Stormers pack grind out win over Sharks in Durban

The match lived up to its bill as a battle of the front rows as the set piece contest came to the fore. The Sharks forwards dominated the first half hour of the match, but things changed in the second half as rain started to come down in Durban.

Edwill van der Merwe made the most of the good conditions in the first half as he grabbed a brace of tries in the first 40 minutes. There wasn’t much else between the sides and small moments proved to be decisive on the day.

Sharks flyhalf Curwin Bosch broke the deadlock after a tightly fought first 10 minutes at Kings Park. The shot at goal came courtesy of a first scrum penalty forced by Sharks loosehead Ox Nche, who got one back over Springbok incumbent tighthead Frans Malherbe after an earlier penalty forced by the Stormers.

Bosch’s long range penalty from more than 40 metres out got the scoreboard ticking, with the Sharks taking a 3-nil lead.

The Sharks enjoyed a prolonged period of territory and possession deep in the Stormers half for the next ten minutes. After a number of concurrent penalties, the Sharks scored the first try of the game from a quickly tapped penalty. 

The hosts toiled through a number of phases on attack as the forwards looked to win the confrontation on the gain line. The pressure told, as Nche eventually powered over the try line from a short carry before Bosch slotted the extras to give the Sharks a 10-nil lead.

The Stormers then hit back after both teams became engaged in a period of territorial ping pong. Left wing Edwill van der Merwe produced a moment of magic as he decided to run the ball back at the Sharks, breaking away from a Thomas du Toit tackle before cruising away to score with a couple of defenders trying to take him down on the line. Flyhalf Abner van Reenen added the extras, reducing the host’s lead to 10-7.

The battle at scrum time continue to be a prominent feature throughout the first half and a penalty going the way of the Stormers saw the visitors kick for the corner in order to set up an attacking lineout.

After their maul was sacked, the Stormers began to build phases before shifting the ball out wide. A lofty pass found Van der Merwe in space and the left wing trotted over the whitewash for his second try of the match. Van Reenen couldn’t convert, leaving the Stormers with a narrow 12-10 lead.

The visitors started off the second half with a bang as they made the most of an attacking lineout just inside the Sharks half. Bongi Mbonambi peeled away from a maul to the openside and drew in a defender before popping the ball to Herschel Jantjies. The scrumhalf found support from Pieter-Steph du Toit, who streaked away to score a converted try, giving the visitors a 19-10 lead.

The Sharks didn’t take long to make their first statement of the second half. A penalty on half way was quickly taken by scrumhalf Jaden Hendrickse who fired a long pass out wide to Siya Kolisi. The Springbok captain barged through an attempted tackle from Ruhan Nel before firing out a pass to Yaw Penxe. The Sharks left wing streaked away to score in the corner. Bosch couldn’t add the extras from the touchline, leaving the Stormers with a narrow 19-15 win.

The hosts then retook the lead after a bizarre moment deep inside their half. The Stormers took a quick tap and surged into the Sharks' 22. As the visitors looked to shift the ball wide, a pass hit Penxe’s head as he tried to make a tackle and the ball shot back towards the half way line. Sharks fullback Aphelele Fassi chased down the kick and toed it forward, before scooping it up and trotting over the try line. Bosch slotted the conversion, putting the Sharks ahead 22-19.

A soft moment of ill-discipline then allowed the Stormers to draw level after Springbok tighthead Thomas du Toit conceded a penalty for a small scuffle off the ball with Du Toit. Replacement flyhalf Tim Swiel stepped up and slotted the resulting penalty to level the scores at 22-22.

With just over 10 minutes to play the Sharks were reduced to 14 men after repeated infringements in general play as the Stormers probed on attack inside the hosts half. Sbu Nkosi was the man sent off after not rolling away at a ruck.

With four minutes left to play, the Stormers pack secured a penalty at scrum time, with Nche ruled to have not been scrumming straight. Swiel stepped up and slotted the penalty, giving the Stormers a 25-22 lead with minutes left to play.

The Stormers managed to force the Sharks back into their half for the remainder of the match and the hosts were unable to create any last minute drama. The visitors came away with a 25-22 win, avenging their earlier loss to the Sharks in the Rainbow Cup.