URC: Stormers 42 Leinster 12
For the second game in succession, an experimental Leinster side suffered a comprehensive United Rugby Championship defeat to South African opposition in Cape Town Stadium this evening.
Following hot on the heels of their almost identical 44-12 reversal to the Lions in Johannesburg seven days earlier, the eastern province fell short to the Stormers by a total of 30 points. Coupled with Glasgow Warriors’ comprehensive success away to Zebre Parma earlier in the day, this result means Leinster find themselves second in the URC standings at the end of the weekend’s action.
While their focus for now will be on next weekend’s European Champions Cup semi-final showdown with Northampton Saints in Croke Park, the Blues may now be faced with a trickier path towards achieving success in this competition for the first time since it was rebranded as the URC.
Despite the inclusion of Charlie Ngatai, Michael Ala’alatoa, Jason Jenkins, Rhys Ruddock and Max Deegan in the Leinster line-up - all of whom have been capped at international level - the presence of some notable Springbok stars ensured the Stormers were favourites to come out on top in this contest.
World Cup winner Manie Libbok was named at outhalf for this fixture and he kept the scoreboard ticking over for the hosts with three successful penalties in the 18th, 30th and 38th minutes of the opening period.
He also supplied the extras to a sixth minute try from Ben Loader - the English native finding a gap to run under the Leinster posts - and this meant the South African outfit were 16-0 to the good as the interval approached.
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The Springboks continued to pile on the pressure with the clock in the red at the end of the first half and their persistence paid off when team captain Salmaan Moerat crashed over for another converted try.
22-0 adrift at the interval of their meeting with the Lions a week earlier, Leinster were a further point behind on this occasion. The Stormers were in no mood to drop off their performance levels on the resumption and the home team created further daylight when Herschel Jantjies grabbed a five-pointer during the early moments of the second half.
In the 27th minute of the opening period - with their deficit still at a manageable 10 points - Leinster winger Liam Turner had a try ruled out owing to a tackle off the ball on a Stormers player in the lead-up to him crossing the whitewash.
Yet the visitors finally got up and running when the ever-industrious Deegan stretched over the opposing line with 51 minutes gone on the clock. In the immediate aftermath of Sam Prendergast supplying the extras to this score, Rob Russell also touched down in the left-corner for his seventh try of the season.
Whilst this potentially had Leinster in sight of a losing bonus point, the Stormers eventually reinforced their authority. Complimenting an early effort from Willie Engelbrecht, Warrick Gelant also claimed a try in the closing minutes to round off a deserved bonus point victory for The Stormers.
Scorers - Stormers: B Loader, S Moerat, H Jantjies, W Engelbrecht, W Gelant try each, M Libbok 3 pens, 4 cons. Leinster: M Deegan, R Russell try, S Prendergast con.
STORMERS: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis, D Willemse, B Loader; M Libbok, H Jantjies; B Harris, J Dweba, N Fouche; S Moerat, R van Heerden; M Theunissen, B-J Dixon, E Roos.
Replacements: A-H Venter for Dweba (56 mins), K Blose for Harris, F Malherbe for Fouche (both 58), W Simelane for du Plessis (60), H Dayimani for Theunissen (66), W Engelbrecht for Dixon (68), S Ungerer for Jantjies, C Evans for van Heerden (both 71).
LEINSTER: H McErlean; L Turner, B Brownlee, C Ngatai, R Russell; S Prendergast, C Foley; M Milne, J McKee, M Ala’alatoa; B Deeny, J Jenkins; R Ruddock, S Penny, M Deegan.
Replacements: M Moloney for Ruddock, T Clarkson for Ala’alatoa, E Byrne for Milne (all 43 mins), Milne for Byrne (48-51), C O’Tighearnaigh for Jenkins, G McCarthy for McKee (both 55), C Tector for Ngatai (66), F Gunne for Foley (71), D Mangan for Penny (74).
Referee: A Piardi (FIR).
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