The Stormers defied the odds to beat the log-leading Crusaders 28-17 in a fiercely contested Super 14 match at Newlands on Saturday night.
It was a performance that belied the Stormers’ form to date and their first victory of the season at Newlands.
Captain De Wet Barry got the Stormers off to a dream start in the first minute when he intercepted Crusaders hooker Corey Flynn’s pass and scored under the posts. Flyhalf Peter Grant slotted the conversion to give the Newlands faithful early hope that their team’s winning drought at Newlands may be broken.
Crusaders flyhalf Cameron McIntyre replied with a penalty after five minutes, but for the rest of the half it was the Stormers that dominated proceedings in terms of territory and possession.
Grant slotted two penalties, but also missed two — one of which was a sitter. If there could be a criticism about the Stormers’ first-half performance, it’s that they did not adequately convert their pressure into points.
Nevertheless, they showed great passion and commitment, with hooker Schalk Brits, lock Ross Skeate and flank Luke Watson looking particularly lively.
Their much-maligned defence held firm for once and they managed to see off a rare Crusaders attack towards the end of the half.
The question, however, was whether this dominance would last into the second half against the champions.
Thanks to some positive decision-making by Barry, the Stormers carried their momentum into the second half. They were awarded a penalty in kickable distance straight from the kick-off, but Barry ordered Grant to go for touch instead. The Stormers drove from the line-out and when the ball eventually travelled down the line, Grant saw off the attentions of a defender to score a vital try.
Grant again missed the conversion, but he atoned with a penalty in the 56th minute to give the Stormers a commanding 18-point lead that would prove a lost cause for the Crusaders to chase.
They nevertheless set about it manfully and Johnny Leo’o finished off as they mauled their way over.
By then the Crusaders had already brought on All Black flyhalf Dan Carter in an act of desperation and he converted to reduce the deficit to 11 points.
Wave after wave of Crusaders attacks followed, but they were repelled by the Stormers defence. There was one heart-stopping moment when lock Chris Jack was driven over, but the television match official ruled no try.
The match was killed off as a contest five minutes from the end when Stormers tighthead prop Eddie Andrews took Grant’s off-load. Grant’s conversion made it 28-10.
Right wing Rico Gear ran in for a consolation try in the dying seconds, but it was not enough even to salvage the champions a bonus point. — Sapa