Ken Borland

The Stormers hung on to the top spot in the South African Conference with a 19-14 (half-time 9-11) victory over the Bulls in the all-South African SuperRugby derby at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

The Stormers were trailing 9-14 and pinned back in their own territory for most of the second half by the Bulls’ strong territorial kicking game and forwards who were dominant in the collisions, but the unerring boot of flyhalf Peter Grant kicked a penalty, before wing Bryan Habana scored a 69th-minute try to snatch the victory from the team he first made his name for.

The Bulls’ percentage rugby seemed to be wearing down the Stormers as flyhalf Morne Steyn kicked three penalties and eighthman Pierre Spies muscled over for a try after a free kick from a lineout inside the Stormers 22.

But it was the only try the Stormers’ brilliant defensive system allowed, despite the Bulls spending 66% of the match in their territory.

Flank Siya Kolisi, who had been an enormous defensive presence throughout, superbly evaded two on-rushing Bulls defenders, racing into the 22 and firing a pinpoint pass to Habana, who up till then had been limited to attacking off up-and-unders.

Grant kicked the conversion to stretch the lead to 19-14 and ensure the Bulls had to score a try in the last 10 minutes, a penalty not being enough to win.

With the Lions dealing a mortal blow to the Sharks with their shock victory in Johannesburg earlier on Saturday, the Stormers are now five points clear at the top of the South African Conference, with three matches to play against the lowly Lions, Cheetahs and Rebels.

The Stormers are on 54 points, in second place in the overall standings, with the Bulls on 49 and the Sharks on 45 with just two matches to play.

Scorers

Stormers – Try: Bryan Habana. Conversion: Peter Grant. Penalties: Grant (4).

Bulls – Try: Pierre Spies. Penalties: Morne Steyn (3).

One could forgive the Blue Bulls if their focus in the last week has been on the 15 players who ran out on to the park – in shocking pink – for yesterday’s crunch SuperRugby game against the Stormers.

But the Blue Bulls Rugby Union (BBRU) is not only concerned about the land’s finest rugby players currently battling it out for top spot in the South African Conference, but also the enormous talent that lies in the northern third of the country.

That is why they also launched their impressive and vital new schools rugby project, in conjunction with SuperSport’s Let’s Play initiative and local and national government, at Loftus Versfeld last week.

Johan Schoeman, the BBRU Game Development Manager, revealed that their dedicated development programme would introduce boys and girls to rugby skills, with particular attention given to those schools in the disadvantaged communities.

Although the programme will also be implemented in the vast area of Limpopo, the Tshwane area has been divided into six clusters – North-West, North-East, South-West, Inner City, South-East and Pioneer, which includes areas such as Mamelodi, Soshunguve, Garunkuwa and Atteridgeville.

Forty-four primary schools have been identified for the programme and Schoeman said the aim was to “develop a sustainable rugby culture”.

“If we go into schools, then we have to work with the Education Department and sponsors are also big role-players – SuperSport have already given about R360 000.

“But we can’t just go in and leave them with kit. It’s a long process that ultimately reaches playing contact rugby in leagues. It’s about talent identification and creating a passion for the game, especially amongst the headmasters,” Schoeman said.

The programme has received the backing of both the Department of Education and Sports and Recreation SA.

“We congratulate and thank the Blue Bulls for their approach. They have made a big commitment to build and inspire young people,” Vuyani Mpofu, the Deputy DG of the Gauteng Department of Education said.

Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen said: “The Blue Bulls have a wonderful mission statement about promoting rugby development in their surrounding communities and they have set a good example. We would like to assist them and make every Rand work, deploy the money optimally.”

Schoeman said the BBRU would cover the training of coaches and referees, while teams would start training at schools and fixtures would be held from July.

All this comes at a price, of course, and the Let’s Play initiative are major backers.

“In the pilot project last year, we introduced 1500 boys and girls between the ages of seven and 10 to basic rugby skills. Like the government’s School Sport Policy, we want to play our part in promoting healthy lifestyles through sport participation,” Let’s Play manager Vaughn Bishop said.

Both Schoeman and Oosthuizen identified the lack of facilities as the programme’s biggest frustration.

“The key challenge is facilities – there’s a total skew in terms of quality and access, a lot have been vandalised or are lying unused,” Oosthuizen said.

“Fifteen percent of the municipal grants have now been ring-fenced for facilities. We want to ensure access for all people, because it is access for the masses that will make us a winning nation.

