Stormers player ratings: Midfield ‘inexcusable’ in defence but bench added ‘power’ to an otherwise ‘underwhelming’ effort
Stormers player ratings: Midfield 'inexcusable' in defence but bench added 'power' to an otherwise 'underwhelming' effort
An understrength and underwhelming Stormers lost 61-10 to Harlequins on Sunday in round three of the Investec Champions Cup.
Here is how we rated the Stormers players:
Backs
15 Warrick Gelant: Kept plenty busy and used his fast feet to try and find a gap in the Quins’ defence. Ultimately kept at bay by the fired-up home side, however. 6
14 Dylan Maart: Fumbled a Marcus Smith spiral to great jeers from the Quins faithful and generally looked unsteady under pressure. Saved somewhat by his athletism, beating numerous players once he had ball in hand and getting on the scoresheet. 5
13 Suleiman Hartzenberg: Terrible in defence, missing an inexcusable six tackles. Was solid in the carry, making 41 metres, but will not be remembered for that. 3
12 Damian Willemse: His day looked to be over early with a head collision, but the Springbok international passed the HIA and returned to the field. It was a mixed performance from the 27-year-old; he lost the ball a couple of times and missed a damning five tackles, but he was heavily involved, assisting a try and making 17 carries, although he was unceremoniously thumped in each and every one. 5
11 Luke Burger: Heavily involved, but not always for the right reasons, looking out of his depth at times, and out of control. He lost the ball on three separate occasions and failed to make much of an impact on either side of the match. 4
10 Jurie Matthee: One of the better players on the day. Looked to be in control whenever he had the ball, but just struggled to receive any front-foot possession. 6
9 Dewaldt Duvenage: He kept the Stormers ticking, but without really testing the Quins’ defence. Guilty of losing the ball twice, but against such a dominant Quins pack, his day was never going to be easy. 4
Forwards
8 Marcel Theunissen: The main blunt instrument in the Stormers‘ attack. In his attempt to drag his side into the game, his indiscipline got the better of him, giving away three penalties. Nobody can argue about his commitment, but his impact was soon swallowed up by the Quins’ defence. 5
7 Ben Jason Dixon: One of the Stormers’ better players on the day. Imperious in the lineout, deadly around the breakdown and unstoppable with the ball. He was one of the few players who were able to contend with the rampant Quins back-row. 7
6 Louw Nel: Returned from injury and struggled on his first appearance back. Although he put the miles in, he was also miles off the pace. Known for his defensive work rate, Nel will be disappointed to have missed the number of tackles that he did. 5
5 Ruben van Heerden: It was a typical second-row performance from the 28-year-old. The lineout maestro was dominant in the air, tackled hard, and did all the basics well. 6
4 Connor Evans: Like his lock partner, he did the basics well and didn’t give an inch. Was vital in defence, tackling hard and ensuring that the opposition tries wouldn’t come through him. 6
3 Zachary Porthen: It was a solid defensive performance, one of the only Stormers men to put a real dent on the home side. Immovable in the scrum. 7
2 Lukhanyo Vokozela: Hit an almost perfect lineout and was one of the busiest players on the field. Although his impact wasn’t as visible as some of his teammates, he led from the front in an otherwise dismal display from his teammates. 6
1 Oliver Kebble: Scrummed well, but was extremely poor in defence and barely involved in attack. 4
Replacements: Combined to help score Stormers’ first and added real power and excitement to a game that had appeared lost. 8