Photo Credit: Speedshots.co.za
The DHL Stormers hosted the Toyota Cheetahs at Cape Town Stadium for the time since moving to their new home. The match was supposed to signal the beginning of an exciting new era for the DHL Stormers. However, they started their "new history" the same way they did in their last match at Newlands with a loss. The Cheetahs won 34-33 in an absolute bore-fest.
05:56 Wilmardi Arnoldi scores the Cheetahs first try of the match after a five-metre line-out. The Stormers caught sleeping when the Cheetahs attacked around the front of the line-out. (00-07)
11:37 A missed line-out by the Cheetahs inside the Stormers 22m lead to a try by Tristan Leyds 90m down the field. (07-07)
16:29 Rosco Specman score the Cheetahs second trie after he danced through some sub-standard defence by Stormers (07-14)
20:00 Kade Wolhuter slots a 48m penalty to reduce the Cheetahs' lead to just 4 points.
After 20 minutes of play in the match, the two sides were evenly matched. However, the Stormers dominance come scrum time will take its toll later on.
23:23 Kade Wolhuter converts his second penalty of the match. (13-14)
26:20 Kade Wolhuter slotted another long-distance penalty to give the Stormers the lead for the first time of the match. (16-14)
27:40 Leolin Zas scored the Stormers second try. Zas controlled the ball with his foot for a good 50 metres. (23-14)
32:15 Kade Wolhuter slotted another penalty after a dominant Stormers scrum. (26-14)
39:59 Rosco Specman score his second try after the Stormers' defence yet again substandard. (26-21)
Both teams were more interested in attack than defence in the opening 40 minutes. Three of the five tries was scored after the sub-standard defence by the teams. However, the scrums by the Stormers at this stage dominating with ease.
40:36 A hat-trick for Rosco Specman after he scored from a long-distance effort by the Cheetahs. Specman's third try came within 40 seconds of his second, as Specman also scored in the last seconds of the first half. (26-28)
50:00 A penalty try was awarded to the Stormers after yet another dominant Stormers. (33-28)
54:42 Frans Steyn convert a penalty (33-31)
60:00 Both teams substituted their front rows after 50 minutes in the match. This robbed the Stormers of their only trustworthy attacking platform. Thereafter the game became one without structure and intent.
70:12 Frans Steyn convert a penalty to give the lead back to the Cheetahs. (33-34)
The Cheetahs deserved the win, however, rugby did not deserve this absolute horror display of what was supposed to be a brilliant sport of speed, power and passion.
Scorers:
Toyota Cheetahs: Tries: Wilmar Arnoldi, Rosco Specman (3). Conversions: Frans Steyn (4). Penalties: Frans Steyn (2).
Western Province: Tries: Tristan Leyds, Leolin Zas, Penalty trie. Conversions. Kade Wolhuter (2). Penalties: Kade Wolhuter (4)
DHL Stormers: 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 Chris van Zyl (captain), 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Johan du Toit, 20 Ernst van Rhyn, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Abner van Reenen, 23 Rikus Pretorius.
Toyota Cheetahs: 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Chris Smit, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 George Cronje, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Rynier Bernardo, 4 Carl Wegner (captain), 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Schalk Ferreira. Replacements: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Conraad van Vuuren, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Victor Sekekete, 20 Aidon Davis, 21 Ruan Pienaar, 22 Dries Swanepoel, 23 Rhyno Smith.