Fast start but poor finish for Stormers
ONE major problem that was again highlighted in the Stormers' 34-18 United Rugby Championship defeat against Munster, is their failure to produce an 80-minute performance.
It was another disappointing weekend for the South African sides, with the Lions, Bulls, Sharks and Stormers all failing to get a win against their European counterparts.
The Cape side relinquished a 15-point lead at Thomond Park in Limerick on Saturday in the last game featuring a South African side. After 30 minutes, Munster got on the scoreboard with a converted try, and after the break, the Red Army switched into a whole new gear and put up a relentless showing to thump the hapless Stormers.
After being 15-7 up at half-time and after leading 15-0 - how do you concede 27 points in 40 minutes of rugby after being so well in control and starting so strongly?
Sure, Munster launched a stunning comeback, scoring 24 straight points before ultimately bagging a bonuspoint victory, while the Stormers could only scrape together three points after the break. But this is not a new problem for John Dobson's side.
That inability to play a full match of rugby is something that has repeated far too often. There have been times where the Stormers would produce decent displays both before and after half-time, but on too many occasions there have been inconsistencies in performance. And this game was an example of that.
Expecting the South Africans to perhaps have a tough time at the start of the new competition is fair. The conditions are different, after all. The style of play is different, and maybe so too the officiating. But that can be seen as mitigating factors for only so long.
Speaking after the game, Dobson said: “We were proud of the boys with how they fought until the end.
“We think we could have been up more (at half-time) and we think that Manie's (Libbock) try could have been awarded, but we are disappointed with our discipline in the second half, which gave them 22-metre entries which we talked about the whole week.”
The Stormers have shown how they can play. They've shown that they can play with width to dangerous effect, and they've shown how they can keep a giant like Munster quiet - like in the first half of that game, especially the opening quarter.
But all of that won't mean much if they can't keep it up for the full 80, and that should be a key focus going forward.
The Stormers will take on Edinburgh in Round 3 of the Championship on Saturday.