The DHL Stormers hosted defending Champions Cup champions Stade Rochelais in Cape Town on Saturday. A last-minute-try by the DHL Stormers gave the DHL Stormers the lead for the first time of the match and secured a much-needed win with 21-20.
Stade Rochelais started like a house on fire and opened the score with a converted penalty and a converted try to lead 10-00 after just 8 minutes of play. The halfhearted defence of the hosts made it easy work for hooker Pierre Bourgarit to burst through several halfhearted tackles and offload to his captain Tawera Kerr-Barlow for an easy try.
The remainder of the first half was an arm wrestle, with the DHL Stormers converting two penalties to the one converted by Stade Rochelais, who still led 13-06 at the halftime break. The DHL Stormers clawed their way back into the game during the second quarter of the 1st half to end the half on the attack as the visitor's defence started to show some cracks.
Manie Libbok converted a penalty within the first minutes of the second half to reduce Stade Rochelais's lead to 13-09. However, once again, mistakes by the DHL Stormers were the direct cause for the try of prop Yoan Tanga to extend Stade Rochelais' lead to 20-09.
DHL Stormers struck back almost immediately when Ben Loader caught a cross kick by Damian Willemse to score the hosts' first try of the match to reduce the visitors' lead to 20-14 and 30 minutes to play.
With a minute to play Andre-Hugo Venter scored the DHL Stormers' second try from the back of a 5m lineout-maul. A conversion from the corner by Manie Libbok secured a last-minute one-point win for the hosts.
Scorers:
DHL Stormers: Tries: Ben Loader, Andre-Hugo Venter. Conversion: Manie Libbok. Penalties: Manie Libbok (3).
Stade Rochelais: Tries: Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Yoan Tanga. Conversions: Antoine Hastoy (2). Penalties: Antoine Hastoy (2)
Teams
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Hacjivah Dayimani, 6 Deon Fourie, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Joseph Dweba, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 Andre-Hugo Venter, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Paul de Wet, 23 Courtnall Skosan.
Stade Rochelais: 15 Brice Dulin, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 UJ Seuteni, 12 Jonathan Danty, 11 Jules Favre, 10 Antoine Hastoy, 9 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Levani Botia, 6 Paul Boudehent, 5 Will Skelton, 4 Thomas Lavault, 3 Uini Atonio, 2 Pierre Bourgarit, 1 Reda Wardi. Replacements: 16 Sacha Idoumi, 17 Joel Sclavi, 18 Georges-Henri Colombe, 19 Ultan Dillane, 20 Remi Picquette, 21 Judicael Cancoriet, 22 Teddy Iribaren, 23 Hugo Reus.
