Try time: Sitiveni Sivivatau
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The Stormers got their overseas tour off to a losing start on Saturday, going down 30-23 to the Chiefs in Hamilton.
After cruising to a 20-3 lead at half-time, the wheels came off the Stormers bus after the break as their hosts fought back, scoring 17 unanswered points early in the second period.
It's the second consecutive defeat for the South African conference leaders, both to Kiwi sides, following last week's loss to the Crusaders at Newlands.
Referee Stuart Dickinson shouldn't expect too many Christmas cards from Cape Town this year after a dubious penalty try ignited the Chiefs comeback.
Controversial decisions aside, the Chiefs must be given credit for adapting their game plan and clinically converting their opportunities.
Under the cosh - especially up front - in the earlier stages, the home side stepped up the intensity to force the Stormers into more and more mistakes.
Stephen Donald and Peter Grant traded early penalties to leave the visitors 6-3 up approaching the end of the first quarter when Gio Aplon struck with a magnificent try, hitting the line at pace in a setpiece move, stepping around Mils Muliaina and Sitiveni Sivivatu before turning on the gas and tearing away to score.
The Stormers were using the rolling maul to devastating effect and it came as no surprise when they rumbled over from short range after an attacking line-out to take a 17-point lead into the half-time break.
The Chiefs were given a lifeline soon after the restart when referee Dickinson and television match official Shane McDermott awarded the hosts a penalty try. Dickinson also sent Aplon to the sin bin, adjudging the Stormers wing to have interfered with Richard Kahui's chase to his own kick ahead and preventing the centre from scoring.
To call the decision controversial would be an understatement and it swung the momentum back in the Chiefs' favour.
The home side were right back in the game a few minutes later when Donald kicked over the top, a cruel bounce got the better of Conrad Jantjes and Sivivatu was able race onto the ball and score untouched.
Donald's conversion and penalty a few minutes later leveled the scores as the Stormers collectively fell apart.
Grant replied with the Stormers only points of the half but the Chiefs were next to cross the whitewash to take an unlikely lead into the final quarter after Liam Messam managed to get to squeeze the ball onto the try-line under a pile of bodies to cap a period of sustained pressure.
Donald added another penalty with fifteen minutes left to open the gap to seven points.
Forced to play catch-up rugby, the Stormers were a pale reflection of the side the dominated the first 40 minutes, raising serious questions about their title credentials.
The scorers:
For Chiefs:
Tries: Penalty try, Sivivatu, Messam
Cons: Donald 3
Pens: Donald 3
For Stormers:
Tries: Aplon, Burger
Cons: Grant 2
Pens: Grant 3
Yellow card: Aplon (Stormers - 43rd min)
Chiefs: 15 Mils Muliaina (c), 14 Lelia Masaga, 13 Richard Kahui, 12 Dwayne Sweeney, 11 Sitiveni Sivivatu, 10 Stephen Donald, 9 Brendon Leonard, 8 Fritz Lee, 7 Liam Messam, 6 Taiasina Tuifua, 5 Romana Graham, 4 Craig Clarke, 3 Ben Afeaki, 2 Hika Elliot, 1 Toby Smith.
Replacements: 16 Aled de Malmanche, 17 Sona Taumalolo, 18 Isaac Ross, 19 Sam Cane, 20 Tawera Kerr-Barlow, 21 Tim Nanai-Williams, 22 Jackson Willison.
Stormers: 15 Conrad Jantjes, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Jaque Fourie, 12 Jean De Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Ricky Januarie, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Francois Louw, 6 Schalk Burger (c), 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Rynhardt Elstadt, 3 Brok Harris, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Wicus Blaauw.
Replacements: 16 Tiaan Liebenberg, 17 Steven Kitshoff, 18 De Kock Steenkamp, 19 Anton Van Zyl, 20 Dewaldt Duvenage, 21 Lionel Cronje, 22 Juan De Jongh.
Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)
Comments
rugby1saffer2 says...
Tight call, but the right one. Soft try but like football (penalty), don't do anything wrong behind your tryline.
Did the chiefs deserve to win..........Yes. They could not penetrate Stormers defence in the first half so ( in true All Black fashion) they change there tactics. Kick the ball over or through the defence. Why did Stormers not change there tactics? Cos we can't! SA rugby is played a certain way and takes 10 years before we change the slightest thing. NZ rugby changes every 40mins as the game is played and thats why they are the best. Player for player I think SA just takes the prize but as far as management goes, there is no contest. NZ rugby is 5 years ahead of SA and will always be. Give us NZ's 5th coaching staff any day. Look how long it took Stomers (and Province) to start defending.......50 years?
Well done to the Chiefs, another NZ victory.
Posted 10:50 16th May 2011
dylster says...
wow i read these comments before seeing the game and was expecting another Dickinson howler, but reckon he got it right....you can clearly see Aplon holding back Kahui's left arm, stupid thing to do really. Definitely deserved the yellow card...penalty try? tough one....'probably' would have scored with his left hand tho
Posted 06:45 15th May 2011
olepete says...
More trashing of referee - SA team loses. Don't these seem to go together?
Posted 17:21 14th May 2011
Ramage says...
Far be it for me to support Dickinson but I believe the correct decision was made. If you infringe in in goal then you take the consequences. It had nothing to do with holding his line or Kahui cutting across which he is allowed to do in chasing the ball it all hinges on the fact that Aplon was seen to pull on the jersey. Dickinson saw it and sought confirmation the TMO saw it and reported this to Dickinson so two officials made the call. Would the try have been scored? Debatable based probably on who you were supporting but if the referre deems that it would have been so the decision is made. Aplon made the mistake of grabbing the jersey hence it was a mistake which proved costly. If you really want to look at a stupid decision look at the Australian ex super rugby referee Leckie now relegated to touch duty and calling for a yellow card against the Lions player and the referee being forced to give one. Id like to see a referee over rule this kind of an officious call and show some guts if he saw it. If he didnt then why?. Leckie should be shown the door this was a bad decision something he has become notorious for
Posted 15:41 14th May 2011
Ercasul says...
Looked pretty clear to me. Aplon definitely interfered after Kahui had got past him, pretty cynical IMHO. Aplon would have done better to have had a go at the ball.
Here's to another Chiefs late run ...
Posted 12:04 14th May 2011
moaman says...
Was Kahui interfered with? Was it in the in-goal area? Would a try probably have been scored? =what would have been the correct decision then?
Posted 11:32 14th May 2011
pacfcrugby4eva says...
We await the excuses for this loss. Well played Chiefs. The Reds march on! The danger is, that the Boks seem to do better when their Super rugby's not doing so well.
Posted 10:54 14th May 2011
KiwiLad says...
stuart dickinson proved yet again why so few Aussie refs get games in this competition.
That aside, Great fighting spirit shown by the Chiefs.
Posted 10:44 14th May 2011