DHL Stormers run rampant in Northampton
The DHL Stormers scored seven tries on their way to a 45-29 win against Northampton Saints in an entertaining exhibition game at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday.
Outscoring the Gallagher Premiership logleader by seven tries to five, there was plenty for the crowd to enjoy in a friendly match played in great spirits.
The home side scored first as wing Will Glister picked up a loose ball to race away. However, the DHL Stormers hit back soon as centre Wandisile Simelane got on the end of an attacking kick to go over.
The DHL Stormers did not take long to hit the lead when No.8 Keke Morabe scored an incredible individual try, picking the ball up at a ruck, stepping a defender and racing away to score.
There was more clever attacking kicking which resulted in the third try, with flank Junior Pokomela finishing off a good team effort.
Glister got the second for the home side after a good run from former DHL Stormer Juarno Augustus, but the visitors would go over for their fourth try when scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer showed great awareness to take a quick tap after an attacking scrum to score between the poles.
Northampton had the final say in an entertaining first half, with South African centre Burger Odendaal scoring to make it 26-19 at half time and seven tries in the first 40 minutes.
The DHL Stormers dominated territory and possession in the first 20 minutes of the second half without scoring. Instead it would be Northampton to score first after half-time when replacement Jake Garside raced away to score in the corner and bring them within two points.
The DHL Stormers would pull away in the final stages as Connor Evans, Hacjivah Dayimani and Pokomela all added tries to help secure what was a comfortable win in the end.
Evan took a pass from scrumhalf Godlen Masimla, who had made a great read to intercept in Northampton’s half, and the big lock galloped away to score in the corner.
Dayimani was on the wing and he got on the end of a kick ahead from Masimla to score and then whipped off his jersey to reveal a Northampton Saints jersey underneath, to the delight of the crowd.
Pokomela finished off a good team effort at the death to put the full stop on what was a fluid attacking display from the DHL Stormers.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Tries: Simelane, Morabe, Pokomela 2, Ungerer, Evans, Dayimani
Cons: Matthee 5
For Northampton Saints:
Tries: Glister 2, Odendaal, Garside, Graham
Cons: Savala 3
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Chris Hollis, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Ben Loader, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Junior Pokomela, 6 Willie Engelbrecht, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Gary Porter, 3 Sazi Sandi, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Brok Harris (captain).
Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Scarra Ntubeni, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Nama Xaba, 22 Marcel Theunissen, 23 Godlen Masimla, 24 Hacjivah Dayimani, 25 Damian Markus, 26 Suleiman Hartzenberg.
Northampton Saints: 15 Jake Garside, 14 Will Glister, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Burger Odendaal, 11 Ollie Sleightholme, 10 Charlie Savala, 9 Callum Braley, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Sam Matavesi, 3 Trevor Davison, 4 Tom Lockett, 5 Chunya Munga, 6 Angus Scott-Young, 7 Lewis Ludlam (c), 8 Juarno Augustus.
Replacements: Robbie Smith, Tom Cruse, Alex Waller, Ethan Waller, Paul Hill, Temo Mayanavanua, Alex Moon, Geordie Irvine, Kayde Sylvester, Sam Graham, Tom James, Rory Hutchinson, Tom Seabrook, Ewan Baker, Alfie Garside.
