The Sharks completed a remarkable derby double over the Stormers with a commanding 36-24 victory at Kings Park, their first back-to-back wins against the Cape side in a single season since 2012 Super Rugby.
Just seven days after stunning the Stormers 30-19 in Cape Town to end an eight-match unbeaten run, JP Pietersen’s resurgent side delivered an even more emphatic statement in the return fixture. Five tries to two told the story of a contest in which the Sharks were superior in almost every facet, dominating the aerial battle, winning the collision count and punishing the Stormers’ chronic ill-discipline.
The result was sealed by one of the most bizarre moments of the URC season. With 10 minutes remaining and the Sharks leading 31-24, replacement full-back Warrick Gelant dropped back behind his own line to field a probing kick. Taking his time to dot down, Gelant was oblivious to the danger as Jaco Williams raced in to touch the ball down under his nose – a howler that will haunt the Springbok for some time.
For the Stormers, it was a second consecutive defeat that exposed the same failings that had undermined them in Cape Town. Seventeen penalties conceded, two yellow cards, a malfunctioning lineout and an inability to win the aerial contest – the issues John Dobson had identified seven days earlier remained stubbornly unresolved.
Captain Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was left to reflect on what might have been after his side had led 24-14 early in the second half. “The lack of discipline cost us,” he admitted. “When we played our game, we were on top of them. We were being reckless, careless and irresponsible.”
Key moments
1′ – TRY STORMERS: A sensational start for the visitors. The Stormers win a turnover penalty near the Sharks line from the kick-off, pressuring captain André Esterhuizen. Scrum-half Cobus Reinach takes a quick tap and crashes over within 35 seconds of the opening whistle. Feinberg-Mngomezulu hooks the conversion wide, but the Stormers have caught the hosts completely cold (Sharks 0-5 Stormers)
4′ – SHARKS RESPOND: Jordan Hendrikse catches an up-and-under from Feinberg-Mngomezulu and the Sharks immediately look more composed. A strong run by Ethan Hooker gets them over the advantage line and into the Stormers’ 22. The aerial battle that will define this contest is already taking shape
8′ – YELLOW CARD STORMERS: Paul de Villiers is shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul after repeated Stormers infringements. The visitors have conceded penalty after penalty as the Sharks camp in their 22, and referee Christopher Allison’s patience finally snaps
12′ – TRY SHARKS: The hosts capitalise immediately on their numerical advantage. After sustained pressure and two lineouts, scrum-half Grant Williams spots his opportunity and snipes over from the base of a ruck. Jordan Hendrikse converts to put the Sharks in front for the first time (Sharks 7-5 Stormers)
15′ – PENALTY STORMERS: Feinberg-Mngomezulu slots a penalty in front of goal after the Stormers apply some rare pressure, edging the visitors back ahead despite being a man down (Sharks 7-8 Stormers)
17′ – SHARKS ERROR: Jordan Hendrikse overcooks his restart kick and it goes out on the full, giving the Stormers the feed to a scrum on halfway. A let-off for the visitors
19′ – PENALTY STORMERS: Siya Kolisi is penalised for playing the scrum-half illegally and Feinberg-Mngomezulu extends the Stormers’ lead with another successful kick before a quick water break (Sharks 7-11 Stormers)
24′ – TRY SHARKS: The Sharks’ forwards do all the hard work, powering through the Stormers’ defence with an impressive maul drive before the ball is worked around the corner. Centre Ethan Hooker dives over a ruck to score from close range, showing excellent anticipation to be in the right place. Hendrikse converts to put the hosts back in front (Sharks 14-11 Stormers)
31′ – DISALLOWED TRY STORMERS: Lock Adré Smith appears to score from close range after the Stormers camp on the Sharks’ line, but referee Allison calls an obstruction by prop Neethling Fouché in the build-up. The Sharks are awarded a penalty on their own try-line. A crucial let-off for the hosts
34′ – SMITH REPLACED: Stormers coach John Dobson makes an early change, replacing Smith with JD Schickerling in an attempt to stabilise the stuttering lineout
