Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on his way to score his try before injuring himself in the URC quarter-final victory over Cardiff on Saturday in Cape Town.
Image: BackpagePix
The Stormers are through to the semi-finals of the United Rugby Championship (URC) after a hard-fought 44-21 victory over a resilient Cardiff in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
It took the Cape side a while to get onto the scoreboard after dominating the first half, but their second-half performance showed there is still plenty to fix ahead of their clash in the semis.
While they scored six clinical tries, the scoreline should have been much larger after they again failed to convert numerous chances to put points on the board. Even at a time when Cardiff were down to 13 players, the home side only looked to close out the game and could not cross the try line to extend their lead. The only points they managed to secure during this period were three off the boot of replacement flyhalf Jurie Matthee.
However, three five-pointers in the second half by starting flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, flanker Paul de Villiers and a game-sealing try by replacement hooker JJ Kotzé stretched the final result to where it should have been much earlier in the match.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s try proved costly after he injured what looked to be his ankle when tackled behind the try line while trying to dot the ball down closer to the uprights. He was seen on crutches following the final whistle.
The Stormers used their ‘slow poison’ to break down the Cardiff defence in that first forty. It was a cagey start for the opening 20 minutes as the teams peppered each other with box kicks, looking for territorial advantage.
It was the home side that found more success, with returning winger Seabelo Senatla chasing up-and-unders with great vigour, showcasing his hunger on the pitch. He won back several of those kicks or forced errors from the Cardiff defence.
At the resulting scrums, the Stormers showcased their unrivalled power. While there were a couple of initial resets, it quickly resulted in penalties for the Cape side, with loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu causing the most chaos for Cardiff. His opponent, Kieran Assirati, eventually found himself in the sin bin after 32 minutes.
Against the run of play, the visitors scored the first converted try after almost 20 minutes of play, following an intercept that saw them run almost the entire length of the field, with fullback Cam Winnett rounding off after a brilliant break.
But shortly after that, three tries within 12 minutes of each other turned the tide back into the Stormers’ favour, as they bullied Cardiff with their scrums and rolling mauls. Hooker André-Hugo Venter scored off the back of a powerful maul, while Mchunu completed an NFL-style move that caught the visitors out on defence.
Off the back of a lineout, the ball was brilliantly grabbed by flanker Paul de Villiers, who sent Mchunu into a gap with a basketball-style pass to put him away. Winger Leolin Zas also scored a spectacular try for the third score after a pass behind the defender from fullback Damian Willemse put him into space, before he bumped the last defender to go over in the corner.
That second stanza in the first half is the blueprint the Stormers should follow when they play in the semis against either Leinster away in Ireland, or the Lions at home in Cape Town. However, they must improve their game and deliver an 80-minute performance to reach another URC final.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu didn’t look too comfortable on his crutches, but the Cape side will hope his injury is not too serious.
Points scorers
Stormers 44 (21): Tries: André-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Paul de Villiers, JJ Kotzé. Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3), Jurie Matthee. Penalty: Matthee. Cardiff 21 (7): Tries: Cam Winnett, Taine Basham, James Botham. Conversions: Ioan Lloyd (3).