Gutsy Canes give Stormers a sniff
13 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI reports that a thrilling 28-25 victory for the Hurricanes in Wellington has left the door open for the Stormers to top the Super Rugby league.
A controversial try awarded four minutes into injury time allowed the Hurricanes to snatch a late win and keep their own play-off prospects alive in the process. This result is a bad one for the Bulls, Sharks and Reds, who are all chasing a qualifying spot, but it is a very favourable one for the Stormers.
The Cape side simply need to beat the Rebels in Cape Town on Saturday to win the league and secure a home semi-final. This would result in the Stormers’ first ever top-of-the-table finish, and put them into a position to play a possible final at Newlands.
The Chiefs certainly blew an opportunity in Friday’s encounter at the Cake Tin. It was clear that a bonus-point win was what they were after, as five log points would have secured top spot.
A simple win would also have given them a chance to finish in pole position. The Stormers haven’t scored a bonus-point win this season, but if the Chiefs had won narrowly in Wellington, the Cape side would need to win big in their own final league match. Perhaps the Chiefs should have secured the win before being so ambitious.
But special mention must go to the Hurricanes for their role in a result that has turned the tournament on its head. They were once again inconsistent in this crunch match, and flyhalf Beauden Barrett missed four kicks at goal. To be fair, they were the better side on the day, and as the final call indicated, the 50/50 calls also went their way.
There was minimal kicking in this contest as both teams went in search of a bonus-point win. The Chiefs started well, but then battled to live with Hurricanes at the breakdown. Indeed they were fortunate to be ahead in the final minutes, and if they had won they would have pointed to a crucial score right before half-time as well as Aaron Cruden’s intercept try in the 58th minute as game-winning plays.
But in defeat, it can be said that the eight points the Chiefs banked right before half-time were scored when Hurricanes prop Ben May was off the park. The tighthead was sin-binned for a reckless tackle on Sonny Bill Williams, and the Chiefs made the Hurricanes pay to the tune of eight points.
The intercept try allowed the Chiefs to take the lead at a crucial stage of the game, and credit must go to Cruden for reading the play and latching on to the pass by Barrett. It was a seven-pointer against the run of play, but it highlighted the Chiefs’ threat from the turnover.
Aside from his goal-kicking and that unfortunate pass, Barrett had an absolute blinder at flyhalf. His decision making was excellent and the Chiefs’ defence was guilty of giving him too much room to run and create opportunities for team-mates running a supporting line.
For the Chiefs, Williams was superb, breaking tackles and delivering some inspired offloads. But unfortunately for the visitors, Williams failed to link up with his team-mates after making many a break, and as a result the Chiefs failed to finish some great attacking surges.
The Hurricanes are a young side, but they showed terrific character as the clock wound down. The Chiefs should have put them away during this period, but poor ball security at the breakdown and some woeful tactical kicking allowed the hosts to take control.
It was all the Chiefs could do to hang on, conceding penalty after penalty at the breakdown. The Hurricanes eventually got over the line with the clock on 84 minutes, Dane Coles showing some incredible strength to finish.
Referee Jonathan Kaplan referred the decision to the TMO as the 25 000 screaming fans anticipated a fairytale finish for their Hurricanes team. Tawera-Kerr Barlow looked to have pulled off a heroic tackle on Coles, although it seemed inconclusive whether Kerr-Barlow had got his arm under the ball or if Coles had indeed got the ball down on to the tryline.
The TMO decided it was the latter, and that decision has had some far reaching ramifications. It’s now likely that the Stormers will beat the Rebels on Saturday and top the league, but the Sharks and Bulls will need to win big in their respective clashes to guarantee a spot in the play-offs.
For the Hurricanes, they have kept their hopes alive with an outstanding win over the Chiefs, and no doubt they will be cheering the Sharks and Bulls’ opponents on Saturday.
897 Comments
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13 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
@CaptainQuirk(CaptainQuirk)-645: Strues…
13 Jul 2012, 15:19 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-643:
Kippy Smith finished Northlands in 1975
Robin Smith, his more talented younger brother was there until my year
Northlands had quite a year around that time (a year or 2 earlier).
