DHL Stormers make history back on home turf
Flyhalf Damian Willemse kicked 14 points as the DHL Stormers beat Munster in a thrilling 34-19 bonus-point win at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
The DHL Stormers scored four tries to take all five points in their first home game of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship season after a three-week European tour.
This victory marked the DHL Stormers’ first triumph over Munster in five encounters in the Vodacom URC.
The DHL Stormers opened the scoring with winger Suleiman Hartzenberg intercepting a loose Munster pass and sprinting nearly the length of the field for a sixth-minute try. Willemse’s conversion made it 7-0.
Munster briefly thought they had struck back through fullback Mike Haley in the right corner, but his touchdown was disallowed for a forward pass.
The visitors eventually levelled the score at 7-7 through Tom Farrell’s converted try after a charged-down clearance.
Hooker Eoghan Clarke’s rolling maul try put Munster ahead 12-7, but the DHL Stormers responded with flanker Marcel Theunissen powering over from a quick-tap penalty. Willemse added the extras to regain the ascendancy for the hosts and a 14-12 half-time lead.
The DHL Stormers extended their advantage early in the second half as centre Ruhan Nel crossed in the corner, with Willemse’s conversion making it 21-12.
Munster replied through Gavin Coombes’ try, narrowing the gap to 21-19 with 10 minutes remaining. However, Willemse kept his cool, slotting a penalty in the 76th minute before following it up with a well-struck drop goal.
Nel then sealed the victory, soaring in under the posts to complete his brace, with Willemse converting for an empathic win for the DHL Stormers on home turf.
The DHL Stormers will next face the Glasgow Warriors at Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch on Saturday, 26 October.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Tries: Hartzenberg, Theunissen, Nel 2
Cons: Willemse 4
Pen: Willemse
DG: Willemse
For Munster:
Tries: Farrell, Clarke, Coombes
Cons: Crowley 2
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis (captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Keke Morabe, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Sti Sithole.
Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Brok Harris, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Dave Ewers, 21 Louw Nel, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Jurie Matthee.
Munster: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Seán O’Brien, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Conor Murray, 8 Jack O’Donoghue, 7 Alex Kendellen, 6 Tom Ahern, 5 Tadhg Beirne (captain), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 John Ryan, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Jeremy Loughman.
Replacements: 16 Eoghan Clarke, 17 Kieran Ryan, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Ruadhán Quinn, 21 Ethan Coughlan, 22 Billy Burns, 23 Gavin Coombes.
