Ulster v Stormers: Five takeaways as Springboks veteran’s ‘gutting injury’ mars epic stalemate as URC officials make bold penalty try call
Deon Fourie injury and an inset of Ulster's Werner Kok
Following a thrilling 38-all draw between Ulster and the Stormers, here are our five takeaways from the United Rugby Championship clash on Friday.
The top line
A helter-skelter at the Affidea Stadium as Ulster and the Stormers threw everything they had at one another in an all-action epic befitting of a top-eight United Rugby Championship encounter.
These two clubs have a history of producing thoroughly entertaining, closely fought encounters, and today was no exception, with Ulster landing the killer blow through Eric O’Sullivan with just five minutes left on the clock.
Or so we thought, as there was one final, massive twist as the Stormers went in search of a draw, and they looked to have been denied as Nathan Doak seemingly saved the day with a clutch try-saving tackle. However, upon review, the scrum-half was deemed to have made a dangerous tackle, was yellow carded, and the visitors were awarded a penalty try to level the scores.
That decision broke the trend of outcomes between these two sides, as in the previous five meetings, the hosting club had come out on top with just one of the games decided by more than seven points.
The even nature of this fixture was clearly evident in the early knockings of the clash as Werner Kok opened the scoring for the hosts in the third minute, latching onto a peach of a pass from Jack Murphy. It didn’t take long for the Stormers to reply as Evan Roos crossed for his 12th try of the URC campaign before the first major talking point of the game occurred with Iain Henderson given his marching orders for a terrible clear-out on Deon Fourie, ending both players’ games.
In the 13th minute, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu put the Stormers ahead for the first time as he sliced through the defence after a slick pass from Ntuthuko Mchunu, with the fly-half adding the extras and a penalty to go 17-7 up. However, Kok spurred 14-man Ulster’s comeback, scoring a second try and assisting Zac Ward as the hosts went into the break with a four-point buffer.
That was made nine early in the second half as Mike Lowry crossed the whitewash, but momentum shifted once again as Imhad Khan and Feinberg-Mngomezulu scored in the 48th and 63rd minutes, respectively. Again, it was Kok who delivered the counterpunch to complete his hat-trick with 12 minutes to play, a score that made it all square.
When O’Sullivan barged over with five minutes left to play, and Doak added the extras, it looked as if Ulster had done enough, but the penalty try with seconds left on the clock meant it ended all square.
Irish ruck antics lead to another injury
Antoine Dupont, Malcolm Marx, and Fourie. These three players all have one thing in common: they have fallen victim to ugly clearouts from Irish forwards that have resulted in injuries. Dupont was out for 11 months after Andrew Porter and Tadhg Beirne’s ruck entries. James Ryan, along with Cealan Doris, sidelined Marx for a couple of months – luckily, his setback wasn’t as bad as initially feared – and John Dobson will hope that Fourie receives a similar prognosis after Henderson’s horrendous clearout attempt ended his game early.
At half-time, Ulster great Stephen Ferris argued that there was no malice in Henderson’s actions, and he is certainly right, but that doesn’t excuse his actions. It was poor technique, poor execution, and continues a trend of dangerous clearouts from Irish players that are injuring players. Fourie joins the two high-profile incidents, but that list is not exhaustive or exclusive to the men from the Emerald Isle.
We have certainly seen a decrease in these kinds of incidents, but David Campese’s pleas in this publication following Marx’s injury in 2024 still ring true. “My message is clear – guys, we have one career – let’s play bloody hard but let’s not jeopardise our own livelihoods by stupid sh*thousery like this. It’s simply not acceptable to put a fellow pro’s career at risk, and this must be self-policed by the players themselves.”
The last line is important here. The Irish breakdown work from the senior team to the clubs has been suspect for a long, long while now, with borderline side entries and dodgy drops on the lower limbs. Ryan got a slap on the wrist, Porter and Beirne weren’t punished, and only time will tell if Henderson is further punished or not. World Rugby wants a clampdown on these kinds of incidents, and we will find out if a URC disciplinary aligns after previous panels didn’t.
