Super Rugby: Chiefs handle pressure better to stave off Stormers
In a typically tight playoff match, the hosts lose concentration at a vital moment as a brave effort ultimately falls flat.
Young Damian Willemse handled himself well in pressure game. Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images.
The Stormers’ poor record in Super Rugby playoff matches continued after they slumped to a 11-17 loss to the Chiefs at Newlands on Saturday.
Naturally it’s a sad way for the Capetonians’ campaign to end but they certaintly weren’t disgraced.
Given that they lost 21-60 in the corresponding fixture last year, Robbie Fleck’s troops have improved markedly and can become a force.
But for now, the Chiefs’ superior composure saw them through.
Who was the star in this match?
Departing All Blacks flyhalf Aaron Cruden’s game management was superb but in a dogfight of this nature, veteran flanker Michael Leitch deserved most of the plaudits. The Japanese international was a force at the breakdown and made a massive 15 tackles without missing a single one.
Key moments and themes
- The Chiefs have gained a reputation in 2017 as New Zealand’s “boring” team but in reality they’ve just been more balanced. Their approach worked a treat in this game, where nothing fancy is required. They didn’t try to be too expansive and rather patiently waited to crack the Stormers defence.
- A perfect example was replacement winger Shaun Stevenson’s match-winning try. The Chiefs had just survived a 10-minute period without flanker Sam Cane, who was sin binned for a high tackle. They forced a knock-on on the Stormers’ 22, kept their attack tight and sucked in enough defenders for Cruden to float a beautiful scoring pass.
- This was a strange outing for the Stormers. They weren’t bad at all but they lacked the composure and imagination to punish their opponents when they had them on the back foot. Vital handling errors stopped their momentum at times – and also led to the match-winning try. Scoring just three points when Cane was off the field unfortunately isn’t a good enough.
- The Chiefs’ ability to limit the damage when they were down to 14 men showed what a knockout game is all about: the team that handles the pressure the best, invariably wins.
Point scorers
Stormers – Try: Siya Kolisi. Penalties: SP Marais (2).
Chiefs – Try: Shaun Stevenson. Penalties: Damian McKenzie (4).
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