38′ – PENALTY STORMERS: Feinberg-Mngomezulu lines up a monster 53-metre penalty after the Stormers win one at the scrum. The captain shows ice-cold composure to slot it and level the scores at 14-14
40′ – PENALTY STORMERS: Ben-Jason Dixon puts in a textbook tackle on Aphelele Fassi and wins a penalty on the ground. Feinberg-Mngomezulu steps up again and slots another long-range effort to send the Stormers into half-time with an unlikely 17-14 lead
Half-time: Sharks 14-17 Stormers
43′ – TRY STORMERS: The visitors make the perfect start to the second half. Feinberg-Mngomezulu puts up a well-weighted up-and-under and Paul de Villiers, back from his yellow card, gathers in space. The flanker runs a superb angle, shows outstanding footwork to beat several defenders, and crashes over for a brilliant individual try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converts and suddenly the Stormers lead by 10 points (Sharks 14-24 Stormers)
47′ – YELLOW CARD STORMERS: The crucial turning point. Lock Ruben van Heerden is shown a yellow card for repeated team infringements at a defensive lineout. The Stormers have given away 11 penalties in just 47 minutes – their ill-discipline has reached critical levels
48′ – TRY SHARKS: The hosts punish the numerical advantage immediately. Grant Williams makes a devastating break through the middle before the ball is worked to captain André Esterhuizen, who strolls over untouched from close range. Hendrikse converts to cut the deficit to three points (Sharks 21-24 Stormers)
52′ – TRY SHARKS: The momentum has swung decisively. After continued pressure with the Stormers still down to 14 men, Jaco Williams receives the ball from his namesake Grant Williams running a channel close to the forwards. The winger shows electric pace to race over out wide for his second try in as many weeks. Hendrikse converts magnificently from the touchline and the Sharks lead for the first time since the 24th minute (Sharks 28-24 Stormers)
57′ – LINEOUT STOLEN: The Sharks win a penalty on the Stormers’ 22 and Hendrikse finds touch five metres out. However, the Stormers produce a crucial steal at the lineout and clear their lines. A brief reprieve for the visitors
68′ – PENALTY SHARKS: The Stormers’ front row buckles at the scrum and concedes a penalty. Hendrikse lines up from 40 metres and slots it to extend the Sharks’ lead to seven points with 12 minutes remaining (Sharks 31-24 Stormers)
71′ – TRY SHARKS: The moment that will haunt Warrick Gelant. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s clearance kick is poor and the ball bounces into the Stormers’ in-goal area. Gelant drops back to dot it down but is far too casual, taking his time with the ball at his feet. He does not see Jaco Williams racing in at full pace. The winger touches down under Gelant’s nose for one of the most bizarre tries of the season – reminiscent of the infamous Robbie Fleck/Deon Kayser incident from 2000. Hendrikse’s conversion drifts wide but the damage is done (Sharks 36-24 Stormers)
73′ – SHARKS CHANGES: Jurenzo Julius replaces Williams, who departs to a standing ovation after his match-winning double
76′ – STORMERS PUSH: The visitors win back-to-back scrum penalties and kick to touch on both occasions, desperately searching for a losing bonus point. They edge closer but Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s kick goes behind the try-line and a scrum is awarded to the Sharks
79′ – HELD UP: Marcel Theunissen is held up over the try-line as the Stormers throw everything at the Sharks’ defence. The hosts survive and are awarded a goal-line drop-out
80′ – FULL-TIME: The Stormers have one final chance from the restart but knock on in contact. The final whistle blows and the Sharks have completed a famous double
Full-time: Sharks 36-24 Stormers
Match report
When the Stormers scored within 35 seconds of the opening whistle, the Kings Park crowd must have feared the worst. From the kick-off, the visitors swarmed all over captain Esterhuizen, forcing a turnover penalty near the Sharks line. Reinach sized up the situation in an instant – the Sharks defence was scrambled, bodies out of position – and took a quick tap before crashing over untouched. Feinberg-Mngomezulu hooked the conversion wide, but the message was clear: the Stormers had arrived in Durban determined to make amends for the previous week’s defeat.
