URC: Stormers 24 Connacht 33
Connacht delivered their biggest win of the season with an impressive away win over the Stormers to jump into the top eight of the URC.
In just their second victory over the Stormers, Connacht have given their chances of making the quarter-finals a huge boost with their first Cape Town victory.
“It’s huge for Connacht,” said head coach Stuart Lancaster. “For me this win is right up there in terms of the circumstances around the fixture. The club has done a great job in developing younger players, and we saw that today. It is a huge result for the club.”
The home side, with their unbeaten record over Irish provinces this season, had understandably been the favourites, particularly as Connacht were without internationals Bundee Aki, Finlay Bealham and Mack Hansen.
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For much of the match it looked like it would play out as expected, yet Connacht fought back from 17-7 down on 50 minutes to ultimately run out nine-point winners.
A yellow card for Stormers flanker Deon Fourie paved the way for Connacht to open the scoring through Shamus Hurley-Langton after seven minutes after the visitors put the ball through the hands from a penalty to touch before Hurley-Langton stretched for the line. Fullback San Gilbert added the conversion.
But it wasn’t long before the hosts replied. Capitalising on two penalties, Evan Roos delivered from a patient build-up, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezlu converting.
While Connacht stood up well in the physical exchanges and created opportunities, they lacked the execution to add another try when losing the ball short of line.
The Stormers should have scored again, only for Hugh Gavin’s defensive effort, but added a penalty on the close of the half after a scrum collapse for the three-point lead at the break.
The started stronger in the second half, capitalising when Cian Prendergast was pinged to deliver a try through prop Ntuthuko Mchunu, Feinberg-Mngomezlu slotting the extras for 17-7.
While Connacht took control in parts, Ben Murphy to the fore for the westerners, they were unable to translate successive penalties before Sam Illo was denied just shy of the line. But their time eventually came when Paul Boyle dotted down on 54 minutes, Connacht’s patience rewarded after repeated attempts at the Stormers’ line.
The home side replied, and although at first stymied by a relieving kick from Murphy, they eventually crossed on 63 minutes, Feinberg-Mngomezulu getting over off the back of a driving maul and then adding the conversion.
But Connacht made the most of a poor restart, John Devine scoring within a minutes to reduce the gap to five. The momentum now in their favour, Lancaster’s side produced a try through a chip over the top from Shayne Bolton for Murphy to touch down, putting them 26-24 ahead.
The Stormers pushed hard for a winner, but Connacht did not relent. A massive clearance kick from Gilbert gave his side room to reset before outhalf Sean Naughton managed an intercept and dashed from halfway to cross for their fifth try of the game.
SCORING SEQUENCE – 5 MINS: Hurley-Langton try, Gilbert con 0-7; 14: Roos try, Feinberg-Mngomezulu con 7-7; 40+1: Feinberg-Mngomezulu con 10-7; Half-time 10-7; 47: Mchunu try, Feinberg-Mngomezulu con 17-7; 54: Boyle try, Gilbert con 17-14; 62: Feinberg-Mngomezulu try, con 24-14; 64: Devine try 24-19; 70: Murphy try, Gilbert con 24-26; 78: Naughton try, Gilbert con 24- 33
STORMERS: W Gelant; D Willemse, R Nel (capt), D du Plessis, L Zas; S Feinberg-Mngomezulu, C Reinach; N Mchunu, S Ntubeni, Z Porthen; A Smith, JD Schickerling; D Fourie (P de Villiers 50), BJ Dixon, E Roos. Replacements: AH Venter for Ntubeni (34), N Fouché for Porthen (50), O Kebble for Mchunu (59), R van Heerden for Smith, M Theunissen for Dixon (both 62), S Ungerer for Reinach (70), W Simelane for Willemse (78).
Yellow card: Fourie (5 mins).
CONNACHT: S Gilbert; H West, J Devine, C Forde, S Bolton; S Naughton, B Murphy; B Bohan, D Heffernan, S Illo; D O’Connor, D Murray; C Prendergast (capt), S Hurley-Langton, S Jansen (Boyle 41, O’Connor 69). Replacements: H Gavin for Forde (5 mins), M Victory for Heffernan (24), P Boyle for Jansen (41), P Dooley for Bohan, J Aungier for Illo (both 56), J Murphy for O’Connor (60), Jansen for O’Connor (69), C Reilly for Murphy (79).
Referee: F Vedovelli (ITA).
