman Burton Francis. Van Aswegen will settle down and become a factor in Stormers rugby, Burton Francis is the type player that never will get to that level as he hasn’t done at Bulls or Lions.
25 Feb 2012, 18:54 pm
Thank God for Cab and a bit of perspective.
I love this anti Stormers bunch that are just crying out for them to fail…
Hell after I even support the the effing Bulls against any foreign opposition
Its good to be a Stormer…
25 Feb 2012, 18:54 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther(gunther)-224:
Too dumb for that, he just carries out instructions
It is Joubert who collects the diamonds studded Rolex watches, not Jonker who just happened to be another Tappe Henning/Bzedynhut (1976) swindler
25 Feb 2012, 18:55 pm
This’ll be interesting.
25 Feb 2012, 18:55 pm
Plonker will find a law to blow you up when your boot laces are too long! Jirre, overly technical and irritating.
25 Feb 2012, 18:56 pm
@Bod(bod)-231: No my man, your fellow Stormers do the same. Don’t act the holy one now.
Great win for Stormers.
25 Feb 2012, 18:56 pm
Got my margins right, thanks Marius
25 Feb 2012, 18:57 pm
This bonus point can come into play later on.
25 Feb 2012, 18:58 pm
Well at least the Stormers DIDN’T get the bonus point.
I saw nothing to worry me in advance of the Sharks’ visit next weekend.
25 Feb 2012, 18:58 pm
Whhhat a faarken blind dumbass call that was sooo a try!!! And I ain’t no WeePee faithful but Peterson was in my Fantasy team. **** Call! That **** was clearly grounded as it Maid Contact.
25 Feb 2012, 18:58 pm
the canes got 3 yellow cards but the stormers needed extra help from jonker to win, not impressive!
25 Feb 2012, 18:58 pm
Well done my stormertjies. Good start to the season. Accuarcy was lacking at times. But the Stormers were always in control of the game.
25 Feb 2012, 18:59 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-240: First game of the season. Will get better.
25 Feb 2012, 18:59 pm
So in a nutshell.
SA finests at home with a homie ref vs 30 mins 14 supposedly worst Kiwiland franchise players. No bonus point.
Well done, Hurricanes!
25 Feb 2012, 18:59 pm
Game over, time to relax and watch Jantjies vs Goosen.
25 Feb 2012, 19:00 pm
Blind senile idiots. On the bright side we don’t have to listen to titles of 40point killer Province for the next week..;)
25 Feb 2012, 19:00 pm
@wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-238:
Did you see anything last night from the Sharks that you reckon will make the Stormers have a sleepless night?
25 Feb 2012, 19:00 pm
@Nils(Nils)-243: sorry, “SA’s finest”?!
Whoever said that?
25 Feb 2012, 19:00 pm
@Nils(Nils)-243:
Only one mistake in your post. I’ll give you one guess.
25 Feb 2012, 19:02 pm
Is Marius available next Saturday as well?
25 Feb 2012, 20:05 pm
Etsebeth and Kolisi impressed me today. But fark JDV had a shocker.
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