Deon Fourie’s luckless run
After going through much of his career with limited injuries, never sidelining him longer than three months, Fourie has had a horrid run of setbacks since his heroic Rugby World Cup final performance, where he racked up 20 tackles, playing at hooker after Shannon Frizell dropped his weight on the lower limbs of Bongi Mbonambi, ending his game early.
In the last two years, 39-year-old Fourie has sustained an ACL injury, fractured his tibia, and torn a bicep. Every time, he has gotten back to work, beaten the odds, and returned. If this is another long layoff, will it be the last one? His remarks last year after his bicep injury hint that it might just be.
“Emotionally, I have been up and down regarding my future,” Fourie admitted two weeks on from the surgery to reattach the muscle to his bone. “Maybe I must start listening to the signs. We will see. When the rehab starts at the Stormers, and I start seeing the guys, maybe the fire will start burning again.”
The decision might even be out of his hands with his contract expiring at the end of the season. It would be a sad way for the veteran’s career to come to a close if this is his last appearance after he repeatedly beat odds, becoming the oldest Springboks debutant of all time after being told he was too small, won a World Cup, and came back from setbacks that would have led to so many calling it quits.
Give Werner an extension!
The fans want it, he wants it, and frankly, he deserves it. Sharks supporters still rue the fact that the hugely popular Sideshow Bob lookalike left Durban shores in 2024, signing for the Belfast side.
Since his arrival, Kok has won the hearts of the Ulster fans, running in 15 tries in 34 energy-packed performances in the white jersey. The former Blitzboks star is on the wrong side of 30 for an outside back, but is so incredibly consistent and regularly available that offering him a contract extension looks to be the simplest of decisions. Those in Belfast are still miffed that Ruan Pienaar was shown the door by the IRFU, and if the same fate falls for Kok, it will be viewed just as kindly.
Kok proved his worth yet again today with four try involvements, scoring a hat-trick and unselfishly assisting another, but anyone who has seen the curly blonde locks tearing around a pitch knows that he gives far more than just attacking excellence. He claimed a turnover, chased the high balls like a labrador charging after his favourite ball, and hammered into tackles like an openside flanker.
A word for the officials and the race to eight update
In a week where the headlines have been dominated by accusations being levelled at French TV broadcast directors, and the outdated TMO systems that EPCR uses, referee Andrea Piardi, the URC, and fourth official Matteo Liperini can hold their heads high.
Piardi is a rising star in the international referee ranks, and while he has had his fair share of controversial moments in recent seasons, he showed why he is highly thought of in the match official circles. The Italian did a good job of allowing play to continue and trusted his TMO to notify him of something he may have missed or needed to review. When he did the latter, he was happy to correct his decision and explained well to the respective captains.
He wasn’t afraid to make the big calls, as he sin-binned Henderson, disallowed a Stormers try, and reversed his decision not to award another for the visitors. He also had the guts to sin bin Jurie Matthee after Ulster’s 75th-minute try for an indiscretion in the build-up to the score, something very few officials are brave enough to do. Liperini, who was not at the behest of the home broadcaster through the URC’s superior video replay technology, only interjected when needed and communicated well with Piardi to ensure the correct decisions were made. And then there was no greater example of just that than the final moment of the game with Doak making a high tackle on Leolin Zas while the Stormers winger attempted to score. The Italian officials duly awarded the penalty try.
Before kick-off, Stormers boss Dobson said a win was the minimum that he expected from today’s match with the Capetonians setting their sights on a home run in the play-offs, and a victory would have secured just that. Instead, they will be keeping tabs on the action across this weekend before turning their sights on Cardiff. The draw and a bonus point from today, paired with Glasgow’s victory over Cardiff, saw them surrender top spot to the Scottish outfit.
Meanwhile, Ulster moved up a place into seventh but could end the weekend in eighth position again with the Bulls just a point behind. With Glasgow Warriors up next, it’s squeaky bum time for Ulster. If a defeat to Franco Smith’s charges is paired with two Connacht victories, it will be the men from Belfast who fall short in the Race to Eight.