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The DHL Stormers triumphed in their 5th match of the Super Rugby tournament with an impressive 51-16 victory over the Western Force.

The visitors were given an early blow before the whistle as inside centre Gene Fairbanks was struck down by a virus, making way for Australian Sevens player Brian Sefanaia to take the field, who is only on a four week contract with the Force due to some injury concerns among the backs.

The Stormers began the match in rollicking fashion with a 2nd minute try through Jaque Fourie after regaining the ball from the kick-off. The home side swung the ball up and down the field before an overlap on the near touchline gave Fourie the five pointer. Habana showed good presence of mind to draw the defender, giving Fourie an opening in the corner which he gratefully took. Flyhalf Peter Grant made no mistake with the conversion.

While the Stormers showed incisive attacking play, the Force on the other hand looked blunt. When Force flyhalf James O’Conner chipped the Stormers defence for centre Cummins to run onto, Danie Poolman was hasty and conceded a penalty for a high tackle just outside the Stormers 22, which O’Conner gratefully converted.

Scrums were an area which the Stormers dominated early, Pro Legoete’s arm coming out several times on the Stormer’s side in the first few exchanges. However, both teams took strain in the line-outs on a windless afternoon, with skew throws losing the teams quality possession.

The Stormers looked a different side on attack than they have in past weeks, if not in effort, then certainly in execution, breaking the gain line on several occasions. Pressure from the Aplon, Habana and Duane Vermeulen led to a Stormers throw-in meters from the Force try-line. The ensuing mall, they drove the Force backwards, but were denied a try when the maul was collapsed, and Pieter Louw unfortunately getting hurt in the process. Nick Koster came on in the 21st minute as a replacement as Grant kicked to touch to set up a line-out.

As if to prove a point, the Stormers mauled the ball up before hooker Deon Fourie broke through a frayed Force defence to score, which Grant converted with no problems. After 22 minutes, the Force were 14 – 3 behind and looking like a side desperate to regain pride.

It took only four minutes before a side-step from sensation O’Conner set up a 1-on-1 with Bryan Habana, a task he accepted and handled with aplomb, to cross the white-wash unopposed in the 26th. He converted his own kick to bring the visitors to within four points of the South African conference leaders.

An infringement by the Stormers at the scrum in the 32nd minute led to referee Legoete awarding the Force a penalty, which O’Conner converted from the half-way line, showing great composure.

In the 35th minute, an off-side against the Force well within their own half gave Grant the opportunity to increase the lead to seven points, a task which proved no problem to the points machine.

The ensuing kick-off from Stormers resulted in a scrum to them after the Force knocked the ball on in their own 22. With only five minutes of the half remaining, the home team showed sublime penetration in swinging the ball the width of the field before captain Jean de Villiers powered his way to five points, made into seven by the boot of the machine, Peter Grant. 24-13 the score.

Habana sought to make up for his earlier defensive error by some manful tackling and sniping runs on the counter. The maul was a strong weapon in the home teams arsenal as they employed it effectively, with the Force having no real answer for it, eventually giving away a penalty in the 38th minute. Grant once again made no mistake to maintain a 100% record in the match.

A last minute attack in the half by Pek Cowan was halted after Deon Fourie made the tackle but did not release the ball. James O’Conner took the opportunity to take the sides into the dressing room with the scoreboard reading 27-16.

The second half began in almost the same manner as the first with the Stormers starting an attack from within their own half, passing down the line with a man overlap, when Deon Fourie chipped the Force backline to score a superb individual try in the corner, despite the attentions of several Force defenders. Grant converted to take the score to 34-16 in the 42nd minute.

In what was likely the Stormer’s exciting try of the season, Jean de Villiers made two telling runs through the Force defence before the ball ran through the hands for Jaque Fourie to get his second of the match in the 54th minute. Mr Reliable once again added two points to give the Stormers a 41-16 lead.

A series of four penalties against the Stormers on their own line led to nothing as the ball was turned over and eventually cleared by Grant. However, the Force were soon on attack yet again before Logoete halted proceedings to warn De Villiers that his team were slowing down the ball at the breakdown.

In a bizarre incident, the Stormers attacked down the near side touchline with a 3-on-2 overlap, before the referee blew the whistle to call them back almost 25 meters, only to give the Stormers a scrum for advantage.

Francois Louw was given a yellow card in the 64th for a ruck infringement, the recipient of Legoete’s flagging graciousness.

A brilliant set of attacking runs from the Stormers backs a few minutes later took them out of their own half and up to 10 meters from the Force’s line. Hands in the ruck in the 72nd minute gave Peter Grant yet another opportunity to add to his tally, which he predictably did. The Stormers leading the visitors by 44 points to 16.

A hand on the ground by the Force led to a penalty in the 75th minute, and in an attacking move (appreciated by the crowd), the Stormers went for the line rather than the points. The resulting Maul drove the Stormers to within inches before Andries Bekker lunged through two cover tackles to place the ball over the line.

The Stormers looked unstoppable at times, and Peter Grant playing the points-gatherer with yet another two, send an ominous warning to the other teams in the competition.

A 51-16 victory over a team that drew 22-all with a very impressive blues outfit certainly has provided the competition with an early favourite.

Article by Kevin Abott