Parker heroics steers Sunwolves to dramatic win over Stormers

19 May 2018 - 12:43 By Craig Ray
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Sunwolves' Grant Hattingh scores a try during the Super Rugby match between Japan's Sunwolves and South Africa's Western Stormers in Hong Kong on May 19, 2018.
Sunwolves' Grant Hattingh scores a try during the Super Rugby match between Japan's Sunwolves and South Africa's Western Stormers in Hong Kong on May 19, 2018.
Image: Philip FONG / AFP

Japan may be known as the ‘land of the rising sun’ but on Saturday Japanese Super Rugby franchise the Sunwolves ensured the sun set on the Stormers’ 2018 campaign with a dramatic 26-23 win in Hong Kong.

Flyhalf Hayden Parker’s drop-goal‚ four minutes after the final hooter sounded‚ gave the tenacious Sunwolves a deserved first win over the Stormers.

It was nothing less than the Sunwolves deserved having dominated the match in every aspect but the scrums‚ and the outcome ended the Stormers slim play-off chances.

The defeat – the Stormers’ eighth out of 13 games this season – has heaped pressure on coach Robbie Fleck and his staff and left them winless on the road this season.

With three matches left in the campaign‚ only an unlikely sequence of results would see the Stormers squeeze into the top eight. And frankly‚ they don’t deserve to make the play-offs having lost 61% of their matches this season.

Parker contributed 21 points with another flawless kicking display that saw him kick five from five off the tee‚ score a try and of course land the match-winning drop-goal.

The Sunwolves’ defence was tight and accurate while Parker in particular kept the Stormers pinned back with astute tactical kicking‚ forcing the visitors to play from deep in the sweltering conditions.

How organisers scheduled a lunchtime kickoff in Hong Kong‚ as pitch side temperatures reached 35 degrees with high humidity‚ is a subject for another day. But both sides had to play in them and it was the Sunwolves that coped better as both teams made numerous handling errors.

Despite edging the tight phases the Stormers were beaten in the loose with Sunwolves ball carriers creating more gain line momentum‚ which kept the Stormers on the back foot in general play.

Two of the Stormers’ three tries were against the run of the play with wing Dillyn Leyds and centre JJ Engelbrecht creating something out of nothing.

Leyds’s first try was a brilliant bit of solo work after he fielded a high kick on his own 22-metre line while Engelbrecht intercepted a Willie Britz pass inside Sunwolves territory to score midway through the first half.

Leyds’s second try‚ scored after 33 minutes‚ was the result of some good phase play and a deft kick in behind the suffocating Sunwolves defence.

But the ‘home’ team stayed in the contest when Parker scored a well-taken try and also kicked a late first half penalty. Turning 10-17 down after dominating territory and possession might have impacted on less tenacious teams‚ but the Sunwolves came out for the second half brimming with intent.

They drew level when lock Grant Hattingh rounded off a move that went through 11 phases and then hit the front for the first time with a second Parker penalty in the 65th minute.

Stormers fullback SP Marais landed two penalties‚ the second from 55 metres‚ inside the final 10 minutes to give the Stormers the lead‚ but Parker’s third penalty seconds before the final hooter set up a dramatic climax.

The Stormers had control of the ball for nearly three minutes after the hooter‚ probing for a way to get into penalty or drop-kick range. After a dozen phases they fatally lost the ball in contact and the home team swept back into the opposition half‚ where Parker did the rest.

Scorers:

Sunwolves – Tries: Hayden Parker‚ Grant Hattingh. Conversions: Parker (2). Penalties: Parker (3). Drop-goal: Parker.

Stormers – Tries: Dillyn Leyds (2)‚ JJ Engelbrecht. Conversion: Jean-Luc du Plessis. Penalties: SP Marais (2).

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