It proved to be a false dawn. What followed was 79 minutes of Sharks dominance, punctuated only by Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s prodigious boot keeping the Stormers in a contest they had no business being in.
The warning signs were there from the start. Even as Reinach was celebrating, the Stormers’ discipline was already fraying. Jordan Hendrikse caught an up-and-under from Feinberg-Mngomezulu and the Sharks immediately looked more composed, a strong run by Hooker getting them over the advantage line and into the Stormers’ 22. Penalty after penalty allowed the hosts to camp in the visitors’ territory, and when De Villiers was shown a yellow card for collapsing a maul after just eight minutes – the culmination of repeated infringements that had tested referee Allison’s patience to breaking point – it felt almost inevitable that the Sharks would capitalise.
Grant Williams duly obliged, showing the predatory instincts that have made him one of the most dangerous scrum-halves in South African rugby. After two lineouts had been set up without reward, Williams spotted the gap at the base of the ruck. His dart was perfectly timed, finding the soft shoulder of the Stormers’ defence, and he was over before anyone could lay a hand on him. Hendrikse’s conversion put the Sharks 7-5 ahead despite that disastrous start.
The pattern of the contest was established. The Sharks dominated territory and possession, winning the aerial battle hands down with Fassi so much sounder under the high ball than his opposite number Willemse. Wings Edwill van der Merwe and Jaco Williams were brilliant on the chase, repeatedly forcing the Stormers back into their own half with their willingness to compete for every contestable kick.
“If you can’t get out of your half, you can’t play rugby,” Esterhuizen noted afterwards. “You will be trapped the whole time. It fits conditions like this.”
The humidity in Durban made handling treacherous and kicking paramount. The Sharks understood this better than their opponents, playing with a clear plan that targeted the Stormers’ vulnerabilities in the air. Time and again, contestable kicks from the Hendrikse brothers – Grant in the first half, Jaden after the break – caused chaos in the Stormers’ back three.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s penalties kept the visitors in touch, restoring their lead at 8-7 and then extending it to 11-7 after Kolisi was penalised for playing the scrum-half illegally. But the Sharks’ second try, on 24 minutes, demonstrated their superiority in the tight exchanges. The forwards did all the hard work first, powering through the Stormers’ defence with an impressive maul drive that sucked in defenders. When the ball was worked around the corner, Hooker showed excellent anticipation to be in the right place, diving over a ruck to dot down from close range. Hendrikse’s conversion made it 14-11 to the hosts.
The Stormers should have struck back moments later. After camping on the Sharks’ line through multiple phases, lock Adré Smith appeared to have scored from close range. The celebrations were already beginning when referee Allison called for a TMO review – and the try was chalked off for an obstruction by prop Neethling Fouché in the build-up. It was a cruel blow, and Smith’s day got worse when Dobson replaced him with JD Schickerling shortly afterwards in an attempt to stabilise the stuttering lineout.
Yet somehow, the visitors led 17-14 at half-time. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s boot was the difference – two monster penalties from beyond 50 metres in the final minutes of the half keeping the Stormers’ hopes alive despite being comprehensively outplayed in most other facets. The first came after a scrum penalty, 53 metres out, and the captain showed ice-cold composure to slot it and level the scores. Then, with the clock in red, Ben-Jason Dixon put in a textbook tackle on Fassi and won a penalty on the ground. Feinberg-Mngomezulu stepped up again from long range and made no mistake. His accuracy was exceptional, but it was masking deeper problems that would eventually prove fatal.