Robin Smith, Hugh Reece Edwards and Neil Tovey all played cricket 1st side
Robin and Hugh played 1st team rugby and Neil was 1st team hockey
I remember our headmaster did not even announce when Neil Tovey made SA Schools soccer because soccer was not a school sport
13 Jul 2012, 15:21 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-647: “Not to be financed and hand held by the Union”…. Crusaders???
13 Jul 2012, 15:21 pm
@BishopsOD(BishopsOD)-615:
What house were you in a t the Diocesan College?
13 Jul 2012, 15:21 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-650: Yup, I started playing when he was at his best for Saders. Really cool guy.
13 Jul 2012, 15:23 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-635:
collegians or rovers – think collegians?
are you are college boy?
13 Jul 2012, 15:26 pm
think most of you guys were taught my fellow sixth former and headboy 1970 johnny mcglashan
13 Jul 2012, 15:28 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-655: Atherton played for Saders too?
Allen played for GOB…
Blakeway DHSOB… His Boet also GOB.
Honiball, Lood Muller played for Police…
Fark, there were days Natal Club Rugger used to get more than a few thousand at games…
Games at Woodburne would pack the Stadium…
I remember a backline for Rovers with Stewart, Thompson, Muller, Stransky, Small, Maartens… Teich at 8… Farkenell
13 Jul 2012, 15:30 pm
@charo(charo)-657: Yup!
13 Jul 2012, 15:31 pm
@charo(charo)-657:
Yes Johnny taught me English 1 or 2 times.
Was also my class teacher once
13 Jul 2012, 15:33 pm
@charo(charo)-656: It was a tricky one… “Oh when the Whites” combined… They won it all in the 80′s…
13 Jul 2012, 15:33 pm
Wat gaan hier aan?
Piesangboere Re-unie?
13 Jul 2012, 15:35 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-658: Yup those were the days. When I started at Saders the team included: Morkel, Skeggs and Garvs in the front row, Atherton and Slugger as locks, Wahl Bartman had just come down, Plum and Craig Mac, Robert du Preez at scrummie, sharpshooter Luke at 10, **** Muir at 12, can’t remember who played 13? Back three was still Reece, Justin Enslin I think and can’t remember the other wing. It was one serious club team!
13 Jul 2012, 15:38 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-663: Dont forget Quins… Fern will come moerus all otherwise… They also had a few decent players… Jouba, Cabous etc
13 Jul 2012, 15:38 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-662: Durbanites unite!
13 Jul 2012, 15:43 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-665:
Nothing wrong; you guys should meet up at the game
13 Jul 2012, 15:46 pm
skeppie a saders boy
bwhahaha
call that a club
I upset the folks on the porch behind the poles many a time by swearing at them or giving them my thousand yard stare and then spitting
those were good days
skeppie atleast you played club rugby aswell,cannot faultyou there.
13 Jul 2012, 15:46 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-663: 13 Pieter Muller
13 Jul 2012, 15:46 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-666:
I’m sure Helen and friends would join you guys
13 Jul 2012, 15:47 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-638: sorry bud, too many wackjobs in these here parts.
13 Jul 2012, 15:49 pm
@90.92.95.96.08.10(90.92.95.96.08.10)-668: Nope… Muller played for College Rovers
13 Jul 2012, 15:50 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-667: Had a slash off that balcony? Farken great fun…
13 Jul 2012, 15:51 pm
@671
Your mate Warren Britz also played for Quins as did Riaan Manser who is now a adventurer.
13 Jul 2012, 15:53 pm
672
Never had a slash off their balcony but I did have acess to a spare key for the refs changerooms at Quins,the one with the massage bed in it.
13 Jul 2012, 15:55 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-673: Fernster, was just giving Quins a mention… But I see someone has claimed Wahl Bartmann for Crusaders…. Is that true?
And there I was thinking he and Wickus van Heerden were Quinns….
13 Jul 2012, 15:56 pm
@90.92.95.96.08.10(90.92.95.96.08.10)-668: Did he play for saders? Wasn’t he with Quins?
