DHL Stormers run riot at DHL Newlands
The DHL Stormers ran in seven tries to pick up an impressive 46-19 bonus point victory over the Sunwolves at DHL Newlands on Friday.
It was the DHL Stormers’ fifth win from six Vodacom Super Rugby games this season, whih sees them consolidate their position at the top of the Africa Conference One following their historic first-ever clash with the Japanese side.
The DHL Stormers made a convincing start to the game, playing with width and taking the ball deep into enemy territory, and it was not long before they were able to open the scoring through a penalty from the boot of flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis.
The hosts kept the pressure on in the Sunwolves’ 22, and it told as flank Sikhumbuzo Notshe powered his way over the tryline from close range, with the conversion from Du Plessis putting them 10-0 up.
With the momentum firmly in their favour, the DHL Stormers set about making it count, and they did not have to wait long for their second try as a great skip pass from Du Plessis saw wing Kobus van Wyk cruise over out wide to make it 15-0 after 20 minutes.
The third try came from a clever move at an attacking lineout as Siya Kolisi slipped the ball to Scarra Ntubeni who snuck over in the corner.
The floodgates were well and truly open, and the fourth try came almost directly from the restart as Cheslin Kolbe broke the defensive line in the 22 before putting Juan de Jongh over for a long-range try, with the conversion from Du Plessis taking the lead out to 27-0 after less than 30 minutes.
The Sunwolves got on the scoreboard towards the end of the first half as fullback Riaan Viljoen took a gap to cross for the try which cut the deficit to 27-5 at the half-time break.
The Sunwolves struck first in the second half, as scrumhalf Yuki Yatomi crossed the whitewash to make it 27-12.
The DHL Stormers responded with their fifth try, as a patient build-up saw the ball worked wide to Notshe who cantered over for his second try on the night to put them 34-12 up.
They followed that up soon afterwards with their sixth try as scrumhalf Louis Schreuder darted through a gap next to a ruck and stepped the last defender to take the DHL Stormers’ lead out to 41-12.
The Sunwolves refused to give in, and they hit back with a second try to Viljoen, which cut the deficit to 41-19 once converted from the touchline.
The Sunwolves were reduced to 14 men for the last eight minutes when lock Timothy Bond was shown a red card for a dangerous tackle on Cheslin Kolbe, and the DHL Stormers would have the final say when Du Plessis hacked the ball ahead to go over for their seventh try which rounded off a comprehensive performance.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Tries: Notshe 2, Van Wyk, Ntubeni, De Jongh, Schreuder, Du Plessis
Cons: Du Plessis 4
Pen: Du Plessis
For Sunwolves:
Tries: Viljoen 2, Yatomi
Cons: Tamura 2
Teams:
DHL Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Schalk Burger, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 JD Schickerling, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 19 Rynhardt Elstadt, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Godlen Masimla, 22 Huw Jones, 23 Damian de Allende.
Sunwolves: 15 Riaan Viljoen, 14 Viliami Lolohea, 13 Mifiposeti Paea, 12 Derek Carpenter, 11 Akihito Yamada, 10 Yu Tamura, 9 Yuki Yatomi, 8 Tomás Leonardi, 7 Ed Quirk, 6 Liaki Moli, 5 Timothy Bond, 4 Shinya Makabe, 3 Takuma Asahara, 2 Shota Horie (captain), 1 Masataka Mikami
Replacements: 16 Takeshi Kizu, 17 Ziun Gu, 18 Shinnosuke Kakinaga, 19 Yoshiya Hosoda, 20 Andrew Durutalo, 21 Atushi Hiwasa, 22 Harumichi Tatekawa, 23 Yasutaka Sasakura.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
Assistant referees: Angus Gardner (Australia), AJ Jacobs (South Africa)
TMO: Johan Greeff (South Africa)
