Stormers

For once this season, the Stormers shed their habit of delivering lukewarm second halves and it worked a treat as they ensured a home round of 16 playoff ...

Penalties: Anthony Belleau (3) Penalties: Kade Wolhurter (2) Stormers 30 (3)

The Stormers host Clermont as they bid to clinch a last 16 place in the Champions Cup.

ALSO READ: “Before we played against Clermont I told them that the French are quite proud of their scrums, big boys, big ball carriers, just passionate. Ruhan Nel is back in the Stormers team to face London Irish in Champions Cup.

This allowed Clermont flyhalf Anthony Belleau to put his side 6-0 up, with a penalty in the 14^th minute after Stormers hooker Jospeh Dweba drifted offside, and ...

The third came in the 56th minute as Dweba popped a perfect inside pass to inside centre Dan du Plessis, who broke into the 22m, stepped the last defender and went over next to the uprights, with Du Preez’s extras giving the Stormers a 25-9 lead. The only points of the half came from the boot of the two flyhalves, with Stormers pivot Kade Wolhuter given the first chance to get points on the board with a long range shot in the 10th minute, but with it from a tricky angle he watched as his kick just drifted wide. After a tight first half dominated by defence that saw the visitors leading at the break, the second burst into life with the Stormers running in four tries to one in response from Clermont, as the home team secured their place in the

"Discipline cost us a bit, and we ended up losing the game, but it gave us confidence that we can compete with foreign teams, particularly French teams,"

But if you look at the first half against Clermont, we actually held them off; we were in the game until the 60th minute or so. We greatly missed them throughout our two-week absence.” The TMO is Tom Foley (England)

Like a cricket captain who throws the ball to a bowler who suddenly makes a breakthrough, DHL Stormers coach John Dobson's early second half substitutions ...

Clermont hadn’t exactly sent their second team, but they have a crucial Top 14 derby against Lyon in their immediate future next weekend, and sent a mix and match team that was always going to defend tenaciously, particularly following the midweek change in coach. Dobson’s change of bowling, to return to the cricketing analogy, worked a treat. There is always an element of risk to the Stormers’ attacking approach, and a Clermont intercept try, which some might describe as leading to a 14-point swing as the Stormers were building up impressively on attack until Argentina Puma wing Bautista Delguy intercepted near his own 22, brought the French team briefly back into it at 25-16. It wasn’t going so well for the Stormers at halftime. Suleiman Hartzenberg breaks down the wing. He was a constant thorn in the side of the visiting defensive system as well as being combative in defence, and he’d played a role in the Jantjies try, but it was his turn to do it all on his own as he weaved through the Clermont defence like his father Michael might have and went over for the try.

Joseph Dweba of the Stormers during the Heineken Champions Cup against ASM Clermont Auvergne at DHL Stadium on January 21, 2023. Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo ...

Penalties: Anthony Belleau (3). Penalties: Kade Wolhuter (2). Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (2).

Planet Rugby picks out five takeaways from the Stormers 30-16 bonus point win against Clermont in the Champions Cup at Cape Town Stadium.

Nevertheless, for Dobson and his men, it is another box ticked and on come the play-offs. It was a tough clash for the French side, who had a difficult week after New Zealander Jono Gibbes was sacked as head coach. Nevertheless, Clermont did not give up and played bravely, typified by Bautista Delguy’s runaway try as a result of effort and discipline on defence. One of the most electric crowds in Cape Town since the URC final. It is a fantastic achievement, and most coaches will say that to become a team with title credentials, winning home games is an absolute must. Meanwhile, Roos continued where he left before his injury break and carried the ball extremely well.

Stormers came from behind to beat Clermont Auvergne 30-16 in the Heineken Champions Cup and secure a place in the last 16.

Du Plessis converted two of the tries and [Kade Wolhuter](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/kade-wolhuter/) also kicked two penalties. [Evan Roos](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/evan-roos/) scored one of the tries on his return from injury, with [Herschel Jantjies](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/hershel-jantjies/), [Jean-Luc du Plessis](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/jean-luc-du-plessis/) and [Deon Fourie](https://www.rugbypass.com/players/deon-fourie/) also crossing for the hosts. [Heineken Champions Cup](https://www.rugbypass.com/european-champions-cup/) and secure a place in the last 16.

Stormers took control of the game with four tries in 16 second-half minutes, Evan Roos, Herschel Jantjies, Daniel du Plessis and Deon Fourie all going over.

However, Belleau was then shown yellow on 46 minutes as he was penalised for a deliberate knock-on, and it proved the turning point as DHL Stormers took full advantage of their extra body. DHL Stormers drew level shortly after the restart as Wolhuter hit the target from the tee again, but Belleau struck an instant response for Clermont after more good work from Fischer. It was a turgid first half at the DHL Stadium, with neither side able sustain any meaningful pressure – DHL Stormers flanker Fourie was a key figure at the breakdown, as was Clermont counterpart Alexandre Fischer as turnovers regularly halted any attacking progress.