When De Villiers scored his brilliant individual try three minutes into the second half, it seemed the Stormers might escape with a victory their overall performance did not merit. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s up-and-under was perfectly weighted, hanging in the humid Durban air. De Villiers, back from his first-half yellow card, gathered in space with no Sharks defender within five metres. What followed was outstanding – the flanker ran a superb angle towards the posts, showed devastating footwork to step inside one defender, then outside another, before powering through a third tackle attempt to crash over. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion stretched the lead to 10 points at 24-14. For a brief, tantalising moment, the Stormers were in control.
Then Van Heerden was yellow-carded for repeated infringements at a defensive lineout, and the game changed irrevocably. The Stormers had conceded 11 penalties in just 47 minutes – their ill-discipline had reached critical levels, and now they would pay the ultimate price.
The Sharks scored twice in four minutes to turn a 24-14 deficit into a 28-24 lead. The first try was a thing of beauty. Grant Williams received the ball 30 metres out and spotted a mismatch in the Stormers’ depleted defence. He accelerated through the gap, his footwork leaving two defenders grasping at thin air, before drawing the last man and feeding Esterhuizen on his shoulder. The captain had the simplest of tasks, strolling over untouched to cap a magnificent afternoon’s work. Hendrikse converted to cut the deficit to three.
Four minutes later, the bonus point was secured in clinical fashion. From a scrum, Grant Williams again provided the spark, finding his namesake Jaco running a channel close to the forwards. The winger took the pass at pace, showed electric acceleration to beat the covering defender, and raced over out wide for his second try in as many weeks against the Stormers. Hendrikse’s conversion from the touchline was magnificent, curling between the posts to put the Sharks 28-24 ahead. The momentum had swung decisively.
“We talked about it this week to start the halves well,” Dobson admitted. “We probably got both right, but the rest wasn’t a behaviour change from last week. I think the two games were very similar.”
Similar – and similarly frustrating for Stormers supporters. The same ill-discipline that had cost them in Cape Town resurfaced in Durban. The same lineout malfunctions. The same inability to win the aerial contest. The same failure to convert promising positions into points.
Hendrikse’s 68th-minute penalty, slotted from 40 metres after the Stormers’ front row buckled at the scrum, extended the lead to seven points. The visitors were running out of time and ideas.
Then came the moment that will define this match – and haunt Warrick Gelant for years to come. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s clearance kick was poor, lacking both distance and direction. The ball bounced into the Stormers’ in-goal area, and Gelant dropped back to deal with what should have been a routine situation.
What happened next was inexplicable. The full-back took his time, far too casual with the ball at his feet, seemingly unaware of the danger racing towards him. Jaco Williams, who had been chasing kicks all afternoon, was not about to stop now. He sprinted 40 metres at full pace while Gelant dawdled, arriving just as the full-back finally bent down to dot the ball dead. Williams got there first, touching down under Gelant’s nose for one of the most bizarre tries in URC history.
It was reminiscent of the infamous Robbie Fleck/Deon Kayser incident from a Super Rugby clash between these same teams in 2000, when Stormers centre Fleck thought he was through for the try only to be hit from behind by the flying Kayser. Twenty-six years later, the Stormers had found another way to gift the Sharks a try through a moment of inexcusable casualness.
Hendrikse’s conversion drifted wide, but the damage was done. At 36-24 with nine minutes remaining, the Stormers were now playing for a losing bonus point rather than victory.
They threw everything at the Sharks in the closing stages, winning back-to-back scrum penalties and kicking to touch on both occasions. Marcel Theunissen was held up over the try-line as the visitors launched wave after wave of attacks. But the Sharks’ defence, which had been outstanding all afternoon, held firm. When the Stormers knocked on in contact from the final restart, the whistle blew on a famous double.
“Five-metre lineouts not converted, giving penalties away at mauls which led to some of the discipline stuff,” Dobson lamented. “So to fix the stuff, there needs to be a behaviour change. It was really poor from us and I feel bad for our supporters.”
For the Sharks, this was vindication of the work Pietersen has done since taking over as interim coach six weeks ago. In that period, his side has won four from five matches, beating Saracens in the Champions Cup, hammering Clermont and completing this remarkable double over the previously unbeaten Stormers.
