/ 21 February 2010

Habana double gives Stormers Super 14 win

Wing Bryan Habana grabbed two second-half tries to help the Stormers beat the New South Wales Waratahs 27-6 in the Super 14 on Saturday.

New signing Habana, scorer of 36 tries in 57 Tests, dived over in the 43rd and 55th minutes as the home team picked up their second straight win to climb to fourth in the table.

Fullback Joe Pietersen, who recorded 21 points in the opening round, added 12 more this time from three conversions and two penalties.

The Waratahs, runners-up in 2005 and 2008, opened the scoring in the 18th minute with the first of two penalties from flyhalf Berrick Barnes but the Australians could find no way through the home defence.

The Stormers claimed three unanswered tries and got their first on the half-hour when flanker Francois Louw burrowed over from a lineout drive that was referred to the television match official. Pietersen kicked the conversion for a 7-3 lead.

The diminutive fullback then gave the home side a 13-3 cushion at the break with two penalties.

Barnes cut the deficit to seven points but any hopes of a second-half revival were dashed when Habana made it 20-6 after an opportunistic charged down try from the restart.

The Springbok then sliced through from close range to open a 21-point lead.

“It was a tough game but we’re happy with the win and with the way we played out there,” said man of the match Andries Bekker. – Reuters