STORMERS 20
LEINSTER 13
Jon Cardinelli reports from Cape Town
LEINSTER LOST THE battle in Cape Town this evening, yet won the war.
Even without their frontline players, they displayed the necessary tenacity and determination to claim a losing bonus point – and to deny the Stormers an extra point for four tries.
The upshot is that Leinster have secured a first-place finish in the United Rugby Championship standings with one game to spare. They will host a quarter-final, and possibly a semi-final and final.
There’s been plenty of talk over the past two weeks about Leinster’s decision to tour South Africa without so many senior players. Many feared that a side short on experience would struggle against Sharks and Stormers teams stacked with Springboks.
Ultimately, a younger and less experienced side delivered fiercely competitive showings in Durban and Cape Town. Leinster claimed two log points in narrow losses. With a bit more luck, they may have won both matches.
The hosts moved the ball wide in the opening movement of the match, and a linebreak by Warrick Gelant resulted in a try for Ruhan Nel. The try was disallowed, however, after the TMO ruled that the Stormers had obstructed the Leinster defence.
It was a big moment in the game. Neither the Stormers nor Leinster managed to score a try for the remainder of the first half.
The Stormers certainly had their chances. While they created numerous opportunities in opposition territory, the quality of their execution at the crucial moment let them down.
Leinster contested well at the lineouts during this period. The visitors’ defence was physical, accurate and unrelenting. The hosts failed to cope with that pressure.
Ciaran Frawley slotted two penalties to ensure his side went to the break with a slender – and unlikely – 6-3 lead.
The complexion of the game changed after hooker John McKee was yellow-carded for a cynical offence at the maul in the 43rd minute. The Stormers began to take control of the contest via their powerful scrum and accurate kicking game.
The Stormers were denied two tries in the space of a minute by a desperate display of defence. They eventually crossed the line through Seabelo Senatla to extend their lead.
Leinster refused to lie down. After Ed Byrne scored from close range, replacement Harry Byrne slotted a touchline conversion to level the scores with 20 minutes to play.
But another bout of ill-discipline cost Leinster dearly in the 65th minute. A cynical offence by Cormac Foley on the tryline resulted in a yellow card for Leinster as well as a penalty try for the Stormers. Suddenly the game was the Stormers’ to lose.
The hosts pushed for the four-try bonus point in the closing stages, but were again denied by the Leinster defence.
While the visitors ended the contest on the wrong side of the scoreline, they certainly finished it on a positive note.
After winning a penalty after the final hooter, they booted the ball into the crowd to secure a losing bonus point, and ultimately a first-place finish in the United Rugby Championship standings.