Sacha’s hattrick was very nearly not enough for Stormers

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu made a promise to Cape Town rugby fans that he would entertain them, and he did as the DHL Stormers flyhalf crossed for a hattrick of first half tries that set up a 34-29 bonus point win over Connacht at the DHL Stadium on Saturday.

However, there was another promise made in the buildup week to this 15th round Vodacom United Rugby Championship clash that was also honoured. It came from Connacht, who promised to mix it with the Stormers when it came to their running game. And that they did in volumes and it very nearly clinched them a famous victory in a week where they saw a change of coach and an injury crisis that robbed them of two-star players.

Indeed, when Connacht went over for a try off what looked likely to be the final move of the game to lock the scores level at 34-all with a conversion kick in a very kickable position to come, it looked like the Stormers were heading for a last gasp defeat.

But just as happened to them in reverse earlier in the season against the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban, when a Manie Libbok try looked like it had stolen a win from the Durbanites, the TMO picked up a Connacht mistake, this time an obstruction, in the buildup. It wasn’t the only thing the on field referee had missed in those dying minutes, there was also a forward pass right in front of the press box that he missed, so in the end justice was seen to be done.

CONNACHT THREW EVERYTHING

It was easy to feel sorry for the Irish team though because boy were they brave, committed and plucky on the day, not to mention skilful. The ease with which they cut through the Stormers wide channels in the first half is certainly something that should concern the home team as they look forward to their remaining three matches.

What isn’t a concern though is the quality of the Stormers’ attacking game when Feinberg-Mngomezulu is at flyhalf and he has the likes of Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant and Suleiman Hartzenberg outside him.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu signalled his intent as he profited from a brilliant little interplay with his former Bishops school teammate Hartzenberg, who came in off the wing, and once there was a bit of open space in front of him there was no stopping the Springbok flyhalf as he completed the first try with just two and a half minutes played.

His conversion made it 7-0 but then started the “we score then you score” that characterised the half. It was all too easy for Connacht as they outflanked the Stormers down the left touchline and their left wing Shane Jennings scored his first of a brace of first half tries.

Jack Carty converted from touch to level the scores, and then came a play from Feinberg-Mngomezulu that didn’t lead to himself scoring but set up the second Stormers try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s little chip kick into space was pinpoint and his chase was even better as he caught a Connacht player in possession and dragged him back over the tryline.

From the resultant five metre scrum Evan Roos, probably aware that Connacht were focussing on the array of talented players lined up left and right of the centre of the field scrum, picked up the ball himself and drove over near the posts. With 12 minutes gone it was 14-7 to the Stormers.

Again though the lead did not last long, and after the Connacht fullback broke a few tackles in fielding a kick and Gelant was forced into a scrambled exit, it was flanker Conor Oliver who drove over for the second try, again it looked way too easy for the Stormers’ comfort, and it was 14-all after 17 minutes.

NEXT` INSTALMENT IN SACHA'S MASTERCLASS

That was the cue for Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s next instalment in his attacking master class as he helped to create the momentum he eventually rounded off by taking a return pass into space. It was his second try and the Stormers were ahead 21-14 after 20 minutes. It was a scrum penalty near their line that enabled the Stormers to break the “we score then you score trend” and from the good field position Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who scored 24 points on his own in th game, chipped into space once more, gathered the perfect bounce and dotted down for his hattrick. His first blemish of the afternoon followed when he missed the kickable conversion, but at 26-14 it looked like the Stormers were on their way to a big win.

Think again though, the visitors fought back with two unconverted tries before the break, the Stormers’ porous defence in the wide channels again being a feature, and Connacht were well in the game as the Stormers led just 26-24 at halftime.

The Stormers wasted a few scoring opportunities as they camped in Connacht territory after halftime but in the 48th minute they got it right once more, that man Feinberg-Mngomezulu putting in Hartzenberg for the try with a brilliant long back flip pass.

Connacht weren’t done though and struck back once more, with the Stormers electing to kick for posts to extend a lead of just two points to five with seven minutes remaining. The wisdom of doing that and not kicking to the corner could have been shown up if the final Connacht try wasn’t disallowed. But it was disallowed and the Stormers escaped with what they might consider a fortunate but invaluable haul of five log points.

SCORES

DHL STORMERS 34 - Tries: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3, Evan Roos and Suleiman Hartzenberg; Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3; Penalty: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

CONNACHT 29 - Tries: Shane Jennings 2, Conor Oliver, Dylan Tierney-Martin and Josh Murphy; Conversions: Jack Carty 2.