The Stormers have kicked off their United Rugby Championship campaign with a five-point win over Connacht, securing a 29-15 victory in Galway on Friday evening. The Cape side was led by a strong performance from hooker André-Hugo Venter, who was named Player of the Match. Despite injury disruptions to key forwards Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen before kick-off, the Stormers dominated large parts of the game.
The Stormers' victory was sealed by two tries from debutants Vernon Paulo and Ezekiel Ngobeni, who came on late in the contest. Paulo powered over for the five-pointer that secured a seven-point lead, while Ngobeni chased down a kick by winger Seabelo Senatla from their own half to secure the win. The Stormers had a strong display in the scrums and mauls, holding a 10-0 lead after 35 minutes.
However, the Stormers squandered opportunities with soft errors, allowing Connacht to fight back and score two tries before halftime. The game was 12-10 in Connacht's favor at halftime, but the Stormers' solid defence and rolling maul ensured that the momentum stayed with them. They kept the home side from crossing the try line again, with Connacht only able to slot a penalty to add to their halftime tally.
The Stormers had ample chances to put the result to bed, but failed to capitalize on the chances they created with all the ball possession. Captain Ruhan Nel intercepted, but the communication between him and winger Leolin Zas on his inside was missing, and Connacht winger Mack Hansen made a try-saving tackle on Nel. Flyhalf Jurie Matthee also knocked the ball on in a tackle after it looked like he had sprinted away for a try.
Despite the errors, the Stormers will take five points away from home, especially in a tricky place like Galway and at the start of the season. They’ve achieved half of their goal on tour, and now they can set their sights on Edinburgh for a second victory and full points from the first two matches of the new season.
The points scorers for the Stormers were Warrick Gelant, Sazi Sandi, Vernon Paulo, and Ezekiel Ngobeni, with conversions from Jurie Matthee and Yaqeen Ahmed, and a penalty from Matthee. For Connacht, the tries were scored by Mack Hansen and Josh Ioane, with a conversion and penalty from Sam Gilbert.
The win is a positive start to the URC season for the Stormers, who had to contend with injuries to key players before the match. The team will look to build on this performance in their next match against Edinburgh.
Key points
- Stormers secure 29-15 win over Connacht in United Rugby Championship opener
- Two tries from debutants Vernon Paulo and Ezekiel Ngobeni sealed the win for the Stormers
- The Stormers will look to build on this performance in their next match against Edinburgh
