Stormers Hero of the Week: Manie Libbok

He was culpable in the poor decision making that cost the Stormers a handy lead in the third quarter, but any mistakes made by the No 10 were far outweighed by Manie Libbok’s positive contributions in the hard fought and exciting Vodacom United Rugby Championship draw with table topping Leinster at the RDS Arena in Dublin.

He and Clayton Blommetjies somehow conspired to put up too many poor contestable kicks when the instruction at halftime, where the Stormers led 17-5, was to hold onto the ball when playing into the teeth of a strong wind and driving rain.

However, the duo made amends when Libbok’s perfectly weighted kick sent the fullback in for the equalising try just when it looked like the momentum was shifting strongly against the visitors.

Libbok featured in both the previous Stormers tries too. He scored the first with a run through the Leinster defenders from close range after a dominant Stormers scrum near the Leinster line.

It was as good a flyhalf try as you’d wish to see. And then it was Libbok who pounced on a loose ball to put in the long range run from deep inside his own half that sent in Sulieman Hartzenberg for the second Stormers try.

For a while it looked like the pacy Libbok would score the try himself but when he felt threatened he had the nous to transfer to the winger who comfortably rounded off the score.

He also kicked a penalty and struck two conversions on a night that was treacherous for place-kicking to end as the Stormers hero in a performance the Cape team could be proud of as they ended what had been a 19-match winning streak for the log leaders in all competitions this season.