URC result: Stormers overpower Cardiff to make semifinals
· Citizen
The Stormers were powered by their imperious scrum, as they overpowered a game Cardiff team 44-21 in their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinal at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Visit saltysenoritaaz.com for more information.
It was a superb all-round performance at the set piece for the Stormers, as their scrum fired, their lineout was solid, and they scored a couple of maul tries in a strong showing in front of a packed home support.
But Cardiff showed that making the URC playoffs was no fluke, with them scoring the first try of the match, and were well in the hunt with the score 26-21 going into the final quarter, before the Stormers pulled away with two late tries and penalties.
The Stormers enjoyed a strong start to the match, with their scrum dominating from the start, but both teams had chances in each other’s 22m in the first 15 minutes, but the respective defences held strong.
Cardiff then broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with a fortuitous score, after defending on their own line for a spell.
Intercept try
Stormers scrumhalf Imad Khan tried to flick the ball out wide, only for Cardiff wing Jacob Beetham to snaffle an intercept and sprint away, before putting fullback Cam Winnett over in the corner for the converted score in the 19th minute.
The Stormers hit back five minutes later to level the scores as a few penalties allowed them to kick into the corner, where they secured the lineout, set the maul and forced it over for Andre-Hugo Venter to dot down.
In the 29th minute the hosts took the lead for the first time with a superb lineout move on the Cardiff 5m.
Venter threw the ball to flank Ben-Jason Dixon, who gave it to fellow loose forward Paul de Villiers, and he handed it off to rampaging prop Ntuthuko Mchunu on the loop, as he powered over to score, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu adding the extras for a 14-7 lead.
In the 32nd minute Cardiff were finally punished for their creaking scrum, as prop Keiron Assiratti was sent to the bin after repeated scrum penalties.
That allowed the Stormers to take advantage and in the 36th they went further ahead after Ruhan Nel was held up ober the line, with them attacking from the goal line drop out, fullback Damian Willemse fed wing Leolin Zas, for him to bump off a defender and race away to score in the corner.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s slotted the conversion from the touchline which gave them a 21-7 lead which they took into halftime.
Cardiff come back
Cardiff got off to a good start in the second half and scored in the 45th minute, with eighthman Taine Basham attacking off the back of a scrum on the Stormers 5m, and bashing over, with flyhalf Ioan Lloyd adding the extras.
But the Stormers hit back seven minutes later, after a poor cross kick from Lloyd was caught by wing Seabelo Senatla, who offloaded to Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the loop and he sprinted away to score, but also injured his ankle dotting down and was replaced by Jurie Mathee, with the score 26-14.
In the 60th minute Cardiff got themselves back into range, as they kicked onto the Stormers 5m, secured the lineout and saw their maul stopped short, before flank James Botham reached over and scored from close range, as they reduced the deficit to five points.
However it was all Stormers over the rest of the match, with Cardiff replacement prop Javon Sebastian yellow carded for repeated infringements in the 63rd minute.
The Stormers took immediate advantage, kicking to the corner and setting the maul to rumble over for De Villiers to dot down, while in the 69th minute Mathee slotted a penalty to put them 34-21 up.
Two late scores then added gloss to the scoreline, with replacement hooker JJ Kotze hitting a gap to go over for a converted try, before Mathee added another penalty on the fulltime hooter.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Andre-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Paul de Villiers, JJ Kotze; Conversions – Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3), Jurie Mathee; Penalties – Jurie Mathee (2)
Cardiff: Tries – Cam Winnett, Taine Basham, James Botham; Conversions – Ioan Lloyd (3)