The Stormers got their European journey back on track with a first ever Heineken Champions Cup win at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, beating England’s London Irish 34-14.
The win lifted the Capetonians into the top eight of Pool B, after losing their first match of the tournament 24-14 to Clermont last week.
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— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) December 17, 2022
😅 Late bonus point
🏃 Up and running
🏟️ No place like homehttps://t.co/14LAlYi6ky
With the tournament taking a break until the second week of the new year, the four-try bonus point win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Stormers, who face the Bulls in the United Rugby Championship this week.
The top eight of each pool make it to the playoffs in the Champions Cup and with each team playing four games before the cut, the Stormers knew they couldn’t lose to Irish at home.
And they played like a team with a lot to lose, scoring the first try of the match in the seventh minute via looseforward Willie Engelbrecht.
Following an attacking lineout, the flanker got the ball from prop Steven Kitshoff, before selling a dummy to his teammate again and sailing over (7-0).
That was the only try of the half, as the Stormers added a penalty to make it 10-0.
Die ding het behoorlike geruk at the start of the second half, with a Manie Libbok up-and-under falling in no-man’s land, before being gathered by Leolin Zas. The winger then put away No.8 Hacjivah Dayimani, who showed a clean pair of heels for 50m to make it 17-0.
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
Die Kaap was Hollands when, a couple of minutes later, the Stormers again took it wide, with Dayimani making another break before feeding Paul de Wet on his inside. The scrumhalf then put away Zas to make it 24-0 with a little over 30 minutes to play.
That try klapped the visitors wakker, as they then scored from a rolling maul, before the Stormers added a penalty conversion.
With seven minutes to go at 27-7, FIVE Stormers got their hands on sidesteppng replacement Will Joseph and failed to bring him down as he scored to make it 27-14.
Four minutes from time, Joseph thought he’d score again, but the try was overruled after an infringement by Irish in the build-up, with the Stormers instead getting the last laugh, scoring their bonus-point try via Junior Pokomela after the hooter had gone.
Stormers 34 (10) London Irish 14 (0)
Stormers - Tries: Willie Engelbrecht, Hacjivah Dayimani, Leolin Zas, Junior Pokomela. Conversions: Manie Libbok (4). Penalty goals: Libbok (2).
London Irish - Tries: Mike Willemse, Will Joseph. Conversions: Paddy Jackson (2).
dudley.carstens@inl.co.za