The Stormers made things difficult for themselves in their first game at home, but at the death showed their class to outperform Munster for a first-ever United Rugby Championship (URC) win over them.
A flawless kicking performance off the tee and out of hand by flyhalf Damian Willemse together with four excellent tries with the ball in hand, brought a welcome bonus point 34-19 win.
This win relieves pressure on the inaugural champions, who suffered two losses in their three-game tour. They’ve now achieved half their goal of winning two games before the November break.
Despite the best efforts of Munster to spoil almost every breakdown of the Cape side with their negative play, and referee Mike Adamson allowing a free-for-all there, and plenty of interruptions by Munster players sitting to slow the game down, the Stormers did not let that put them off of their goal.
It was also a hard graft for the home teams' scrum to finally get some reward in this facet from Adamson with the ref eagerly rewarding the visitors during the clash.
Despite all those incidents and their own sloppy play at times, the Capetonians showed again why they are a force to be reckoned with at home. After the forwards finally got the upper hand from the scrum and rolling mauls, the backline started to move the ball around.
Outside centre Ruhan Nel rounded off a brilliant try in the second half where the ball went through almost the whole backline, with Munster offside, for a vital lead-stretching score. His second five-pointer came after a lovely intercept when the visitors were hunting a consolation score for two points from the match.
Nel read the pass off a lineout and intercepted it to run through with no defenders in front of him.
Winger Suleiman Hartzenberg scored his try off an interception as well, running over 80 metres in the fifth minute when the Irishmen also flung the ball wide looking for space. The third try by hardworking flanker Marcel Theunissen, shortly before halftime to take the lead 14-12, was also a crucial one to bring momentum for the home side after going up against themselves for a big chunk of the first forty.
Munster's first of three tries came off a charged down kick off Willemse when outside centre Tom Farrell was sent over after the loose ball was scooped up. The Stormers’ failure to defend a maul brought their second try just after 25 minutes of play.
But that phantom high tackle of replacement prop Sazi Sandi which led to a penalty and the third try for the visitors will have the Stormers shaking their heads with the referee treatment they received.
They will have no complaints about the way they closed out the game though. The defence was well-organised and the forwards were outstanding in this department. Willemse and fullback Gelant bossed the attack with the latter creating plenty of chances on the attack and space with his passes and feet for the wingers.
That ice-cold drop goal from Willemse to effectively take any points away from Munster was worth every bit of celebration after he slotted it.
And the Stormers faithful were on their feet by the end of the game after their side found their mojo again.
Small things still need to be ironed out, but this win will be a step in the right direction for the inaugural URC winners ahead of facing defending champions the Glasgow Warriors yesterday.
Points scorers:
Stormers 34 (14): Tries: Suleiman Hartzenberg, Marcel Theunissen, Ruhan Nel (2). Conversions: Damian Willemse (4). Drop goal: Willemse.
Munster: Tries: Tom Farrell, Eoghan Clarke, Gavin Coombes. Conversions: Jack Crowley (2).
