DHL Stormers in Swansea deadlock

The DHL Stormers were held to a hard-fought 16-16 draw with Ospreys in the rain in Swansea on Friday night.

The draw extends the DHL Stormers’ unbeaten run this season to four matches, following a match which was domiated by the wet conditions.

The first half was a tryless, attritional affair as conditions made for slow going.

The DHL Stormers dominated territory and possession early on and eventually got their reward with a penalty from Manie Libbok.

The visitors then had to show some grit on defence as they held the Ospreys out on their tryline and proceeded to run the turnover from their own 22.

That saw them awarded another penalty and Libbok slotted it from his own half to make it 6-0.

The home side got on the scoreboard with a penalty from flyhalf Stephen Myler, but it was the DHL Stormers who took a slender 6-3 advantage into the break.

The Ospreys were level through a second Myler penalty early in the second half, but the DHL Stormers came up with the opening try with just under a half-hour to play.

Libbok turned the ball inside to Leolin Zas, who burst through the defensive line and drew the last defender before putting Paul de Wet over for the try.

The teams traded penalties in the final stages before a late maul try from the home side levelled matters following a touchline conversion from Myler.

The scorers:

For DHL Stormers:
Try: De Wet
Con: Libbok
Pens: Libbok 3

For Ospreys:
Try: Baldwin
Con: Myler
Pens: Myler 3

DHL Stormers: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Angelo Davids, 13 Alapati Leuia, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Paul de Wet, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Andre-Hugo Venter, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Joseph Dweba, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Ernst van Rhyn, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Willie Engelbrecht, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Sacha Mngomezulu.

Ospreys: 15. Max Nagy, 14. George North, 13. Owen Watkin, 12. Michael Collins, 11. Keelan Giles, 10. Stephen Myler, 9. Rhys Webb (captain), 8. Morgan Morris, 7. Jac Morgan, 6. Ethan Roots, 5. Alun Wyn Jones, 4. Adam Beard, 3. Tomas Francis, 2. Dewi Lake, 1.Nicky Smith.
Replacements: 16. Scott Baldwin, 17. Rhys Henry, 18. Tom Botha, 19. Rhys Davies, 20. Dan Lydiate, 21. Reuben Morgan Williams, 22. Jack Walsh, 23. Luke Morgan.