After a 19-16 victory in the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash with the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, here’s how the Stormers players performed on Saturday.
Stormers player ratings v Bulls
15 Warrick Gelant: With rain pelting down for long periods, the former Springboks full-back was not as influential on attack as he usually is. Despite that, he made some good attacking runs and was brave under the high ball. 7
14 Ben Loader: The Gloucester-bound flyer had few attacking opportunities but toiled manfully for the full 80 minutes. Was solid under the high ball and caught the eye with an impressive 40-metre kick into touch late on. 6
13 Wandisile Simelane: Tested the Bulls‘ defence with some fine attacking runs and was rewarded with a well-taken try in the second half. Also did his bit on defence. 7
12 Dan du Plessis: Although he had few attacking opportunities, the experienced centre combined well in midfield with Simelane and was in the thick of the action on defence where he made some solid hits. 6
11 Leolin Zas: Like the rest of the backline, he saw little ball on attack and also had some tense moments under the high ball which he spilled a few times. Did what was expected of him on defence. 5
10 Jurie Mathee: The young fly-half played arguably his best match for the Stormers as he impressed with his game management in trying conditions. Missed a couple of kicks at goal but still finished with a 14-point haul courtesy of four penalties and a conversion. 8
9 Stefan Ungerer: The experienced scrum-half was caught in possession a few times which put pressure on his backline before being replaced by Paul de Wet at half-time. 4
Springboks number eight catches the eye
8 Evan Roos: The Springboks number eight gave a timely reminder to Rassie Erasmus of his ability as he came to the fore with a superb all-round performance and walked off with the official man-of-the-match award after the game. Impressed as a ball carrier, was excellent at the breakdowns and put in some big hits on defence. 9
7 Ben-Jason Dixon: He was restricted mostly to defensive duties and emptied the tank in that department but also had some carries on attack although he made little headway in that department. Replaced by Marcel Theunissen after 66 minutes. 6
6 Deon Fourie: The veteran back-row was his usual busy self at the breakdowns, where he gave good support to Roos, but also caught the eye with some strong carries before Willie Engelbrecht replaced him on the hour-mark. 6
5 Ruben van Heerden: The 27-year-old was a valuable source of lineout possession and competed well in that departed on the Bulls’ throw-ins. Also had a high work-rate on defence. 7
4 Salmaan Moerat (c): The Stormers skipper led his troops well as he put in a solid shift at the coalface of their forward effort. Was eventually replaced by Gary Porter in the 69th minute. 7
3 Neethling Fouche: The Stormers scrum was put under tremendous pressure but despite going backwards on a few occasions, Fouche put up a brave fight in that department. Defended solidly at close quarters before being replaced by Frans Malherbe in the 54th minute. 5
2 Joseph Dweba: The Springboks hooker impressed with the execution of his core duties, particularly his lineout throw-ins which were accurate throughout, but also caught the eye with some strong carries. 7
1 Ali Vermaak: It was a tough day at the office for the veteran front-row as he came off second best in his direct duel with Wilco Louw in the scrums. Vermaak back-pedalled on several occasions at the set-piece before being replaced by Brok Harris in the 62nd minute. 4
Replacements: Stormers director of rugby John Dobson deserves praise for using his replacements intelligently and all the players who came off the bench added value when they entered the fray. This was especially evident in the scrums where the experience of Malherbe and Harris came through strongly in the final quarter, while De Wet also brought calmness at scrum-half when he took to the field. 8
Src: Planetrugby.com - https://www.planetrugby.com/news/stormers-player-ratings-v-bulls-springbok-gives-timely-reminder-to-rassie-erasmus-while-young-playmaker-shines
