Cape Town — They looked down and out for most of the afternoon, but when it really mattered, the Stormers showed all the necessary skill and composure to get over the line against Ulster.
Manie Libbok was the hero by slotting the angled conversion of Warrick Gelant’s last-minute try to secure a dramatic 17-15 victory at Cape Town Stadium to book a spot in next Saturday’s final against the Bulls in the Mother City.
The fact that the home side managed to dig deep right in the dying stages speaks volumes about the character of Steven Kitshoff’s team.
ALSO READ: Stormers beat Ulster in dramatic fashion to set up home URC final against Bulls
When Ulster ran onto the pitch, they looked like Kaizer Chiefs with their golden yellow jerseys.
But the way they managed to bulldoze their way through the Stormers, they were more like Spanish football side Villarreal – whose nickname is the ‘Yellow Submarine’.
This United Rugby Championship semi-final was always going to be a case of the Stormers attack against the Ulster defence, and for most of a sunny day at a packed Cape Town Stadium, the Belfast outfit ruled the roost.
𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙍𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙏𝙤 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝘾𝙞𝙩𝙮 ✨ as Warrick Gelant and the DHL Stormers come up clutch in the dying moments to set up an all-South African Vodacom #URC Final 👏
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 11, 2022
With Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen calling the shots, they knocked the Stormers ball-carriers backwards with ferocious hits, winning the collisions and disrupting the Capetonians’ rhythm on attack.
John Dobson’s team got off to the best possible start with a driving maul try by hooker JJ Kotze in the fourth minute, and not long after that, star No 8 Evan Roos galloped over in the right-hand corner following a brilliant lineout move that saw Herschel Jantjies snipe down the blindside to feed a charging Roos.
But Libbok missed both conversions, and it meant that the Stormers were just 10-0 ahead instead of 14-0. Those four points nearly came back to haunt the hosts, as Ulster clawed their way back through a disciplined approach.
They did the little things right – passing with precision, winning their lineouts, getting their maul going and pinpoint box-kicks.
In contrast, the Stormers never kicked on from that dream start, and seemed to be going through the motions as the Ulster hits took their toll.
Classy right wing Rob Baloucoune sparked the comeback with an 18th-minute try – although the crowd bayed for a forward pass – and 10 minutes later, they took the lead through fullback Stewart Moore, who finished off after a superb inside pass by Baloucoune.
When the Stormers did put a few phases together, they threatened the Ulster line, but didn’t show enough patience with ball-in-hand. One such instance was just before halftime, when Libbok opted for a drop goal instead of taking the ball up, and his effort sailed wide.
Scrumhalf John Cooney slotted a penalty just before the break, and at 15-10, Ulster were well on their way to avenging their 23-20 defeat at the same venue earlier in the season.
The Stormers had a number of opportunities to get back into the game, but battled to make the final pass and finish off, while they also lost wing Leolin Zas to injury at halftime, which saw Godlen Masimla come on out wide.
It went from bad to worse for Kitshoff’s team when Libbok kicked a penalty out inside the in-goal area in the 64th minute, when a better option may have been to take the three points and narrow the gap to 15-13 – especially as Ulster had defended the mauls well up to that point.
Then disaster struck when lock Adre Smith was given a red card for making contact with the eyes of an Ulster player in a maul, and it looked like that was the last straw for the home side.
But roared on by a boisterous crowd – who voiced their displeasure with a number of questionable calls by referee Mike Adamson – the Stormers never gave up.
🎙 "𝙞𝙎𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙗"
The DHL Stormers book their spot in the Vodacom #URC Final following a dramatic 17-15 win over Ulster Rugby 🔵 pic.twitter.com/hvA29Km9UQ
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 11, 2022
They were stopped just short of the line in the closing stages, but kept going at it, and eventually Gelant was found in space and he sped across the line to set up the conversion for Libbok.
The No 10 showed nerves of steel to boot the ball just inside the right-hand upright to send the fans into ecstasy.
The Stormers had finally made it to another major final – having last been in a title decider in the 2010 Super Rugby final.
Now they will face the Bulls once more, just like 12 years ago, but this time, they’re at home.
The Stormers were far from perfect, but for now, they can celebrate a momentous victory before the hard work starts on Monday again…
Stormers 17 – Tries: JJ Kotze, Evan Roos, Warrick Gelant. Conversion: Manie Libbok (1).
Ulster 15 – Tries: Rob Baloucoune, Stewart Moore. Conversion: John Cooney (1). Penalty: Cooney (1).
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