The Stormers kicked off their United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign with a convincing 29-15 bonus-point win over Connacht in Galway on Friday. Coach John Dobson praised his team's resolve, saying it required an extraordinary effort to secure the victory. The Stormers were without No 8 Evan Roos and loose forward replacement Marcel Theunissen due to soft tissue injuries sustained during training. Despite the setbacks, the team showed great character to emerge victorious.
The Stormers dominated the early stages, with captain Ruhan Nel grabbing an intercept and being hauled down just short of the tryline. Jurie Matthee knocked over a penalty to give them an early lead, and they followed up with a try through Warrick Gelant. The visitors' forwards earned the advantage, and scrumhalf Andre Warner put it onto his toe, allowing Gelant to collect the grubber and score. This gave the Stormers a double-figure lead, but they failed to capitalize on further scoring opportunities.
The home side responded strongly, scoring two tries just before halftime to take a 12-10 lead into the break. The Stormers started the second half in the ascendancy, but Seabelo Senatla was held up in the corner. The hosts managed to score next, kicking a penalty after Matthee had missed an attempt of his own. However, the Stormers made several changes up front, which paid off as a storming maul put them in position for Sazi Sandi to power over and put them back in front.
With 20 minutes left, the Stormers were back in front at 17-15, but they continued to press for more. Their efforts paid off late in the game, as Vernon Paulo and Ezekiel Ngobeni both crossed the whitewash to seal the bonus-point win. Dobson attributed the win to his team's process, saying they deserved to win despite making some mistakes. He praised the team's plan, but noted areas for improvement, particularly in the second half.
Dobson expressed his pride in the team's performance, saying he was very proud of the way they played. He acknowledged that the game could have been easier if they had converted their chances when they were 10-0 ahead before halftime. However, given the disruptions to their preparations, he considered it an extraordinary performance. The win was a great start for the Stormers, who earned five points in a tough away game.
The Stormers' victory was marked by notable performances from debutants Vernon Paulo and Ezekiel Ngobeni, who both scored tries. Their efforts contributed to a strong finish for the team, who secured a full haul of five points. In other URC matches, the Lions beat Leinster 27-26, the Sharks defeated the Ospreys 41-24, and the Bulls thrashed Zebre 47-13.
The Stormers' win sets a positive tone for their URC campaign, with coach John Dobson pleased with the result. He highlighted the significance of winning away from home, particularly against a team like Connacht, who are known to be tough opponents on their own ground. The Stormers will look to build on this performance in their upcoming matches.
Key points
- The Stormers secured a bonus-point win over Connacht in their URC opener.
- Coach John Dobson praised his team's resolve and performance despite disruptions to their preparations.
- The win marked a strong start for the Stormers, who earned five points in a tough away game.
