The Stormers have played the Sharks 30 times in Super Rugby since 1998, the Stormers have won 14 matches, lost 16 times and drawn one.
The Stormers’ 14 wins give them a record of winning 48% of their matches against the Sharks regardless of venue.
- The Sharks picked up a 42-5 win over the Lions in their last South African derby away from home in Super Rugby, snapping a seven-game losing run in such fixtures.
- The Stormers have won their last two games on the bounce against the Sharks in Super Rugby; the last time they won more was a three-game streak against them across the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.
- Robbie Fleck’s side has lost only one of their last eight games played at home in Super Rugby (W6, D1), and are undefeated in their previous four (W3, D1).
- The Stormers have scored only 14 first-half tries in Super Rugby 2019, fewer than any other team in the competition.
- Both sides sit in the basement of Super Rugby for tries scored; the Stormers 34 tries (14th), the Sharks 38 tries (12th).
- Andre Esterhuizen has scored a try in two of his last three games away from home after having not crossed in any of his 33 away games prior.
Match detail
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1.00: PEEEEP! We are underway on a glorious day in the Western Cape for this do or die Round 18 Super Rugby South African derby.
2.00: Chris van Zyl almost intercepts Rob du Preez, but he drops the ball. He would have had a clear run to the try line. The Sharks keep the ball, going 13 phases into the Stormers’ 22.
3.00: This is relentless from the visitors, who have now gone 16 phases. The attack breaks down, but the Sharks regain possession and build again.
4.00: Dillyn Leyds is tackled into touch after collecting Sbu Nkosi’s grubber. The winger knocked on after more than three minutes of possession by his team.
5.00: Chris Massyn is on for Jaco Coetzee, who is off for an HIA because of Ruben van Heerden’s reckless cleanout at the ruck. Makazole Mapimpi loses the ball in contact inside the opposition’s 22. Scrum to the hosts.
6.00: Cobus Wiese is down with a knee injury. Wiese slipped while trying to tackle Aphelele Fassi. He walks off gingerly. David Meihuizen is on the pitch. Both locks off for the Stormers inside seven minutes.
7.00: Damian de Allende goes to the boot, but his grubber runs into touch by the visitors’ 22. Mapimpi is also off for an HIA. This is a brutal opening to this South African derby. Rhyno Smith is on at fullback, Fassi goes to the left wing.
8.00: The Sharks retain possession for going forward in the tackle. The scrum is in the Stormers’ half near their 10m.
9.00: Smith grubbers into the opposition’s 22, Edwill van der Merwe comes across and cleans up, but he runs the ball into touch inside his 22.
10.00: The Sharks go past seven phases for the third time in the opening stages, a dozen times twice as they build momentum.
11.00: FORWARD PASS! Rob du Preez’s pass is forward, killing another 16-phase attack inside the red zone. They have no X-factor and are running out of ideas with the ball in hand. Stormers defending has been superb.
13.00: De Allende’s kick is claimed by Seabelo Senatla, but the hosts lose the ball. However, the Sharks are offsides.
14.00: The Stormers take it quickly and are up to the Sharks’ 22.
15.00: Accidental offsides by the home team, kills the attack.
16.00: The Stormers’ scrum almost wins the penalty, but the Sharks clear through Du Preez. Leyds runs the ball back, is tackled high. Josh Stander kicks to the opposition’s 22.
18.00: A cheeky lineout move catches the Sharks, out. Coetzee carries forward. The ball is recycled to Kitshoff for the third time in the move, but he loses possession. Fassi clears, but the ball is still in play. De Allende kick releases the pressure.
19.00: Mapimpi is not coming back on the field. He has failed his HIA.
20.00: END OF FIRST QUARTER: Senatla wins De Allende’s cheeky 22 drop-out and charges to halfway. The ball is recycled at speed and the home team is in the red zone after a strong carry by Johan du Toit.
21.00: Rob du Preez wins back the ball after defending for 11 phases, the Sharks kick away the pill. Leyds counter-attacks down the right-wing. It’s end-to-end in Cape Town.
22.00: A penalty brings an end to a frenetic period of play, the Sharks were caught offsides twice during the attack.
23.00: PENALTY! Stander opens the scoring. 3-0
26.00: Stormers have all the ball, now. They are building patiently inside the red zone.
28.00: TRY! OH BOY! The Sharks go the full length of Newlands. Smith scores after the ball bounced off his knee. He collected the ball and ran 90 metres to score his maiden Super rugby try. The Sharks defended for 14 phases before striking against the run of play. 3-5
30.00: MISS! The conversion hits the post and bounces out. 3-5
32.00: YELLOW CARD! Mbongeni Mbonambi leads with his forearm, and after TMO review, is sent to the naughty step. 3-5
33.00: The Stormers get away with some sloppy handling; lucky the men in black did not capitalise. Coetzee is looking groggy, he will not be back, this time.
34.00: The scrum goes straight down and will be reset. De Allende is packing down on the blindside while Mbonambi is off. Siyabonga Ntubeni is on at hooker.
35.00: Another reset scrum.
