Stormers 17 Ulster 15
Yet again, Ulster missed out on making a showpiece final and not for the first time it came down to the final kick in a game they looked set to win.
With a home showdown for silverware seemingly awaiting them having held their 15-10 lead over the Stormers from the end of the first half until the clock was in red, and playing against 14 men after Adre Smith’s 70th-minute red card, Ulster simply wilted and allowed the Stormers nail the contest with an 84th-minute try from Warrick Gelant.
That try only tied the scores as Manie Libbok had to kick the conversion to avoid extra-time and the Stormers’ outhalf’s kick – and first success of the game – just drifted inside the upright to break Ulster hearts with their cross-hemisphere travel potentially catching up with them.
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It now means that next weekend’s final will be an all-South African affair with Stormers hosting the Bulls.
The Stormers scored after just three minutes with hooker JJ Kotze getting over from an impressive driving maul. Referee Mike Adamson appeared to have awarded a penalty try but changed his mind and instead of seven points the Stormers managed five after Libbok missed the extras.
Nine minutes later the Stormers had their second try which also came off a lineout after Stuart McCloskey had been penalised at the breakdown. With Ulster expecting the home team to maul forward, Evan Roos took the ball round the front of the lineout where he linked with Herschel Jantjies and with John Cooney exposed, the number eight ran in to score.
Again, though, Libbock missed the conversion which looked costly.
Ulster then struck back off their own lineout maul, the ball being spread wide and though Stewart Moore’s pass looked clearly forward, referee Adamson and TMO Ben Whitehouse were content it was flat. John Cooney slipped as he struck the 18th-minute conversion, and the ball struck the upright and stayed out.
Three minutes before the half-hour, Ulster had their second when James Hume’s long pass saw Robert Baloucoune draw three defenders and then throw an overhead offload to Moore who ran clear to tie the scores. This time, Cooney converted to put Ulster ahead.
Just before the break a massive defensive shift from Ulster saw Libbok attempt and miss a drop goal which looked to be a significant moment in the clash. Not long after Marcus Rea had won a jackal penalty, the Stormers were done at a lineout for jumping across – it seemed a harsh call – and Cooney slotted the final-minute penalty to give Ulster a 15-10 interval lead.
Baloucoune limped off early in the new half which looked to be a serious blow for the visitors, though Ulster still increased their squeeze on the game in terms of keeping the Stormers bottled up and countering with ambition.
However, the all-important points did not follow for the visitors and this proved much the same for the Stormers – mostly on the back foot until near the end – who turned down a kickable penalty in the 63rd minute only for Libbok to kick the ball dead.
Five minutes later the Stormers opted for a scrum instead of the corner even though the kick to touch was close to the touchline, and off the set-piece Duane Vermeulen won the moment.
Shortly afterwards, Smith was red-carded for attempted gouging of Iain Henderson at a lineout maul and though reduced to 14 men, the Stormers found huge energy to put a clearly tiring Ulster under immense pressure.
With 84 minutes on the clock and the Stormers opting for scrums from penalties, they finally worked Gelant over with Libbok holding his nerve to win.
DHL STORMERS: W Gelant; S Senatla, R Nel, D Willemse, L Zas; M Libbok; H Jantjies, S Kitshoff (capt), JJ Kotze, F Malherbe; S Moerat, M Orie; D Fourie, H Dayimani, E Roos.
Replacements: N Xaba for Fourie (26-37 mins and 67), G Masimla for Zas (34), N Fouche for Malherbe (60), A-H Venter for Kotze, A Smith for Orie (both 67), B Harris for Kitshoff (76), E van Rhyn for Dayimani (74), Not used: S Mngomezulu.
Red card: Smith 70mins
ULSTER: S Moore; R Baloucoune, J Hume, S McCloskey, E McIlroy; B Burns, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor, I Henderson (capt); Marcus Rea, N Timoney, D Vermeulen.
Replacements: B Moxham for Baloucoune (46 mins), K Treadwell for O’Connor (68), E O’Sullivan for Warwick (70), Matty Rea for Marcus Rea (74), I Madigan for Burns (81), G Milasinovich for O’Toole (83).
Not used: J Andrew, N Doak.
Referee: Mike Adamson (SRU).
