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Stormers score 17 points in first seven minutes but fall to Ulster comeback
By PA
Ulster scored six tries on their way to claiming a dramatic 38-34 comeback victory over Stormers to boost their United Rugby Championship playoff hopes after trailing 17-0.
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Robert Baloucoune, Jacob Stockdale and Stewart Moore all scored cracking tries, while John Cooney kicked two conversions on his penultimate home game before joining Brive next season.
Stormers number eight Evan Roos opened the scoring with just a minute-and-a-half gone after they had turned Ulster over at a breakdown, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted.
The visitors out-half then dropped a goal and this was rapidly followed by Ben Loader scoring their second try when running in from his own half. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted as Ulster were 17-0 down after seven minutes.
The home side began their fightback when Baloucoune was put over in the corner on his first game of the season after 10 minutes. Cooney failed to convert but did add the two points after Andrew Warwick touched down, just before the half-hour mark.
The half ended with Feinberg-Mngomezulu yellow carded for a block on Baloucoune and from the resulting penalty, Jack Murphy collected the ball after Cooney was tackled and got through to score to level the scores, with Cooney’s conversion attempt sailing wide.
Three minutes in, Ulster took the lead as Stockdale crossed over and Cooney converted.
The Stormers were then reduced to 13 men when skipper Neethling Fouche saw red for a head collision with Ben Carson.
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Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s return saw him hit another drop goal to bring the 14-man away side back.
But then Ulster stuck again, Stockdale hitting the line and feeding Zac Ward to score and this time Murphy converted.
The Stormers once more fought back, replacement Willie Engelbrecht crossing the line after 62 minutes as Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras.
But it was not over yet and Ulster’s Michael Lowry broke out from deep which ended with Stewart Moore romping home to score before Nathan Doak converted the sixth try.
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Once more, the Stormers replied. Home lock Harry Sheridan’s yellow card eight minutes from time led to Roos cutting Ulster’s lead with his second try of the night to bring the South Africans a their own try bonus.
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Nice going, Dobbo. You’ve, once again, managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This version of the Stormers are ill-disciplined, mentally frail but, above all, poorly coached. You and your team of so-called coaches have failed us, the Stomers supporters and the players. Shape up or f*ck off.
Important win for Ulster.
Just something that the article picture brings up.
The Stormers defender has no chance of getting the player or ball. Yet he slides in with the boot. Now Balacoume avoids the collision by twisting his body to touch down.
But it seems to me that in the act of scoring a try the defender generally is allowed a free illegal hit on the try scorer. The objective is to intimidate the opponent who knows a hit is coming and might err. Or else its just to take the easy shot at giving a player a blow without being punished.
You see players, rolling over other players heads, no arms tackles, feet first, knees first slides (Liam Williams take a bow). Why can’t one referee do the right thing and punish these ‘always illegal’ tackles?
This isn’t a swipe at Stormers by the way, the picture just brought it to mind.