36.00: Stander clears to Smith. The visitors attack, but the ball is lost forward by Fassi as he contested Smith’s bomb. Ernst van Rhyn is packing down at number eight.
37.00: Stormers win a free-kick and Stander clears the danger.
39.00: Senatla is off getting his thumb strapped.
40.00: The scrum goes down again, the hosts are milking the clock, expertly while their hooker is off the field.
41.00: Du Preez plays for territory, kicking a raking grubber into touch on the Stormers’ 22. A knock on brings an end to a pulsating first half.
The halftime score was Stormers 3 Sharks 5
41.00: PEEEEP! We are back underway in Cape Town.
42.00: Meihuizen steals a Sharks’ lineout; however, the Stormers loose possession and Du Preez clears to the home team’s half.
43.00: Mbonambi is back on the field, his side did not concede while he was off.
44.00: The Stormers lose the ball because Johannes Engelbrecht was picked up and dumped above the horizontal. Nothing comes of the counter-attack, but the ref has gone upstairs to check the tackle.
45.00: Daniel du Preez is a lucky boy, he should have seen yellow. The crowd voices their disapproval.
45.00: PENALTY! Stander edges his side back in front. 6-3
47.00: Senatla is held-up in the tackle, losing possession. Scrum to the visitors inside the opposition’s half. It was Lukhanyo Am and Andre Esterhuizen who did the dirty.
48.00: Both teams have made more than 80 tackles, missing 13 apiece.
49.00: OH DEAR! Smith’s raking grubber goes out in-goal, and the play will come all the way back to halfway for a Stormers’ scrum.
51.00: Lineout on halfway to the hosts after Smith’s clearance.
52.00: Penalty to the Stormers after a mix-up between Smith and Nkosi, who bump into each other challenging for a high ball. Jean-Luc du Plessis, on for Stander, kicks to the 22.
54.00: The pace and intensity have dropped from both sides. There is more territorial kicking as they look to play in the other’s half.
55.00: Blue ball after Senatla wins possession from Hyron Andrews, who got isolated after collecting his kick and running to the Stormers’ 22.
57.00: The scrums have descended into calamity and continuously need to be reset.
58.00: Fleck’s men win the scrum penalty.
59.00: A scuffle breaks out after Nkosi is tackled. The winger threw the ball into touch, looking for the offload, so the Stormers will have the lineout.
60.00: Good work by the visiting forwards, winning the opposition’s throw, but the Stormers regain possession and attack.
62.00: Interesting call by the Sharks; they kick a penalty to the corner instead of taking the points.
63.00: The Sharks are bashing their way into the strike zone, but the Stormers are keeping them at bay.
64.00: Mbonambi wins the penalty at the ruck after a 14-phase attack by the Durban men. That’s the third series of attacks to go 14 or more phases without getting any reward for the Sharks.
66.00: De Allende loses possession in contact. Scrum to the visitors on their 10m.
69.00: Players are dropping like flies again. Fassi is down for the second time holding his shoulder.
70.00: The Stormers maul the Sharks into touch. It’s squeaky-bum time.
73.00: the game is messy, both teams do not want to play with the ball in hand, opting to kick at every chance.
74.00: NO TRY! Senatla takes Du Plessis’ pass and scores in the corner, but the flyhalf’s pass was well forward. 6-5
75.00: MASSIVE MOMENT! The Stormers’ pack wins the scrum-penalty, for collapsing, inside the Sharks’ 22.
76.00: They will take a shot.
77.00: PENALTY! Jean-Luc du Plessis extends his side’s lead. 9-5
80.00: The siren goes, the Sharks are near the Stormers’ 22.
82.00: TRY! Am seals the deal after a 15-phase attack. Finally, the Sharks get over the line. 9-10
83.00: CONVERSION! Du Preez adds the extras. Game over! 9-12
FULL TIME
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The final score is Stormers 9 (3) Sharks 12 (5)
Scorers
Stormers
Tries –
Pen – Stander (2), J. Du Plessis
Con –
Drop –
Cards – Mbonambi (Yellow, 32′)
Sharks
Tries – Smith, Am
Pen –
Con – R. Du Preez
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: AJ Jacobs
Assistant Ref 1: Cwengile Jadezweni
Assistant Ref 2: Divan Uys
TMO: Willie Vos
Teams
Stormers
15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Johannes Engelbrecht, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Josh Stander, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Jaco Coetzee, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Ernst van Rhyn, 5 Chris van Zyl, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Mbongeni Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 David Meihuizen, 20 Chris Massyn, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Dan Kriel.
Sharks
15 Aphelele Fassi, 14 Sibusiso Nkosi, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Louis Schreuder (captain), 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Tyler Paul, 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 5 Hyron Andrews, 4 Ruben van Heerden, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Mzamo Majola.
Replacements: 16 Cullen Collopy, 17 Thomas du Toit, 18 John-Hubert Meyer, 19 Gideon Koegelenberg, 20 Luke Stringer, 21 Cameron Wright, 22 Jeremy Ward, 23 Rhyno Smith.