“Give JP Pietersen the Sharks job and let him get on with it,” wrote one analyst. “He is not an interim measure.”
The appointment of Esterhuizen as captain has proved inspired. The powerful centre led from the front throughout both derbies, his physicality in the collisions setting the tone for his team-mates. Around him, players who had looked subdued earlier in the season – Kolisi, Fassi, the Hendrikse brothers – performed with the intensity and authority expected of Springboks.
The Sharks head into a three-week break with their confidence sky-high, having climbed from 14th to eighth in the standings. The Stormers, by contrast, have four weeks to address the problems that have now cost them three of their last four matches.
“There has to be a behaviour change,” Dobson insisted. “It is really poor from us.”
What they said
John Dobson (Stormers head coach): “Credit to the Sharks, they beat us properly over the past two weeks. Our discipline was poor and our set-piece definitely let us down. I thought their aerial game was really good and they played with a really clear plan that worked for them. The most frustrating thing about tonight is that everything that went wrong last week went wrong this week. There has to be a behaviour change – it is really poor from us and bad for our supporters.”
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers captain): “The lack of discipline cost us. When we played our game, we were on top of them. Going into halftime, we were up 24-14, and we just let it slip. Within ten minutes, we went from an upbeat team scoring tries. That’s just the reality. We were being reckless, careless and irresponsible. Our discipline is costing us.”
André Esterhuizen (Sharks captain): “Jaden came on and did very well. Grant as well in the first half. We just got a bit of wind behind us in the second half, which helped us a bit. The contesting from our wings, they were superb in the air. We put them under so much pressure, and we won a lot of scraps. That’s what we worked on the whole week. It’s one of the most important parts of the game – if you can’t get out of your half, you can’t play rugby.”
JP Pietersen (Sharks interim head coach): Speaking before the match, Pietersen had predicted: “With the humidity, there will be some errors with the slippery ball, so it’ll be a scrum battle, lineouts, mauling, and high-ball contesting.” His side delivered on all fronts.
Player of the match
Jaco Williams’ opportunistic double earned him the man of the match award, but this was a collective effort from a Sharks side transformed under Pietersen’s guidance. Captain André Esterhuizen was immense throughout – leading from the front in the collisions, providing go-forward ball and capping his performance with a well-taken try. Grant Williams controlled proceedings superbly from scrum-half, his tempo and decision-making perfect for the conditions, while Edwill van der Merwe was a menace in the aerial contest.
For the Stormers, Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s four penalties – including two from beyond 50 metres – kept his side in a contest they otherwise had no right to be in. But even his prodigious boot could not compensate for the failings elsewhere.
Teams
Sharks: Aphelele Fassi; Edwill van der Merwe, Ethan Hooker, André Esterhuizen (captain), Jaco Williams; Jordan Hendrikse, Grant Williams; Phepsi Buthelezi, Vincent Tshituka, Siya Kolisi; Emile van Heerden, Corne Rahl; Hanro Jacobs, Fez Mbatha, Ox Nche
Replacements: Eduan Swart, Phatu Ganyane, Vincent Koch, Jason Jenkins, Nick Hatton, Jaden Hendrikse, Siya Masuku, Jurenzo Julius
Stormers: Damian Willemse; Dylan Maart, Wandisile Simelane, Jonathan Roche, Leolin Zas; Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (captain), Cobus Reinach; Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Paul de Villiers; Ruben van Heerden, Adré Smith; Neethling Fouché, André-Hugo Venter, Oli Kebble
Replacements: JJ Kotzé, Ntuthuko Mchunu, Zachary Porthen, JD Schickerling, Marcel Theunissen, Stefan Ungerer, Jurie Matthee, Warrick Gelant
Referee: Christopher Allison (SARU)
Yellow cards: Paul de Villiers (Stormers, 8′ – collapsing maul); Ruben van Heerden (Stormers, 47′ – repeated infringements)
