Replacement flank Junior Pokomela scored a driving maul try well after the hooter to ensure that the DHL Stormers’ 34-14 win over London Irish in their first home Heineken Champions Cup match was mission accomplished.
There was never much doubt the Stormers would win the game, although after a trio of injuries to key players they did look a bit makeshift in the third quarter and could have been in trouble had Will Jordan’s second try, which would have brought his team back to within five of the Stormers, been allowed. Instead it was disallowed because of foul play in the build-up.
What was in doubt right until the end though was the try-scoring bonus point that the Stormers would surely have targeted as an imperative for this home game after they failed to pick up any log points when they went to Clermont last week.
It seemed for most of the first half that the try-scoring bonus point would be ticked off fairly easily - only the dominance the Stormers enjoyed just wasn’t converted into points.
Willie Engelbrecht scored a good try as the ball was moved from an attacking lineout in the ninth minute, and it looked as if Salmaan Moerat had rounded off a great hand to hand movement sparked by a good pass from No 8 and man of the match Hacjivah Dayimani in the 25th minute.
The only problem was that Dayimani’s initial pass was ruled forward, with the decision being made by the TMO after the conversion had been kicked and when the match was about to restart.
The old one-two between the big men after a stunning @theStormers break but their second is chalked off by the TMO for a forward pass ??
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2022
One of the greatest tries that never was? #HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/6TeRrP2hDn
The Stormers had several opportunities to score in the first half, but when Manie Libbok finally elected to aim a kickable penalty at the posts with three minutes to go, it was an acknowledgement that London Irish had done their job of keeping themselves in the game.
The Stormers’ 10-0 lead became 17-0 a minute after halftime when wing Leolin Zas intercepted and then brought in the pace of Dayimani, who ran half the length of the field for the try.
Another smooth @thestormers attack from their own 22 and this one stands ??
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2022
The gas from Hacjivah Dayimani too ??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/DXADldimCt
NERVY LAST THREE MINUTES
Zas himself drove over for the next one as the Stormers’ attacking game came to the fore, and at 24-0 after 45 minutes it looked like the hosts were on their way to a one-sided victory.
Dayimani is on fire ??
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2022
Coast-to-coast rugby from @thestormers and Leolin Zas powers over for the hosts’ third try ??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/adsWaKfGNj
Throughout the game though they were stymied by their error-rate, with the lineout often malfunctioning in the first half, and too many ball being mishandled.
It appeared both teams took a while getting used to what was expected from the French referees in the set-scrums.
Stormers coach John Dobson referred to Irish during the week as “the walking dead” because of their reputation for coming back and just not given up even when well beaten.
It was nearly to prove prophetic, as London Irish did come back after that to score two tries and very nearly a third that would have subjected the Stormers to a nervy last three minutes.
Hooker Mike Willemse is powered over the line from a driving maul and @londonirish are on the board ??
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2022
The start of a famous comeback perhaps?#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/IZYIuXYUQl
Those feet ??
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) December 17, 2022
Stepping and slaloming past five defenders, @londonirish’s Will Joseph scores a memorable try to apply some pressure on the hosts ??#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Vgj0EqXLrz
The visitors have a reputation for being a team that loves to give the ball air on attack and they showed where that reputation comes from in the last quarter as they committed themselves to all-out attack. With a bit of luck, they might even have come back to complete one of the great comebacks.
Instead though it was the Stormers who got their bit between their teeth in the last three minutes and then into the period after the hooter that was extended by a series of penalties awarded to the Stormers. The Irish kept thwarting the Stormers’ attempts to drive over through illegal means, but eventually the Stormers got it right.
With a big Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby against the Bulls now just six days away, the injury situation might have been even more newsworthy than the win for the Stormers, as Moerat, who was extremely impressive before being helped off the field on a golf cart, and Zas and Ruhan Nel all left the field injured during the game.
The Stormers did look decidedly makeshift and disjointed without those players so the Stormers coaches will be hoping the injuries don’t cause too much havoc with the selection for next week.
SCORES
DHL STORMERS 34 - Tries: Willie Engelbrecht, Hacjivah Dayimani, Leolin Zas and Junior Pokomela; Conversions: Manie Libbok 4; Penalties: Manie Libbok 2.
LONDON IRISH 14 - Tries: Mike Willemse and Will Joseph; Conversions: Paddy Jackson 2.