Stormers Coach Gert Smal and captain Selborne Boome could hardly contain their delight after securing a semi-final berth in the Super 12 when they beat the Sharks 31-24 in Durban on Saturday.
However, the downside for finishing third on the log means yet another trip to the Antipodes. Victory celebrations will hardly be over when the Stormers find themselves on a late Sunday night flight to Christchurch, where they will take on the Crusaders in the semi-final next weekend.
In a rather laid back media conference, Smal and Boome expressed delight in the manner in which the Stormers fought back from an opening burst by the Sharks, that saw the Cape side 12-0 down before one could even blink.
”We just stuck to our guns and revealed the potential that has been apparent all season,” said Smal.
Boome agreed that his men had lifted themselves above all adversity, which has seen his side reaching astonishing highs and lows in this Super 12 thus far.
Now they find themselves ready to fight to bring the Super 12 trophy back to South Africa for the first time.
”I guess we will find South African rugby fans united in their support for us as it is now a matter of national interest and pride for one and all,” predicted Boome.
The Cape side overcame the early 12-0 deficit in a battle of high emotion that ended with a spectacular fifth try for the men in black, on the stroke of full-time by flanker Schalk Burger.
But by then Stormers fullback Werner Greeff had grabbed the all-important fourth try to earn the valuable bonus point, that carries them into an away semi-final against the Crusaders in New Zealand next weekend.
While the Sharks slipped to their fourth home defeat in a row, they can take a lot of hope into the upcoming Bankfin Currie Cup tournament as they produced a stirring start and a stirring finish that ensured that the Stormers earned their spurs the hard way.
The Sharks, however, were disrupted in their game plan when flyhalf Butch James was injured early in the game and coach Kevin Putt was forced to change is line-up quite considerably. It was compounded when eighthman Russell Winter was correctly yellow-carded by referee Mark Lawrence for a high tackle and spent 10 valuable minutes in the sin bin either side of half-time.
Earlier, the Stormers’ hopes appeared to have been put on the backburner almost immediately after the opening whistle.
After five minutes they were fortunate not to be more than five points down as ace kicker Butch James had missed a conversion and a penalty attempt. The conversion was from out wide after centre Trevor Halstead had made a mockery of the Cape defenders with a delicate side-step to send his co-centre Adrian Jacobs scurrying for the unprotected line.
A couple of kicks ahead gave Stormers supporters a semblance of hope but all the running came from the Sharks and when wing Henno Mentz eluded three tackles with effervescent team-mate Brent Russell at his shoulder, it was try number two inside of the first quarter.
With Butch James having been upended in a heavy midfield tackle — he left the field soon afterwards — scrumhalf Noel Oelschig was entrusted with the kicking duties and celebrated by converting to make it 12-0.
With James out the Sharks moved Russell from fullback to flyhalf, Ricardo Loubsher to the Number 15 berth and Deon Kayser came on as right wing.
The Stormers woes were compounded when they won a lineout and for once had the Sharks in a great deal of bother, only for skipper Selborne Boome to fumble the final pass with the line at his mercy. More was to follow when flyhalf Gaffie du Toit was asked to take a long range penalty but was well wide of the mark.
But there was no lack of effort from the Stormers and they were back in contention after 28 minutes when a double-back flip pass form Schalk Burger gave hooker Pieter Dixon the opening they so desperately needed. Du Toit added the two points and the visitors were back in contention at 12-7.
Then the Sharks gave away an unnecessary midfield penalty for pushing, but escaped when Du Toit hit the upright from 45 metres out and got out of jail again when winger Tonderai Chavhanga came within a whisker to scoring a third Stormers try on the stroke of half-time, but luckily he was bundled into touch a metre or two out.
Within a minute of the restart Chavhanga got his reward as his speed carried him wide for the Stormers third try. Du Toit missed the conversion attempt.
It was now a new ball game. The Sharks thrusts were being well contained and the Stormers were in full flight for the bonus point and it came 53 minutes into the game with fullback Greeff picking up a loose ball and racing full tilt for the line from 30 metres out. Du Toit converted this time to put the Stormers in a comfortable 26-12 lead.
Tries by Trevor Halstead and John Smit and a Russell conversion reduced the deficit to two points before Burger, with his second try, set up a trip to Crusaders territory.
Scorers:
Stormers: Tries: Schalk Burger (2), Pieter Dixon, Werner Greeff, Tanderai Chavhanga. Conversions: Gaffie du Toit (3).
Sharks: Tries: Adrian Jacobs, Henno Mentz, Trevor Halstead, John Smit. Conversions: Noel Oeshlig (1), Brent Russell (1). – Sapa