Brumbies claim narrow victory over Stormers
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Brumbies
The Brumbies snatched a dramatic 19-17 victory over the luckless Stormers in the Super 14 match played at Newlands on Friday evening after the teams were level pegging at six points all at the break.
The Stormers shaded the Brumbies for long spells during the match but they were unable to convert their good fortunes and instead traded heavily on the boot of fullback Joe Pietersen to keep them in the picture.
In the end, Pietersen’s boot could not save them from defeat when a conversion was needed to draw the match after the Brumbies snatched a converted try at the death.
The Stormers were quickly in their stride after the kick-off and, assisted by two early penalties, they took play up to the Brumbies’ 22-metre area where dropped passes denied them early success.
A sixth minute drive by the Stormers pack from eight metres out ended with hooker Tiaan Liebenberg dotting down in the corner but the television match official ruled that the ball had made contact with the touchline.
After this let-off the Brumbies set off on attack in the Stormers’ half, but while they were penetrative, they could not find a way past the stubborn opposition defence.
Pietersen opened the score with a penalty in the 13th minute and Matt Giteau responded with another three minutes later.
The Stormers were poised to make the vital breakthrough in the 18th minute when centre Juan de Jongh broke powerfully through a gap in the Brumbies backline, but as the cover defence bore down on him he opted to kick wide where Bryan Habana only just failed to gather the bouncing ball.
Pietersen and Giteau again exchanged penalties in the space of six minutes to restore the stalemate, although the scoreline flattered the Brumbies at that stage of the match.
There were flashes of individualism from winger Gio Aplon and Pietersen but the finishing touch deserted the Stormers as they held the upper hand in the closing stages of the first half, and consequently had to settle for a 6-all halftime scoreline.
After the break the Stormers were off to a promising start and twice threatened the Brumbies’ tryline, but their efforts were much too rushed to make it count. Instead their lone advance during this passage of play was another Pietersen penalty in the 49th minute, but Giteau wiped out the three-point lead three minutes later with a 35m penalty to once again level the scores at 9-9.
Their inability to score tries at various stages of the match, when they were dictating play, seemed to drain the Stormers’ resolve and midway through the second half they allowed the Brumbies back into the game when they were pinned in their half for about 10 minutes. During this time Giteau goaled a penalty to give the Brumbies the lead for the first time in the match.
However, the lead was short-lived as Pietersen was on target with a fourth penalty three minutes later to once again even the scoreline at 12-12.
The equaliser seemed to lift the Stormers game but still they could not find the cohesion to reap rewards for their efforts as time started running out. Apart from cohesion, the Stormers also spilt a number passes just as it seemed they were on the verge of making a breakthrough.
Against the run of play Brumbies flanker George Smith intercepted a long pass in the Stormers’ backline and ran in unopposed to dot down behind the posts for a converted try, giving his side a 19-12 lead.
Incredibly, the Stormers snared a try on the stroke of time through flanker Pieter Louw, but Pietersen missed the conversion, which allowed the Australian visitors to snatch a two-point victory. – Sapa
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