Three late tries sees Stormers rally past Dragons for crucial win
The Stormers took a giant step towards sealing a United Rugby Championship play-off spot after producing a flying finish to earn a 44-21 win over battling Dragons at Rodney Parade.
The South Africans were made to work hard for their bonus-point victory as they trailed until the final quarter before blowing Dragons away with three late tries.
Angelo Davids and replacement Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu both scored two tries for the fifth-placed visitors, with Evan Roos also touching down and Manie Libbok converting all five and adding three penalties.
Harri Keddie and Aaron Wainwright went over for Dragons, Angus O’Brien converting one, while Will Reed kicked three penalties.
Dragons, looking to claim only a fourth win of the season that would have lifted them out of the bottom two, began strongly with powerful bursts from Wainwright and Keddie putting their opponents on the back foot and they were rewarded when a penalty from Reed gave them an early lead.
The Stormers continued to struggle to gain a foothold in the match and backchat from a scrum penalty awarded against them cost a further 10 metres, giving the hosts an attacking line-out from where Keddie forced his way over.
Another scrum penalty then saw Reed launch a superbly-judged kick to secure a five-metre line-out and, with the Stormers conceding two more penalties in quick succession, Reed was able to extend his side’s lead to 11-0 with a simple kick.
Reset scrums were preventing any real flow to the game but the Stormers finally got on the scoreboard in the 31st minute from another penalty awarded in that area, with Libbok slotting over his penalty.
Three minutes later, the Stormers awoke from their slumbers to score a splendid try.
Reed dropped an up and under and he was made to pay for his error when a pinpoint cross-field kick from Warrick Gelant saw Davids collect before displaying too much pace for Dragons’ cover defence.
Libbok converted but his side still trailed 11-10 at the interval.
The visitors took the lead for the first time six minutes into the second half thanks to a second penalty from Libbok but that was soon nullified by a third successful kick from Reed.
Another scrum penalty saw Libbok again on target but Wainwright crashed over from close range, and O’Brien conversion gave Dragons a 21-16 lead going into the final quarter and a chance for an upset.
But the Stormers upped their game and relentless pressure ended with Davids squeezing over for his second try of the match in the 65th minute before Dragons lost prop Rodrigo Martinez to the sin bin for repeated scrum infringements.
The Stormers took full advantage to put the game beyond their host, with Roos finishing off a driving line-out before Feinberg-Mngomezulu added two tries in quick succession to break Dragons hearts.
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It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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