Stormers winger Leolin Zas attempts to evade a tackle of a Connacht defender during their URC clash in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon.
Image: BackpagePix
The Stormers shot themselves in the foot on Saturday afternoon in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash against Connacht, suffering a 33-24 defeat.
While they looked comfortable for most of the game after a slow start, the Irish visitors took control in the final 15 minutes, capitalising on a number of errors by individual Stormers players. It eventually opened the door for them to complete a resounding bonus-point victory.
We look at five aspects of the game that contributed to the Stormers’ loss.
A slow start
It was always going to be an emotional affair for the hosts following the death of their long-term team manager Chippie Solomon. And it was a sombre atmosphere at DHL Stadium as the Solomon family led the side out onto the field.
However, from the kick-off, the Stormers failed to find their feet and could not start with the desired speed and accuracy. Costly early errors saw Connacht score the opener, and in the opening exchanges, the home team were on the back foot.
The scrum
Normally a strong weapon for the Cape side, they were largely nullified by the young props Connacht brought on the trip. The first scrum penalty went the way of the visitors when Bok loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu was penalised for scrumming in at an angle.
While there were some stable scrums — and a few penalties from strong ones — there was never that outright dominance over the visitors that they usually enjoy, and that will be a little concerning for the home team.
Becoming too loose
Up to a point, offloading every ball in or before contact worked, especially when looking at the first try Evan Roos scored. There were some nifty offloads, particularly by veteran hooker Scarra Ntubeni, who popped the ball over his head to send Roos away. In the build-up, he also produced a smart pass out the back.
But in the second stanza, all those willy-nilly passes cost them, especially when they were right in front of the Connacht try line. There were plenty of opportunities for the Stormers to take the game away from their opponents, but they ended up being too loose in attack.
Wing play
Damian Willemse is not a winger, and a plan must be made to get him back into the midfield or into the No. 15 jersey. He put his body on the line and was solid under the high ball. However, it is time to end that experiment. On the opposite wing, Leolin Zas chased every high ball, but it looks like he has lost his edge in attack.
A defensive slip from Zas also cost the Stormers in the second half. There will have to be a rethink on their wing options this weekend, especially as they approach a crucial stage in their URC campaign.
A high error rate
That was arguably one of the sloppiest matches the team have played this season. Yes, the conditions played a role; however, the way they dropped balls in attack, missed tackles that should have been routine, conceded penalties and chose the wrong options bordered on the criminal.
That intercept pass thrown by replacement scrum-half Stefan Ungerer should never have happened; fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu dropping the ball in a tackle after a clean break cost them attacking momentum. These are errors that must be cut out.