Stormers roll on as they tame Jaguares

The Stormers may not be due a category upgrade in intensity just yet but as an emerging force in Super Rugby they should not be taken lightly.

They chalked up their fourth straight win, 17-7 at Newlands on Saturday, at the start of the campaign but there were mitigating circumstances for them not blowing a weakened Jaguares away on Saturday.

After their win over the Lions at Ellis Park, Stormers coach John Dobson had declared his intention to have his team play with more freedom in attack in front of expectant fans in this fixture. Those hopes were scuppered by the soft but persistent rain over Cape Town in the build-up and during large parts of this game.

The greasy conditions meant the Stormers could stick to their forward dominated game that had proved marvellously effective in their first three matches, not that they entirely lacked ambition.

Their attacking instincts are yet to be fully developed and that will require serious collaboration between their coaching staff and the midfield axis of Damian Willemse, Jamie Roberts and Ruhan Nel.

Fortunately, though, they have a dynamo in the slight shape Herschel Jantjies who can advance the team cause at the drop of a hat.

Jantjies again imposed his will on proceedings by scoring a try from a loose pass and then denying the visitors by getting his leg under the ball when replacement Jaguares hooker Julian Montoya drove over the line around the hour mark.

Despite the at times stuttering performance the hosts will be well pleased that they vanquished the team who are most likely to challenge them for conference honours.

A much changed Jaguares team was announced for this clash and while that might have been interpreted as the visitors’ limited ambitions for this contest, making sweeping changes from one week to the next has also been a feature of the team since Gonzalo Quesada took over the coaching reins.

This however, was a barely recognisable team and while the Jaguares held on in the tackle they were being exposed in the set pieces where the Stormers gained the bulk of their momentum. The Stormers did bring a 59kg weight advantage into the contest but the dominance was more rooted in their superior technique.

Thankfully the visitors they had flyhalf Domingo Miotti, who nudged them in the right direction when he applied the boot. On the opposite side Willemse was less assured when he kicked out of hand.

By the start of the second half the rain subsided briefly and the game opened up, slightly.

Even the visitors grew more confident but they were even more culpable of spilling the ball in contact. It was left to Jantjies, the ever alert opportunist to pounce and put breathable distance between the hosts and the Jaguares. 

Scorers:

STORMERS (3)  17

Tries: Herschel Jantjies, Ruhan Nel. Conversions: Damian Willemse (2). Penalty: Willemse.

JAGUARES (0)  7

Try: Rodrigo Bruni. Conversion: Domingo Miotti.