Gio Aplon: Scored the Stormers' opening try
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The Stormers got their Super Rugby campaign off to a fine start when they beat the Hurricanes 39-26 at Newlands in Cape Town.
Joe Pietersen was the home side's hero, contributing 21 points via five penalties and three conversions.
The Stormers dominated proceedings in the first half but suffered a setback in the 15th minute when their inspirational captain Schalk Burger was forced to leave the field with what looked like a serious knee injury.
Gio Aplon opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a fine piece of individualism. The diminutive wing sold the Hurricanes' cover defence a neat dummy close to the halfway mark before racing away for a deserved try.
Burger's exit saw the introduction of Siya Kolisi who made his impact in the 29th minute when he scored the hosts' second try from a driving maul at a line-out.
Pietersen converted both tries and he kept the scoreboard ticking by punishing the Hurricanes' indiscretions.
The visitors' poor discipline played in their own downfall and for some part of the opening half they playedwith 13 men after props Tristan Moran and Ben May were both yellow carded.
Moran was sent off for a deliberately knocking down a Stormers pass in the 27th minute and May got his marching orders for taking a player out in mid-air at a line-out.
Hurricanes centre Tim Bateman kept his team in the match with a try on the stroke of half-time after Beauden Barrett did well to draw in two defenders before slipping a pass away to the former Crusaders midfielder.
This gave the hosts a 23-16 lead at half-time but Barrett scored a runaway try shortly after the re-start and the sides were soon level at 23-all when he kicked the conversion.
Despite this fine comeback, the Hurrcanes' ill-discipline, especially at the rucks, cost them dearly and when the indiscretions were within goal-kicking range Pietersen punished them.
Shortly before the end the visitors' misery was compounded when their replacement prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen was also sent off for a professional foul close to his side's tryline.
This foul also saw the referee awarding a penalty try and Pietersen sealed the win for the hosts with an easy conversion.
The scorers:
For Stormers:
Tries: Aplon, Kolisi, penalty try
Cons: Pietersen 3
Pens: Pietersen 5
Drop: Van Aswegen
For Hurricanes:
Tries: Barrett, Bateman
Cons: Barrett 2
Pens: Barrett 4
Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gerhard van den Heever, 13 Bryan Habana, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Gio Aplon, 10 Gary van Aswegen, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nick Koster, 7 Duane Vermeulen, 6 Schalk Burger (C), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Frans Malherbe, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Siya Kolisi, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Marcel Brache.
Hurricanes: 15 Andre Taylor, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith (c), 12 Tim Bateman, 11 Alapati Leiua, 10 Beauden Barrett, 9 Chris Eaton, 8 Victor Vito, 7 Jack Lam, 6 Faifili Levave, 5 Jason Eaton, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Ben May, 2 Dane Coles, 1 Tristan Moran.
Replacements: 16 Motu Matu'u, 17 Jeffery Toomaga-Allen, 18 James Broadhurst, 19 Brad Shields, 20 TJ Perenara, 21 Daniel Kirkpatrick, 22 Charlie Ngatai.
Referee Marius Jonker (South Africa)
Comments
sukkadoits says...
With all the drama, this was a good game to watch
Posted 21:18 27th February 2012
lawynd says...
I think you've got it right, JayStarr, with one point added to that - you can't have players offside (in front of the ball carrier) before the opposition attempt to tackle them, the same as in open play. It's deliberate obstruction, and the Stormers did get away with it a couple of times. That said, I don't think the eventual result was in doubt and the 'Canes have got to learn to listen to the referee, even if they think they're wrong. Very entertaining game though.
Posted 13:18 27th February 2012
JayStarr says...
@ 7ton: Just from what I understand - you can google the rule book later - I think the rolling maul works as follows:
If you're setting up the rolling maul, but no players from the opposition commit to it, then they can blow you for obstruction / "trucking & trailering"... I think that happened a few times last year with the Stormers - teams deliberately not touching them during the lineout so they can't set up the rolling maul. However, if the maul is set up legally - with opponents opposing - but they then fall off, then you can carry on rolling unapposed without being blown up.
But as I said, this is just how I think it works - I haven't actually checked the rules. I will now though!
