DHL Stormers come up just short against Munster
The DHL Stormers went down 26-24 in a tense Vodacom United Rugby Championship encounter with Munster at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
It was a first defeat at home since December 2021, ending a 22-match home winning streak for the defending champions.
Munster struck early with a maul try from hooker Diarmuid Barron to put them 7-0 up.
The DHL Stormers were down to 14 when Seabelo Senatla was shown a yellow card for a high tackle and Barron went in for his second maul try straight after.
The DHL Stormers had the crowd right in behind them and after a period of sustained pressure in the 22 it was Frans Malherbe who went over for the try.
The home side kept pressing and levelled the match on the stroke of half-time as centre Ruhan Nel bashed his way over to make it 12-12 at the break.
The DHL Stormers had an opportunity to take the lead at the start of the second half, but Manie Libbok’s penalty attempt hit the upright.
Instead it was the Irish side to score next as wing Shane Daly scored in the corner against the run of play.
The DHL Stormers refused to give in and were back within two points when captain Steven Kitshoff scored from a maul.
That set up a tense finish, but Munster made it 26-17 with a try from No.8 Gavin Coombes.
To their credit the DHL Stormers never stopped fighting and a try after the hooter from Ruhan Nel saw them take two bonus points in the end.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Tries: Malherbe, Nel 2, Kitshoff
Cons: Libbok 2
For Munster:
Tries: Barron 2, Daly, Coombes
Cons: Crowley, Healy 2
DHL Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Seabelo Seabelo, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Willie Engelbrecht, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Evan Roos, 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Clayton Blommetjies.
