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Rusty Hurricanes fail to fire a shot as Stormers dominate

By Online Editors
(Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

The Stormers managed to start John Dobson’s coaching tenure with a bonus-point win over a very feisty Hurricanes outfit.

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The home team scored four tries – three of them in a dominant first half – to send the New Zealand outfit away empty-handed – a 27-0 shutout at Newlands on Saturday.

The Stormers held a 19-0 lead at the break, but the visitors put up sterner resistance in the second half.

However, the game was marred by the injury of Springbok and Stormers World Cup-winning captain Siyamthanda Kolisi – who hobbled off inside the first quarter. He suffered medial ligament damage, after a shockingly late tackle from Ricky Riccitelli on his left knee.

The post-match disciplinary panel may well have a long, hard look at that cheap shot.

Continue reading below…

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Stormers coach John Dobson said Kolisi would definitely miss a home fixture against the Bulls next Saturday.

“Siya could be out for six weeks,” Dobson told a post-match media briefing.

“He took a knock to the knee and a scan will reveal how serious the injury is.

“It is a hell of a blow losing your captain midway through the first half of your opening match.

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“Siya is an inspirational leader and means so much to the team.”

The Wellington side was particularly niggly throughout the match – possibly due to frustrations creeping in due to a number of basic errors.

Centre Billy Proctor was yellow-carded in the 48th minute after several warnings for repeated offences and he then shoulder-charged Damian Willemse off the ball.

And replacement forward Vaea Fifita got 10 minutes in the sin bin for a high hit on Stormers replacement hooker Siyabonga Ntubeni.

To add to the Stormers’ post-match concerns, Bok hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi also limped off near the 50-minute mark, after getting his leg trapped badly in a ruck.

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The Stormers got on the front foot early on, marching into the 22 where they launched a maul and brought the ball in front of the poles where scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies put in a clever cross-kick to find an unmarked Sergeal Petersen out wide.

A turnover near halfway from lock Salmaan Moerat gave them their next attacking opportunity and the forwards took control, with prop Steven Kitshoff crashing over in the corner.

The third try came as a result of defensive pressure as Jantjies intercepted a bouncing pass and raced away to score.

The Stormers then showed good defensive discipline to hold the Hurricanes out and keep them scoreless at the half-time break.

The visitors were shown two yellow cards at the start of the second half, with the Stormers stretching their lead to 22-0 with a Damian Willemse penalty on the hour mark.

The fourth try came at the death as an intercept in the 22 turned defence into attack and Willemse raced away to score and put the seal on an emphatic performance.

– Rugby365

It wasn’t the best start to Jason Holland’s head coaching career with the Hurricanes:

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Bull Shark 1 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

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