“There is a very good case for sport – crime reduction. Those are the facts and this very good investment by the Blue Bulls will have a positive impact on the community that supports them,” the deputy minister said.

The Stormers hung on in the second half despite their creaking set-pieces to beat the New South Wales Waratahs 19-13 (half-time 16-3) at Newlands on Saturday and install themselves at the top of the SuperRugby standings.

The Stormers had scored two tries in the first half and, with dominance in possession and territory, seemed to have set up a comfortable victory over the Australians.

But the Stormers lost their structures after the break as the boot of Waratahs flyhalf Berrick Barnes kept them pinned in their own territory. But the much-vaunted defence of the South Africans held firm and they only conceded one try.

The kicking game of the Waratahs brought the first points of the match in the ninth minute as centre Adam Ashley-Cooper’s deft up-and-under forced a five-metre scrum, which went straight to ground, leading to a penalty by scrumhalf Brendan McKibben.

But the Stormers scored the first try of the match nine minutes later, off the platform of an attacking lineout as wing Gio Aplon burst through the defences after a wonderful inside pass from scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage, and fullback Joe Pietersen, an obvious attacking threat throughout, rounded off the move in the left corner.

Duvenhage then deceived the Waratahs defence on the blindside, leading to a penalty which Pietersen kicked (8-3), and the Stormers crossed the tryline again seven minutes before half-time.

They set up a rolling maul off a lineout and, with the Waratahs distracted by another ball thrown on to the ground, hooker Tiaan Liebenberg crashed over for the second try.

Flyhalf Peter Grant then kicked an injury-time penalty to give the Stormers a commanding 16-3 lead, before they suffered another concerning second-half fade-out.

Lock Andries Bekker was chiefly to blame for a defensive failure that allowed replacement lock Kane Douglas to burst through and, with eighthman Dave Dennis carrying the ball well, outside centre Rob Horne was able to stroll over the tryline.

McKibben converted to close the gap to 16-10 and the Stormers continued to endure a hugely frustrating second half. They were pinned in their half for long periods by Barnes and this led to indecision when it came to either returning the kicks or trying to run the ball out from deep inside their own territory.

This confusion led to a McKibben penalty in the 47th minute when wing Bryan Habana was caught in possession and played the ball on the ground.

Grant provided some relief for the Stormers with a 50th-minute penalty, but the home side had to work exceptionally hard to keep the Waratahs out and secure the win.

Scorers

Stormers – Tries: Joe Pietersen, Tiaan Liebenberg. Penalties: Pietersen, Peter Grant (2).

Waratahs – Try: Rob Horne. Conversion: Brendan McKibben. Penalties: McKibben (2).

The Stormers failed to pitch up for the second half but an enormous defensive effort meant they hung on for a 16-14 victory over the Free State Cheetahs in their all-South African SuperRugby match at Newlands on Saturday.

The first half was one-way traffic as the Stormers cruised into a 16-0 half-time lead.

Flyhalf Peter Grant kicked three penalties in the first 16 minutes as the Cheetahs’ repeated infringements caught the eye of referee Steve Walsh and, after concerted pressure inside the opposition 22, lock Eben Etzebeth then muscled his way through three defenders to score the Stormers only try, in the 24th minute.

The Cheetahs came out inspired in the second half and a series of top-class drives by their forwards took them deep into the Stormers’ 22, where a slick pass by wing Willie le Roux allowed fullback Hennie Daniller to score in the corner.

Replacement flyhalf Riaan Smit kicked a fine conversion from the touchline to close the gap to 7-16 after 48 minutes.

Stormers flank Rynardt Elstadt then received a yellow card for a knee to the back of the head of Cheetahs wing Cameron Jacobs and a massive brawl then broke out between both teams, with a white card being issued for further investigation.

The Stormers defence held true, however, as the Cheetahs bombarded their line through 26 phases without reward.

Ironically, the visitors did score a second try in the 66th minute, but it came from deep within their own territory.

Right wing Gio Aplon sparked one of the Stormers’ few second-half attacks but, when scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenhage tried to pass to him again from a ruck, Le Roux pounced for the intercept and sprinted clear for a try from 90 metres out.

The accurate boot of Smit once again succeeded with the touchline conversion (16-14), but the Stormers prevented any further damage on the scoreboard and held on for a win that keeps them just one point behind the Bulls at the top of the South African Conference.

Scorers

Stormers – Try: Eben Etzebeth. Conversion: Peter Grant. Penalties: Grant (3).

Cheetahs – Tries: Hennie Daniller, Willie le Roux. Conversions: Riaan Smit (2).