By Lucky Maree
For Stormers supporters, it is one of the matches of the United Rugby Championship to savour – for Sharks supporters . . . well, it probably leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Local derbies are supposed to be close, tight affairs, but the Stormers hadn’t read the script.
From the time Herschell Jantjies scored in the second minute the Sharks were always on the backfoot.
How strongly would the Sharks respond? The truth is, they never did.
While it seemed for a while as if the Sharks would hold the Stormers to that solitary try, but in the 18th minute Ruben van Heerden powered his way over the line for their second. After 30 minutes the Sharks had simply not been in the game.
Joseph Dweba, who is playing probably the best rugby of his life, scored the Stormers’ third try, leaving the men from Cape Town with a 21 point lead – and the knowledge that the Sharks had done nothing to convince anybody that they were going to score.
On the stroke of halftime big lock Gerbrandt Grobler scored a powerful try, giving the Sharks supporters some hope that the Sharks would respond – but no such luck.
Right after the break, wing Seabelo Senatla got the try-scoring Stormers machine going again when he scored in the 42nd minute, followed by Suleiman Hartzenberg a few minutes later and then Manie Libbok scored a five pointer. With 20 minutes to go the Sharks were, to be honest, running around as if they were wondering where the ball was.
Daniel Jooste’s score for the Sharks, coming when the game was all but over, followed by Gerbrandt Grobler’s try just before the end, only proved that if the Sharks were there to win, they could have done a lot better. It doesn’t help that they come away from this match with not one championship point.
The Sharks are fast developing the reputation that they are happy to hang around, waiting for their Springboks to win the matches for them, and this match did nothing to dispel that rumour.
The young Stormers, on the other hand, seemed to grab the opportunity with both hands.
Let’s face it, in the tussle for dominance, Stormers coach John Dobson has scored a massive win over Sharks coach Neil Powell. The Stormers deserve to celebrate, Neil Powell and the Sharks have to go home, stare at the ceiling, and decide what they’re going to do from here.
Sharks (3 tries) 19-46 (6 tries) Stormers.
Pictured above: The stormers touching down on the try line
Image source: @DHLStormers
