Following Connacht\u2019s famous 33-24 United Rugby Championship victory over the Stormers at the DHL Stadium, here are our five takeaways.<\/p>\n
Top Line<\/p>\n
An emotionally charged build-up to the encounter in Cape Town spilled over into this match with the Stormers <\/a>and Connacht<\/a> throwing everything they had at one another in a bruising clash where plenty of afters, handbags and expletives were exchanged.<\/p>\n Last time these two teams met, a TMO decision decided the outcome and Connacht fell to agonising 34-29 defeat, but this time around Stuart Lancaster\u2019s men sealed their first-ever win in Cape Town and took the decision out of the official\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n The Stormers were slow out of the blocks with Deon Fourie\u2019s yellow card for a dangerous tackle swinging the early momentum in Connacht\u2019s favour and the visitors did not waste that chance as Shamus Hurley-Langton snuck over in the corner with the try awarded after a lengthy TMO discussion.<\/p>\n Evan Roos provided the reply for the Stormers as he latched onto a scrumptious offload from retiring hooker Scarra Ntubeni, playing his final game in Cape Town, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu adding the extras and a long-range penalty to ensure the hosts lead 10-7 at half-time.<\/p>\n After a sluggish start in the first half, the hosts flew out the blocks in the second with Ntuthuko Mchunu muscling his way over the line six minutes into the second half, but Connacht counterpunched soon after through Paul Boyle.<\/p>\n The Stormers continued to pile the pressure but lacked the killer edge until Feinberg-Mngomezulu took matters into his own hands with a brilliantly taken try, which bookended an otherwise indifferent and unconvincing showing.<\/p>\n His fine work was quickly undone as the Stormers were architects of their own demise, failing to reclaim the ensuing restart, which John Devine capitalised on to score before Ben Murphy raced away for another five-pointer after some atrocious backfield cover from Warrick Gelant and co.<\/p>\n The final straw was a loose pass from replacement scrum-half Stefan Ungerer that Sean Naughton gratefully gobbled up and cantered away to put the finishing touches on the runaway victory.<\/p>\n Ex-NZ Rugby chair claims South Africa made Super Rugby \u2018completely uneconomic\u2019 as the \u2018killer blow\u2019 which led to their departure revealed<\/a><\/p>\n RIP Chippie Solomons<\/p>\n Some things matter more than rugby, and that was plainly evident in the build-up to this match as the union paid tribute to Stormers team manager Christopher \u2018Chippie\u2019 Solomon.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a desperately sad week in Cape Town as the Stormers staff, players and wider Western Cape rugby community mourned, along with his family, the passing of the man who dedicated over two decades of his life to the union.<\/p>\n Stormers boss John Dobson couldn\u2019t contain his emotions, and the same was true for so many players. Even as an onlooker, it was an incredibly special, emotional and touching tribute to a man who served the Stormers so proudly and touched the lives of so many players and staff.<\/p>\n We, as followers, supporters and lovers of the game, celebrate the superstars and coaches for the stars they are on the pitch and characters they are off it, but never really understand the graft that goes on behind the scenes to make it all possible, the work that people like Solomon do. This week the Stormers showed just how valued, loved and important they are.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is devastating news for so many of us. Chippie was a remarkable man who was so much more than just a team manager,\u201d Dobson said earlier this week.<\/p>\n \u201cHe has been synonymous with our team for so long and represented us with pride all over the world. The deep connection he held with players, coaches and his staff at the high performance centre was incredibly meaningful. We have just come back from a trip to France, which saw Chippie outdo himself with every detail and arrangement running impeccably.<\/p>\n \u201cHe will be remembered as a true rugby man, but more importantly as someone who was fiercely loyal and represented his community and family with distinction in all that he did. Chippie was \u2018nulli secundus.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Dobson was not alone in paying tribute to Chippie as messages flooded social media this week from players past and present. \u201cHeartbroken to hear of the passing of Chippie Solomon,\u201d Bryan Habana wrote on X.<\/p>\n \u201cA true legend behind the scenes at the DHL Stormers: loyal, selfless and deeply loved by every player who wore the jersey. For those that know him, they know that he wasn\u2019t just a team manager, he lived and breathed for the Stormers. His impact and legacy will live forever.<\/p>\n \u201cMy thoughts and prayers go out to Aunty Pearl, Chad, Nina and the whole Solomon family. Rest easy Uncle Chippie.\u201d<\/p>\n From everyone at Planet Rugby and the Planet Sport family, we\u2019d like to extend our deep condolences to the Solomon family.<\/p>\n Stormers edge ferocious forward battle<\/p>\n As much as these two teams are renowned for their brilliance in attack, the adage of a rugby match being won or lost up front rang true again in Cape Town, with a ferocious battle on the gain-line, in the rucks and at the set-pieces.<\/p>\n Perhaps realising the threats posed with ball in hand, the two sides did their utmost to spoil, stall and disrupt the opposition\u2019s ball at the breakdown with just about every ruck being a brutally physical collision and the tackles in the close quarters being much the same. Both teams had mixed success with their driving mauls; they were either brilliant and blunt, while the lineouts were also hotly contested.<\/p>\n Where the Stormers did have the biggest edge was in the scrums, particularly with starting props Mchunu and Zachary Porthen. They consistently had Billy Bohan and Sam Illo on the back foot and under pressure and this frankly should have resulted in more penalties. Teams shouldn\u2019t be punished for legally going backwards in the scrums, but they should be when they do so illegally by standing up, collapsing or changing their angles, which the Connacht pair did repeatedly without being penalised.<\/p>\n Still, the questionable officiating of the scrum shouldn\u2019t overshadow what was a true spectacle and the kind often reserved only for international rugby. While the Connacht pack came off slightly worse up front, their ruthlessness got them over the line with smartly taken tries and one absolute gift.<\/p>\n \u2018Open wounds\u2019 from Springboks \u2018hammering\u2019 inspired England\u2019s improvement as Ellis Genge relishes \u2018most dominant pack ever\u2019 challenge<\/a><\/p>\n Time to cut Damian Willemse\u2019s wings and make him the centre of attention<\/p>\n Director of rugby Dobson admitted that Damian Willemse shouldn\u2019t be playing wing, but \u2018he keeps putting up his hand\u2019 to do so amid somewhat of an injury crisis in the position and the need to counter the opposition\u2019s aerial game.<\/p>\n To his credit, the Springboks utility back has not been poor by any means in the position, but he hasn\u2019t been sensational either. Nowadays, Willemse rarely has a poor game and Saturday wasn\u2019t that day, but one cannot help but feel that he is underutilised and simply doesn\u2019t get enough touches on the ball in the role than he would at full-back or inside centre.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also worth noting that Feinberg-Mngomezulu\u2019s struggles in managing the match and producing consistent performances have overlapped with Willemse\u2019s move to the wing, with Dan du Plessis and Gelant offering less attacking clarity than what the double World Cup winner offers when he is closer to the action.<\/p>\n Want more from Planet Rugby? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for world-class coverage you can trust.<\/p>\n Sure, there is an argument that his deployment on the wing is more due to injury than design, but with Suleiman Hartzenberg back playing for the Stormers XXIII on Saturday, perhaps he can be parachuted in for the remaining three fixtures of the regular season.<\/p>\n Connacht were lethal with the opportunities that they created and the Stormers gifted them, and the hosts weren\u2019t.<\/p>\n Stormers player ratings: Playmaking stars \u2018don\u2019t show Springboks class\u2019 as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu\u2019s \u2018faltering form\u2019 continues<\/a><\/p>\n Race to the Eight implications<\/p>\n