DHL Stormers attack too slick for Ospreys
The DHL Stormers outscored the Ospreys four tries to one on route to a 29-13 victory in their Vodacom United Rugby Championship match played at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.
The home side's attacking prowess proved too hot for the Welsh visitors to handle and their ability to score on the counter again proved decisive.
Ospreys flyhalf Gareth Anscombe got his side on the board early with a penalty goal, but the home side struck back with a spectacular effort. Scrumhalf Paul de Wet scored after Manie Libbok (flyhalf) slipped past a couple of defenders and found his halfback partner on his inside. The conversion by Libbok eased the Stormers into a 7-3 lead after six minutes.
Three minutes later a delightful passage of play and offloads by the Capetonians saw Adre Smith (lock) score next to the upright. Libbok and De Wet were involved again and the flyhalf converted for a 14-3 lead.
The home side were all over their visitors in the early part of the game enjoying all the territorial advantage.
Anscombe kicked a second penalty goal after the hosts conceded two soft penalties, allowing the Ospreys to first get field position and then an easy shot at goal for their flyhalf.
The DHL Stormers scored their third try in the blink of an eye, with Libbok creating space and flanker Hacjivah Dayimani finding Leolin Zas (wing) in space. He bounced a would be tackler and scored to hand his side a comfortable 19-6 lead after 30 minutes.
The last ten minutes of the half delivered some frantic play on attack, with both sides letting the ball go through the hands. The home side got more rewards from this though as Libbok kicked a 39th minute penalty goal from 30 meters out after the Welsh side tried to slow down the ball.
The second half started with a more measured approach by both teams, trying to gain ascendency through first phase possession and territory.
They couldn’t bottle the home side's attacking abilities for too long though, with their ability to score from nothing on the counter attack coming to the fore again 15 minutes into the second half.
After some running from deep by prominent wing Seabelo Senatla, it was his fellow wing, Zas, who kicked ahead and regathered to score the bonus point try for the home side. Libbok converted for a 29-6 lead.
Zas received a yellow card ten minutes later for not retreating 10 meters after a penalty against his side, and Libbok followed shortly after as he knocked down a pass when the Ospreys found some space to attack. That gave the visitors a two man numerical advantage on attack and they did so with vigour.
Strangely though, with two DHL Stormers backs off the field, they tried to score from a lineout, only to be turned over near the home side's line.
Credit to the visitors, however, who kept plugging away and their reward was a try on the final buzzer, with replacement wing Max Nagy dotting down. Anscombe kicked the conversion to give the Welsh outfit something to smile about.
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