Poor defence proves costly as Stormers knocked out by Glasgow
The Stormers were their own worst enemy as their shoddy defence allowed Glasgow Warriors to run in five tries, leading to a heavy loss in the end.
It was a tale of two defences as the Stormers produced a poor defensive performance that cost them dearly as Glasgow Warriors clinched a well-deserved 36-18 win in their United Rugby Championship (URC) quarterfinal at the Scotstoun Stadium on Friday night.
The hosts were at their attacking best, scoring five sublime tries, but they were aided by a dismal Stormers defence that just seemed to open up for them constantly over the game.
The Glasgow defence by contrast was fantastic, with them only really beaten once in the second half, while the visitors first try was pretty fortuitous.
Strong start
In the match it was the Stormers who got off to a strong start, dominating the opening seven minutes, but some top defence from Glasgow meant they eventually went for poles with flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu putting them on the board.
But an eighth minute yellow card to wing Seabelo Senatla, for slowing down the ball at a ruck in the red zone, allowed Glasgow to come firing back.
They immediately kicked to the corner, pulled a lineout move and flank Rory Darge dived over for the opening try, converted by scrumhalf George Horne, to put them ahead.
In the 14th minute the Stormers lost possession in their own half, Glasgow attacked and inside centre Sione Tuipulotu stabbed through a perfect grubber for wing Kyle Rowe to chase onto and score, with Horne’s extras putting them 14-3 up.
The Stormers then hit back, Feinberg-Mngomezulu first knocking over a penalty, and in the 26th minute hoisted an up and under which Senatla chased, saw bounce off his knee, chased again and picked up to score, with the conversion making it 14-13.
But straight from the kick-off Glasgow responded, with the Stormers giving away a penalty, allowing them to kick to the corner and set the lineout maul which former Cheetahs and Sharks eighthman Henco Venter broke away from and scored in the corner, making it 19-14 which the hosts took into the halftime break.
Perfect start
The Stormers got the second half off to the perfect start as they attacked from a scrum in their own half, Feinberg-Mngomezulu popped the ball to replacement back Manie Libbok, he broke the line and gave it to fullback Warrick Gelant who passed to Senatla to sprint away and score in the corner.
But again the visitors allowed the hosts straight back in, as they secured the ball, attacked into the 22m and Rowe was on hand to go over for his second, converted by Horne to put them 26-18 up after 46 minutes.
Horne then essentially made the game safe as he finished off a stunning counter attack from a stolen lineout in the Stormers half in the 52nd minute, and added a penalty in the 56th to push them into a 36-18 lead.
The Stormers had their chances over the final 20 minutes to get back into the game, but a slew of mistakes, including a knock on from hooker Andre-Hugo Venter at a maul on the 5m with the tryline at his mercy, proved to be the story of their night as they fell well short in the end.
Scorers
Glasgow Warriors: Tries – Rory Darge, Kyle Rowe (2), Henco Venter, George Horne; Conversions – Horne (4); Penalty – Horne
Stormers: Tries – Seabelo Senatla (2); Conversion – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu; Penalties – Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2)
Crédito: Link de origem