Africa-Press – South-Africa. Cape Town Stadium
The Stormers have pulled off the greatest escape, through a last-gasp Warrick Gelant try and Manie Libbok conversion long after the full-time hooter sounded to edge Ulster 17-15 in Saturday’s United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final.
It was the most thrilling of spectacles in Cape Town, and when the flags were raised after Libbok’s conversion sneaked in the right-hand upright, the home crowd could not control themselves. If there was a roof on this iconic sporting venue, it would have blown off into the evening sky.
Stormers coach John Dobson had come out into the press box to watch that kick and he, too, could not contain his emotions as he jumped up and down, waving his arms into the air.
The score was 15-10 to Ulster at half-time, and it stayed that way all the way up until Gelant finished off down the left as the Stormers, somehow, stayed alive.
Cape Town Stadium will now host the dream all-South African final next weekend when the Stormers host the Bulls for the URC title.
This is now a day to remember for everyone involved with the Stormers, but it was so very nearly one to forget as they delivered one of their worst home performances of the campaign.
The hosts started brightly and took a 10-0 lead after two unconverted tries by JJ Kotze and Evan Roos.
But little else went well for them after that as they slumped to a 15-10 deficit that saw them finish with 14 men as replacement forward Adre Smith was red-carded on 71 minutes.
At that moment, the Stormers looked dead and buried.
The home crowd provided another electric atmosphere, but they were left continuously frustrated by the calls of Scottish referee Mike Adamson, right up until the final few moments of the match.
Those decisions will no doubt be a talking point in the aftermath, but if the Stormers are brutally honest with themselves, they will acknowledge that they let themselves down with a display that was error-ridden and plagued by puzzling decisions.
Libbok, one of the Stormers’ stars players this season, had a woeful day in the No 10 jersey as he kicked aimlessly and failed to dictate play.
His kick to win the game came under immense pressure, though, and he showed his calmness and composure when it mattered most.
One of the major talking points in the build-up had been the near-miraculous comeback of inside centre Damian Willemse, who recovered from the arm injury that kept him out of last weekend’s quarter-final to start.
Willemse’s left arm was heavily strapped, and Dobson would have been thrilled to see his midfield general get through his first contact unscathed when he made a hit and forced a turnover to spark the first roar from the Cape Town crowd.
The kick into touch from that resulting penalty was perfect from Libbok, and the Stormers rolling maul then found momentum as the crowd noise became deafening.
Referee Adamson then awarded a penalty try, but changed his mind on the advice of the touch judge, deciding that hooker Kotze went over to give the Stormers the perfect start. Libbok missed the conversion, but 5-0 inside five minutes was exactly what South Africans wanted to see.
The Stormers’ second try was a training ground masterclass and as clinical as they come.
From another attacking lineout, the ball came off the top quickly as the hosts set up to go left. The Ulster defence was sold by the dummy, and Herschel Jantjies and Evan Roos then combined for some neat passing down the right flank as the latter went over.
It was a superb try, and a moment that showed exactly how far this team has come under Dobson this year.
Libbok again missed his conversion, and an opportunity to really drive home his side’s strong start was lost with those two early misses.
Ulster were 10-0 down, but they knew from their group stages trip to Cape Town back in March – they lost 23-20 – that they could exchange blows with the Stormers and stay in the contest.
They had their first reward on 17 minutes when right wing Robert Baloucoune finished off after the overlap had been created, but the crowd was far from happy and begged referee Adamson to look at the final pass, believing it had gone forward. The referee was satisfied, though, and the only relief the home fans got was when the conversion was missed.
The Stormers had started brightly, but as the half progressed, errors started creeping into their game while there were some questionable options taken with ball in hand.
There was no doubting the legality of Ulster’s second try, as Baloucoune this time turned provider as he released fullback Stewart Moore, also down the right.
For both of those first-half Ulster tries, the Stormers defence had been stretched with players sucked into the breakdown.
Libbok wasn’t having his best day at the office, and when he missed a drop goal attempt from close range, the crowd starting making their frustrations heard.
To make matters worse, Ulster were then awarded a late first-half penalty that John Cooney knocked over to take his side into the break 15-10 up.
The Stormers had certainly delivered strong moments in that period, but they were not consistent enough in their execution and it left them with a lot to do in the second half to book their spot in the finale.
It didn’t help that the handling errors continued for the hosts after the restart, and they were guilty of dropping balls just as attacks began to look promising.
There was a huge period of play on around 55 minutes when Ulster were camped on the Stormers line, bashing away and setting up rolling mauls, but somehow the defence held on as the South Africans kept the scoreline at 15-10 heading into the final 20 minutes.
After surviving that onslaught, the Stormers then finally found some attacking momentum and spent a good chunk in the Ulster 22m area.
Skipper Steven Kitshoff turned down three points more than once, opting instead to chase the try that would put the Stormers back in the lead, but on 69 minutes Vermeulen silenced the Cape Town crowd by winning a penalty turnover that allowed his side to clear their lines.
It was a momentous play from a man who is a legend in these parts, and with 10 minutes left the Stormers were getting desperate.
They threw everything at Ulster and came close on numerous occassions, and eventually they had their reward when Gelant went over down the left.
South African rugby, in its first season of URC, now has two teams in the final, and next weekend’s derby is set to be a mammoth affair.
Scorers
Stormers 17 (10)
Tries: JJ Kotze, Evan Roos, Warrick Gelant
Conversions: Manie Libbok
Ulster 15 (15)
Tries: Robert Baloucoune, Stewart Moore
Conversions: John Cooney
Penalty: Cooney
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