Cape Town – In a closely contested United Rugby Championship (URC) derby on Saturday afternoon, the DHL Stormers narrowly lost to the Vodacom Bulls 33-32 at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.
The match was marked by late drama, with replacement back Clayton Blommetjies missing a crucial conversion in the final minute that could have secured a Stormers victory.
It was a particularly bitter pill for the 47 000 Stormers fans to swallow
Blommetjies replaced Jurie Matthee at flyhalf four minutes before full-time.
After seeing Blommetjies going down the tunnel in tears after the game The Athlete questioned Stormers director of rugby John Dobson about the players emotional state.
Dobson admitted he had sympathy for the player saying: “They [the Bulls ] also missed a couple right in front… [but] it was tough for Blomme… we put him on with four, five minutes to go, which is a horrible feeling because the guy wants to play rugby.
“Your head is in a difficult space then. And that’s not his fault… [he] wants to contribute to the team.
“And then suddenly we take him from being frustrated on the sideline and not being part of the game and then to throw him in and having to kick the winning kick… it’s tough and there’s no judgement of Blomme.
“He was very emotional downstairs – about the kick and the fact that he felt he wasn’t quite ready for that [scenario]. He’s very, very emotional down there and I feel sorry for him,”
Dobson stressed that the narrow defeat should not be blamed on Blommetjies – starting flyhalf Jurie Matthee also missed three relatively easy kicks at goal earlier in the game, while Bulls centre David Kriel also missed two sitters at goal.
Dobson however expressed pride in his team’s resilience despite the defeat. He acknowledged the missed opportunities, particularly the late conversion, stating, “We had a lot of chances at the end. But the truth is we got done in the scrums in the first half which put us under enormous pressure.
The game was a high-octane contest, with both teams showcasing their attacking prowess.
The Bulls led 18-17 at halftime, benefiting from tries by Cobus Wiese and Jan-Hendrik Wessels, along with two penalty goals from David Kriel.
The Stormers responded with tries from Frans Malherbe and Salmaan Moerat, and a penalty goal by Jurie Matthee.
In the second half, the Bulls extended their lead with a try from Harold Vorster.
However, the Stormers capitalized on a yellow card to Bulls prop Gerhard Steenekamp, scoring two quick tries through Evan Roos and Warrick Gelant.
The Bulls regained the advantage with a try by Ruan Vermaak and a penalty goal by Kriel. The Stormers mounted a late comeback, with Ben-Jason Dixon scoring a try in the final minutes.
However, replacement back Blommetjies missed the crucial conversion, leaving the Stormers one point adrift.
Captain Salmaan Moerat echoed his coach’s sentiments, emphasizing the team’s resilience despite the defeat. He remarked, “We fought hard until the end, but we know we can do better. We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
Bulls coach Jake White was elated with the victory, acknowledging the team’s growth and the significance of the win.
He commented, “This was a massive win for us. The team showed great character, and it’s a testament to their hard work. We still have areas to improve, but this is a step in the right direction.”
Scorers:
Stormers 32 (17)
Tries: Frans Malherbe, Salmaan Moerat, Evan Roos, Warrick Gelant, Ben-Jason Dixon
Conversions: Jurie Matthee (2)
Penalty: Matthee
Bulls 33 (18)
Tries: Cobus Wiese, Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Harold Vorster, Ruan Vermaak
Conversions: David Kriel (2)
Penalties: Kriel (3)
