The final Super Rugby match of the 18th round in Super Rugby is in Cape Town where the Stormers host the Sharks.
The match is also the Stormers final Super Rugby match for the 2018 season as they have a bye next weekend and cannot qualify for the playoffs.
- The Sharks have won 13 of their last 19 games against the Stormers, including their last four on the bounce.
- The Stormers have lost their last four games on the bounce, the last time they lost more was a five-game drought early in 2014.
- The Sharks have won just one game away from home in 2018; failure to win this fixture will see them post their fewest road wins in a season since winning none in 2005.
- The Sharks (29) and Stormers (26) have kicked more penalty goals than any other teams so far this campaign.
- Only two players (Elton Jantjies, Franco Mostert) have played more minutes in Super Rugby this season than Damian de Allende (1174) who has made the most carries of any back this season (166).
Match detail
We are waiting for the kick-off.
1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway in Cape Town.
3.00: JJ Engelbrecht is taken down inside the Sharks 22. Good start by the Stormers, who are looking to end their Sharks hoodoo.
4.00: The hosts look for the two-pass counter-attack, but Raymond Rhule knocks on, then the hosts give away a penalty. Rob Du Preez will take a shot at goal.
5.00: PENALTY! Du Preez puts the visitors on the board. 0-3
7.00: TRY! Cobus Wiese is over for the Stormers. The hosts collect it this time, keeping play tight before a short pass finds Damian De Allende, who swerves through the defence & puts Wiese away for the score. 5-3
8.00: CONVERSION! Joshua Stander adds the extras. 7-3
9.00: Sharks win a penalty and will take a shot at goal.
10.00: PENALTY! Du Preez cuts the deficit to one. 7-6
13.00: Both teams still testing each other out. Some big runs with their ball carriers setting the tone.
15.00: A series of counter-attacks ends with a Stormers scrum.
17.00: Lineout stolen! The visitors are saved any blushes from the error as Wiese knocks on in the next phase. Scrum to the visitors on halfway, 15m in on their right.
19.00: The ball is sent left from the scrum, but is knocked on as the visitors. The hosts go left, looking to counter, but are pinged for obstruction!
19.00: PENALTY! Du Preez puts the Sharks in front. 7-9
21.00: Stormers win their lineout and go right down the line, but again give away a penalty, this time for holding.
24.00: The Sharks are inside the Stormers 22, they are making metres and looking to punch holes in their defence.
27.00: The Stormers get out of trouble and have a lineout near the opposition’s 22.
28.00: The home team set up the lineout & quickly move into the visitors’ 22m – De Allende chips to the blindside, but Sbu Nkosi scrambles, collects & takes the ball into touch. Lineout to the hosts 10 metres out.
30.00: TRY! The Stormers secure their lineout ball, then hammer away at the Sharks’ line, phase after phase. A penalty is given away on the deck, then taken quickly & the bashing resumes. Close by the posts-sent left & EW Viljoen crashes over 12-9
31.00: CONVERSION! Stander’s kick is good. 14-9
33.00: both teams using the boot in search of territory.
34.00: Nkosi loses the ball forward.
36.00: HIA check for Kobus van Dyk; he is replaced for the hosts before the scrum on the visitors’ 10m. Nkosi slips as he tracks back to collect a chip over! Lukhanyo Am is the man to scramble & secure, allowing the visitors to set a base & exit via the boot.
37.00: TRY! Rhule is for the Stormers’ third score of the game. The clearance kick stays in, and a phenomenal offload from Dillyn Leyds – who else? – has resulted in a try for the wing! It’s a moment of magic. 19-9
38.00: CONVERSION! Stander makes no mistake. 21-9
40.00: The Sharks are under all sorts of pressure, and their slim playoff chance is fading fast at Newlands.
42.00: Sharks penalised at the scrum. Stander calls for the tee.
43.00: MISS! It’s wide. 21-9
The halftime score was Stormers 21 Sharks 9
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway at Newlands.