13 Jul 2012, 15:56 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-670: Hmmm, ok well I will say this, I was in 2E2 and I work with a guy who was with you in 2E1….
13 Jul 2012, 15:57 pm
him and wickus was from quins most def
as was stephan terblanche for a while
13 Jul 2012, 15:58 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-675: Yup Wahl was at saders, not for long I don’t think but definitely in 94 or 95.
13 Jul 2012, 15:58 pm
paul challenor played england b and sharks
clinton van rensburg
eastern province
transvaal
sharks
13 Jul 2012, 15:59 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-667: Ah Fernly, we must have bumped into each other before then. Saders might not have had a big brother in the union like Rovers or Collegians but for a true local club we kicked ***! Even after the glory days of the mid 90′s, up untill recently we were always around the top 3.
13 Jul 2012, 16:02 pm
skeppie
rovers and collegians provincial players had the habit of playing for their third side after retiring from provincial rugby.
those teams were “closed” and the same every year
feck that was hard rugby playing against a side like that.
13 Jul 2012, 16:02 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-674: Slashing at bars was a favourite…. While waiting for a beer… I didn’t quite manage to do it at every Club…. Definitely did it at Quins though… Not even a Goatee… Full aim and fire… Days of Bravery
13 Jul 2012, 16:03 pm
Who is going to the game?
13 Jul 2012, 16:04 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-680: @Skeppie(Skeppie)-679: Didn’t De Marigny play at Crusaders….?
13 Jul 2012, 16:06 pm
@685
ja he did
you can be glad the quins boys did not catch you slashing
we would have moered you big time
13 Jul 2012, 16:07 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-682: Yup like the saders “crushers”. I remember having just turned 18 and our U20 side played a warm up game against the collegians 3rd’s….I think there were 3 or 4 sharks players in that team……that was a serious introduction to club rugby!
13 Jul 2012, 16:09 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-685: Which one? Roland played for Quins and Collegians I think? Mark played at Rovers and for a few other clubs.
13 Jul 2012, 16:10 pm
@Sheriff(Sheriff)-662:
HG onthou nou sy dae as reserwe-baloppomper vir die 4de span
13 Jul 2012, 16:11 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-676: Heavens Game is right, he played for Rovers.
13 Jul 2012, 16:11 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-683:
The way you describe your behaviour you should have played for Barbarians
13 Jul 2012, 16:12 pm
@Skeppie(Skeppie)-688: Roland… Ja, he played for both
13 Jul 2012, 16:13 pm
skeppie
i was u21 watching a game at collegians and the 3rd side capt had a wing who did not pitch cause of some reason
he organized,boots,socks and shorts for me.
that was my first taste of open rugby
feck me
my opposite wing told me to feck off this is no place for kids,i told him that was not what his wife and daughter said the previous night
huge mistake
the pace is slower but the physicality is brutal
i was 1,73 and 75kg those days.
i was super fit which helped
feck that ballie grinded me big time and afterwards we had a beer
club rugby still had gees and camaraderie back then
13 Jul 2012, 16:14 pm
@TooMuchRugby(TooMuchRugby)-689: Yes… I have done that… after retiring… It is good fun. Giving back and all that…
Not that you would know too much about the Brotherhood of Rugby, quite obviously not having played very much…
13 Jul 2012, 16:15 pm
de Marigny was hondkaak. Went on to play for Italy.
13 Jul 2012, 16:16 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-694:
I’m sure he’s played with his own balls quite a bit.
13 Jul 2012, 16:17 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-686: Ja… I know that Fernly… But it was shenanigans… Won’t tell of some other little comps… Okes on Keo might think less of me, and I really care about that
13 Jul 2012, 16:19 pm
@Sharks fans are genuine Bok supporters(Predawn)-696: Ja boet… I think some of these okes are getting a bit of a crush on you, me and Fernly…
13 Jul 2012, 16:19 pm
@Fern is not a stud,he is merely no19(Fern)-693: What year was that?
13 Jul 2012, 16:20 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-698:
It’s boring being so popular.
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