Posted 11:21 27th February 2012
7ton says...
Good luck to the Stormers but Hurricanes need to have a discussion about why they were penalised so much as it really cost them.
On a point about the rules can someone help me out as to whether during a rolling maul if there is no defending player pushing against or involved in it at all then is it a penalty against the attacking/mauling team?
Real shame about Shalkburger and I hope he recovers quickly.
@Solitude re "Dirty play"
During the penalty try a Stormer appears to rub his fingers around the eye area of a Hurricane who is pinned on the ground
Posted 11:00 27th February 2012
letsgoboks says...
Bottom line - the ref warned the same players several times before he carded them. Stormers were a bit unlucky as a result of this with the uncontested scrum. They were really dominating the Canes forwards at that stage and couldve capitalised with 2 down.
Van Aswegen was a bit dire. He made too many bad decisions.
Posted 09:15 27th February 2012
squidward says...
Hurricanes played dirty and were justly penalised. I thought the ref did a pretty decent job and hats off to him for stick to the laws of the game and reacting accordingly.
Posted 01:18 27th February 2012
JayStarr says...
@ hayj05: Yes, Jonker blew the Hurricanes ragged... but they were all legitimate penalties. And more importantly, he warned them about it - but they carried on committing the same fouls again and again... So that's not his problem. All the yellow cards were for infringements he consistently warned them about and penalised them for already. It's not surprising that the vast majority of them happened at the lineouts/lifts - where Andries Bekker posed a big threat - and at the mauls - where the Stormers were taking the Hurricanes apart. When you're under pressure and desperate, you make mistakes. And when you get your third penalty for the same offence, you get a yellow card.
The Hurricanes faught valiantly and I was particularly impressed with their good defense (particularly when their players were off)... but at the end of the day they had very little possession, which meant they were under a lot of pressure, which forced them into too many mistakes... and above that they didn't listen to the ref - who could not have been clearer in his communication. That's why they lost.
I think the Hurricanes already showed that they won't be wooden-spoonists this year... They'll struggle, but they're looking much better than everyone thought they would be.
For the Stormers: Seems like our mauls will be our secret weapon once more! The team showed glimpses of their potential, but their performance was very disjointed overall. I am absolutely thrilled that Joe Pietersen is back and very glad that Siya Kolisi is getting a chance. Yes, Schalk Burger is out... but Kolisi is a real live-wire and JdV has always gotten more out of the team as captain - so maybe it's not such a bad thing after all. The new young props Kitschoff and Malherbe did well in the scrum and showed a lot of promise in the loose and Etzebeth looked fantastic. Van Aswegen was a bit disappointing.
Posted 15:29 26th February 2012
meneer says...
@hayj05 - Of course great kiwi ref like Bryce. Jonker was very clear about what he was calling at the breakdown including the tackler assist rule. Kaplan also very similar, clear and in control. Bryce and in fact Dickinson have a lot to learn about the contact area, it does not help when they just ignore what they don't understand.
Posted 11:29 26th February 2012
4rugby says...
I was very ashamed when all the posts from SA were writing posts about NZ cheating there way to a world cup. Now we have an idiot of a New Zealand supporter blaming the ref.
Posted 10:38 26th February 2012
4rugby says...
All the teams were a bit rusty in round 1. I think the Stormers have a lot of potential and will make life difficult for the other teams.The injured Schalk Burger could be a problem.
Posted 08:34 26th February 2012
ABlack says...
not to bad from the hurricanes being only 6 points down with a few mins to go and played much of game with 1 or 2 men down.Would be a big learning curve for the young fellas in the team, which will help them get thru the season and be better for it next year.....
Posted 04:24 26th February 2012
hayj05 says...
The ref was a bloody Jonker. Whistling up the slightest infringement from the Canes & being very leniant towards the Stormers as well as overracting against the Canes. Notice he helped the Stormers get out in front in the first half & when the Canes got back in it he started blowing up everything again. Seriously why have we stopped having neutral refs? I'm a Kiwi & we get NZ refs for NZ teams as well but I don't like it at all. It's about principle because you just never know what these refs are thinking.
Posted 00:53 26th February 2012