For over an hour it looked like we might be telling the story of more overseas Vodacom United Rugby Championship woe for the DHL Stormers but a late four-try rampage completely changed the narrative as they hit target with a 44-21 win over the Dragons at Rodney Parade on Friday.
The DHL Stormers win a #VURC game in Europe for the first time since October 2022 ✅⌛️ pic.twitter.com/2D1HewouWy
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) May 10, 2024
Going into the last quarter the Stormers were trailing and it has to be said that up to then it had been a very poor night at the office for a team that had not won overseas in the URC since they beat the Zebre in Parma in October 2022.
On a perfect night for their type of rugby, they produced an error ridden performance, particularly in a first half when they were dominated in both the battle for possession and territory and were decidedly fortunate to go into halftime only one point down (11-10).
And in the third quarter they continued their frustrating habit of giving away points just after they had themselves taken the lead.
The first time the Stormers led in the game was when Manie Libbok kicked a 47th-minute penalty, and then immediately they conceded a penalty of their own and Warrick Reed kicked it to regain the lead for the hosts.
They regained the lead with another Libbok kick after a scrum penalty forced by Neethling Fouche after 56 minutes but then the Dragons scored their second try, with the hosts playing advantage well after a Stormers knock-on and Wales No 8 Aaron Wainwright dotting down near the touchline.
LAST QUARTER OWNED BY VISITORS
That was on the hour mark, and the successful conversion from replacement flyhalf Angus O’Brien put the 14th placed Dragons five points clear with 20 minutes to go.
It wasn’t a good script that was developing for the Stormers, but they changed it by making that last quarter belong completely to them.
Man-of-the-match Warrick Gelant put Angelo Davids in for his second try in the 67th minute with his good draw of an opponent and deft pass.
Edge of your seat kind of rugby from DHL @THESTORMERS😤@Vodacom #URC | #DRAvSTO pic.twitter.com/XnfdqJJ53P
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 10, 2024
The fullback had also featured in the first Davids try, and what an important try that was for the Stormers, with Gelant setting it up with a break and then pinpoint cross kick that sat up perfectly for the former Blitzbok star.
Gelant with the kick 😍 🤝 Davids with the step 🕺@Vodacom #URC | #DRAvSTO pic.twitter.com/QU79SZIwXh
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 10, 2024
Libbok had his kicking boots firmly laced on in this match and his conversion from the touchline put the Stormers back into a lead they were never to relinquish.
The match clinching score came in the 71st minute, not long after the Dragons, who were starting to wilt, lost a man to a yellow card.
Up to that point Stormers captain Salmaan Moerat had elected to kick all kickable penalties to the posts, but this time he chose to set up the attacking lineout.
And the Stormers pack made no mistake with a strong driving maul as Evan Roos dotted down.
Libbok’s angled conversion put the Stormers nine points clear with less than eight minutes to go.
It was game, set and match, but there was still the small matter of a bonus point try for the Stormers to go for.
Whereas just a few minutes earlier they would have just been happy with a victory, they had their ultimate goal in sight, and some more X-factor play from Gelant, this time metres out from the Dragons line, put in Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to make sure it would be a full house of five log points that the Stormers would bank for their night out.
It was replacement back Feinberg-Mngomezulu who squeezed over in the right corner on the final whistle for the Stormers’ fifth try and a scoreline that hardly told the full story of a game where the Stormers struggled most of the way.
A moment of beauty from @THESTORMERS 😍
— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) May 10, 2024
Libbok ⏭ Hartzenberg ⏭ Du Plessis ⏭ Feinberg-Mngomezulu@Vodacom #URC | #DRAvSTO pic.twitter.com/fVWMyNLVEF
SOME DISTURBING STATS
Indeed, before they get to Galway next week to face Connacht there are several aspects of their game that need sorting, not least their lineouts and their protection of possession.
They conceded seven penalties in the first half and that contributed to their failure to get out of first gear.
There were some other telling statistics from the first half, such as that the Dragons enjoyed 74 per cent of possession and also dominated the territory, while they managed to go through just 37 phases to the Dragons’ 78 by the five minute mark of the second half.
Another interesting yet disturbing fact - the Dragons went beyond five phases six times in that period to the Stormers’ just once.
But it is from transition play that the Stormers are their most dangerous, and the first Davids try, with the Stormers trailing 11-3 after 35 minutes, was an example of their ability to make something out of virtually nothing.
The Stormers had been 11-0 down just short of the half hour mark, but suddenly they were back in the game and there was just one point in it.
When Davids scored his second try it came off the most sustained Stormers attack of the match as they did what they do best by creating something out of chaos.
Up until the midpoint of the second half the Dragons had managed to do what is needed to match or beat the Stormers, meaning limit transition opportunities.
But they couldn’t sustain it over 80 minutes and the Stormers were brutal and clinical in delivering the coup de grace.
A crucial five points at Rodney Parade. On to the next challenge. #DRAvSTO #iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/XmYvEnsAvo
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 10, 2024
Scores
DHL Stormers 44 - Tries: Angelo Davids 2, Evan Roos and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2; Conversions: Manie Libbok 5; Penalties: Manie Libbok 3.
Dragons 21 - Tries: Harri Keddie and Aaron Wainwright; Conversion: Angus O’Brien; Penalties: Will Reeve 2.