Stormers eighthman Evan Roos tries to break through a tackle during their Champions Cup match against La Rochelle at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
In an extraordinary nail-biting finish a pressure touchline conversion from Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok after the fulltime hooter allowed his side to steal a thrilling 21-20 Champions Cup win over French giants La Rochelle at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was an incredible end to the game that looked to be all sewn up when the double defending champs went over for their third try in the 77th minute of the match, scored and converted by flyhalf Antoine Hastoy to give them a 27-14 lead.
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However just before the teams were able to restart the TMO called down to the ref and showed him foul play in the build-up to the try, which showed replacement prop Joel Sclavi making head contact in a tackle, which led to him being yellow carded and the try being chalked off, keeping the game alive.
From the resultant penalty the Stormers kicked into the La Rochelle 22m, earned another penalty and put the ball out on the 5m, setup the maul and rumbled over for replacement hooker Andre-Hugo Venter to dot down, with Libbok then raising his arms in triumph as his conversion sailed through the uprights.
It wasn’t a great game overall for the Stormers and they were in the end very lucky to escape with the win, especially after La Rochelle got off to an absolute flyer in the match, as Hastoy slotted a third minute penalty to put them into an early lead.
Three minutes later they were in for their first try as from a lineout on the halfway the ball came back to hooker Pierre Bougarit who set off on a rampaging run down the blindside, brushing off a couple of weak Stormers tackles and offloading to scrumhalf Tawera Kerr-Barlow to go over to score.
Hastoy’s conversion put them 10-0 up and in control early, but the game then became a massive arm wrestle with it scoreless for the next 29 minutes.
The action kicked up a notch in the final five minutes of the half as Libbok slotted two penalties, either side of one from Hastoy, as the visitors took a 13-6 lead into the halftime break.
It was an action packed start to the second half with both sides striking over the first 11 minutes, starting with a 43rd minute penalty from Libbok to reduce the deficit to four points.
However La Rochelle hit straight back from the kick-off as the Stormers lost the ball in midfield trying to attack, allowing former legend Dillyn Leyds to pick up the ball and race away, before offloading to eighthman Yoan Tanga to go over for the converted score.
In the 51st minute the Stormers got themselves back in range as from a lineout in the La Rochelle 22m the ball found inside centre Damian Willemse to send a pinpoint crosskick to right wing Ben Loader to superbly catch and go over in the corner for an unconverted score.
This made it 20-14 with still 29 minutes left in the game, and although it again became an arm wrestle, it ended with a ridiculous finish as the hosts snuck a barely deserved win.
Stormers: Tries – Ben Loader, Andre-Hugo Venter; Conversion – Manie Libbok; Penalties – Libbok (3)
La Rochelle: Tries – Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Yoan Tanga; Conversions – Antoine Hastoy (2); Penalties – Hastoy (2)
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