43.00: The Sharks drive inside the opposition’s half. They are making metres.
43.00: TRY! Rob du Preez slings the ball wide to Curwin Bosch, who draws a man and puts Jacobus van Wyk away for the early second-half score. 21-14
44.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez slots the wide kick. 21-16
46.00: Stormers think they’ve scored, but the referee rules the try, out. Penalty to the Sharks, who clear.
47.00: The Sharks are finding their mojo. another attack inside the Stormers 22, has the home team scrambling. We have a few changes and players being seen by the medics. Stormers scrum.
50.00: The game is a bit scrappy. The Sharks are trying to play some little grubbers and chip-kicks, one which they recover after Rhule knocks on.
52.00: Andre Esterhuizen tackles De Allende into touch with a big hit.
53.00: Engelbrecht, alone, saves the day by knocking a pass forward, stopping a certain try. The Sharks have the scrum about 10 metres from the try-line.
55.00: Am throws a behind-the-back pass to Van Wyk, who puts Lwazi Mvovo away, however, the TMO asks the referee to change his decision of “try” and award a “blue scrum.”
56.00: Stormers try to milk a scrum-penalty, but after telling them to “use it” four times, Jaco Peyper awards the Sharks the put-in.
58.00: The visitors go through the phases before Rhule almost intercepts, instead, he knocks on, giving the Sharks another set-piece.
60.00: Bosch gives away possession with a terrible attempted grubber, the Stormers clear, then Chilliboy throws a skew throw, gifting possession away. Poor.
63.00: Ruan Botha is caught offsides. Stander kicks to the corner.
65.00: Sharks caught offsides, again. The Stormers go quick, but Peyper stops play because Bongi Mbonambi is down.
66.00: PENALTY! Stander makes it a two-score game. 24-16
67.00: Ralepelle knocks on with the Sharks in a good position. Scrum, blue.
69.00: Time is running out for the Durbanites; their season is on the brink.
70.00: The Sharks win the ball against the head and go wide, but the play is stopped because Stander is writhing in pain near a ruck.
72.00: MISS! Du Preez’s penalty shaves the upright. 24-16
74.00: Stander picks up the pass from Sikhumbuzo Notshe off his boot-laces and clears to the 22. Attacking lineout for the visitors.
76.00: Am beats Leyds and tries to dot down in the corner, but he loses it forward. TMO is also checking for obstruction by a Sharks player in the build-up. Penalty for obstruction.
79.00: PENALTY! Stander adds another three. 27-16
80.00: Another handling error – 14 in the game, to the Stormers’ eight – has killed the Sharks playoff hopes.
81.00: A big scrum by the hosts, ends the match, and the hopes of the men in black and white.
Game over.
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The final score is Stormers 27 (21) Sharks 16 (9)
Scorers
Stormers
Tries – Wiese, Viljoen, Rhule
Pen – Stander (2)
Con – Stander (3)
Drop –
Cards –
Sharks
Tries – Van Wyk
Pen – R. du Preez (3)
Con – R. du Preez
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1: Stephan Geldenhuys
Assistant Ref 2: Archie Sehlako
TMO: Marius Jonker
Teams
Stormers: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 JJ Engelbrecht, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Raymond Rhule, 10 Josh Stander, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain), 6 Kobus van Dyk, 5 Jan de Klerk, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Jacobus Janse van Rensburg.
Replacements: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 John Schickerling, 20 Juarno Augustus, 21 Johan du Toit 22 Herschel Jantjies, 23 Craig Barry.
Sharks: 15 Curwin Bosch, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Jacques Vermeulen, 6 Philip van der Walt, 5 Ruan Botha (captain), 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Thomas du Toit, 2 Armand van der Merwe, 1 Juan Schoeman.
Replacements: 16 Mahlatse Ralepelle, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 Wian Vosloo, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Marius Louw, 23 Jacobus van Wyk.
