The Stormers' Clayton Blommetjies scores a try despite the attentions of Dave Kearney of Leinster during their United Rugby Championship match in Ireland. Picture: Laszlo Geczo/INPHO/Shutterstock via BackpagePix
Cape Town - Points out of their clash against Leinster were very important and although the Stormers chucked a good lead away, they held out in the second half for a 22-22 draw with the unbeaten Irish club.
Despite poor weather conditions, the Stormers turned on the magic in the first half like only they can, to race to a 17-5 lead at halftime. But their performance in the second half lacked accuracy and they kicked possession away too many times to secure the win.
Some lovely tries were scored especially the ones of Manie Libbok and Clayton Blommetjies where the Stormers showed their prowess on the attacking front. Their Springboks, who haven't played rugby since the middle of January, also did not look off the pace in the first half.
Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Marvin Orie got stuck in it amongst the forwards, while Damian Willemse looked sharp in the midfield with centre partner Dan du Plessis.
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Stormers flyhalf Libbok scored all the visitors’ points in the first 22 minutes, when he took his team to a 10-0 lead courtesy of a converted try under the sticks and a penalty.
Libbok had a hand in the second score for his team as well when he pounced on a loose ball and raced away to put winger Suleiman Hartzenberg over the try line.
That 17-0 lead, with the wind at their backs, would've put many a side away on any given day, but Leinster, spurred on by a vociferous RDS Arena, kept chipping away at the Stormers' defence.
And that massive defensive effort finally gave way shortly before halftime when the home side scored the five-pointer that kick-started their fight back.
Although the Stormers defended like titans in the second forty minutes, it was just a matter of time before Leinster, playing with the wind, found their rhythm in the tough conditions.
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They mauled brilliantly and kept the Stormers under pressure with excellent kicks. The Cape side was also guilty of kicking one too many contestable kicks against the wind that did not bear fruit.
They were way more accurate when they kept the ball in hand, and that's what John Dobson, Stormers coach, wanted from them in that second half.
After Hartzenberg received a yellow card, Leinster took the gap to go ahead and almost took the game away from the Stormers. But that character the defending champs have shown the whole season, surfaced again. And they managed to score a try in the last minutes to secure the draw.
"We were trapped," Dobson said about his team playing against the wind in the second half.
"Playing with 14 men when they scored the fourth try, I actually thought this was it. The wind was insane. But the character the guys showed was brilliant in the end.
"A draw was a reasonably fair result. I'm just disappointed the way we didn't adapt to playing in the wind."
Point scorers
Leinster 22 (5) - Tries: Michael Milne, Scott Penny, Rob Russell, Max Deegan. Conversion: Harry Byrne
Stormers 22 (17) - Tries: Manie Libbok, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Clayton Blommetjies. Conversions: Libbok (2). Penalty: Libbok.
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