URC result: Libbok stars as Stormers draw with Leinster

The Manie Libbok show was unfortunately not enough for the Stormers as they drew a thrilling United Rugby Championship match 22-all with Irish powerhouse Leinster at the RDS Arena in Dublin on Friday night.

Libbok was part of most of the good things the Stormers did on the night, as he scored a try, knocked over two conversions and a penalty and produced two try assists in a fantastic showing.

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But it was a poor 20 minute spell from the Stormers at the end of the first half and start of the second half that saw them throw away a 17-0 lead to trail 22-17, before an equalising try with 10 minutes to go.

The hosts outscored the visitors four tries to three, but a combination of a tough swirling wind and cold boot from flyhalf Harry Byrne, who missed four of his five shots at goal, contributed to the stale mate.

Despite that Leinster showed that they were more than happy to take the draw after turning over the ball with time up and promptly hoofing it out of play to end the match.

It was a strong start to the match for the Stormers that saw them rewarded with a number of early penalties, first choosing to go for touch before being repelled, leading to Libbok finally going for posts in the seventh minute and putting them ahead.

More good Stormers play was stopped by ferocious Leinster defence, until the 20^th minute when the visitors attacked from a scrum in the hosts 22m, with Libbok receiving the ball, before throwing a dummy, stepping a player and going over under the posts to take a 10-0 lead.

It got even better for the Stormers in the 33^rd minute as Libbok seized on a Leinster mistake after they dropped the ball near the halfway, picking up and sprinting away before offloading to wing Suleiman Hartzenberg to run over for the converted score.

The hosts crucially managed to score just before halftime, with a quick tap penalty eventually swung wide where the ball surprisingly found itself in the hands of prop Michael Milne who bulldozed his way over for an unconverted score, making it 17-5 at the break.

Fired up

The hosts were fired up going into the second half and were rewarded early as they kicked a penalty into the corner, set up the maul and powered around the corner with flank Scott Penny going over to bring them to within seven points.

In 53^rd minute Leinster seized on a Stormers mistake, after fullback Clayton Blommetjies got turned around by an up and under in the swirling wind, missing the ball allowing Byrne to pick up and get into the 22m, before putting wing Rob Russell in at the corner for their third unconverted try.

Six minutes later the Leinster comeback was complete after Hartzenberg received a yellow card for collapsing the maul near the line, with the hosts quick tapping and getting close for eighthman Max Deegan to force his way over.

Byrne crucially slotted his only kick of the night to give his side a five point lead going into the final quarter.

Having suffered a disastrous first 20 minutes of the second half, the Stormers finally settled down and put in some good play.

This led to them equalising in the 70^th minute, as they attacked from a lineout, getting in close before Libbok sent a perfect grubber into the corner for Blommetjies to chase, slide in and dot down, with the flyhalf missing the tough conversion in the wind.

Leinster had a final chance to edge a win in the 77^th minute, but Byrne’s penalty from out wide struck the outside of the post and bounced away.

Scorers

Leinster: Tries – Michael Milne, Scott Penny, Rob Russell, Max Deegan; Conversion – Harry Byrne

Stormers: Tries – Manie Libbok, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Clayton Blommetjies; Conversions – Libbok (2); Penalty – Libbok