CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 01: Herschel Jantjies of the Stormers during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Hurricanes at DHL Newlands Stadium on February 01, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Watch: Jantjies shows terrific awareness to score against the Hurricanes
The Stormers punished a rusty Hurricanes side in a 27-0 win in round one of the 2020 Super Rugby competition with Herschel Jantjies the star of the first half.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 01: Herschel Jantjies of the Stormers during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Hurricanes at DHL Newlands Stadium on February 01, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies has a nose for an opportunity and sometimes seems to have a sixth rugby sense.
Jantjies has white line fever
Jantjies showed that once again in the Stormers opening match of the 2020 Super Rugby season against the Hurricanes.
The visitors were trailing 12-0 and looking to launch from inside their own half, but a loose pass fell into the path of Jantjies. The Springbok scrumhalf picked up and sprinted away from the Hurricanes defenders and in under the sticks.
Jantjies had an inspired first half, providing the cross-kick for Sergeal Peterson’s opening score. The halfback spotted Jordie Barrett out of position and struck his kick perfectly.
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Springboks prop Steven Kitshoff powered over for the Stormers second try of the match after their maul was stopped just short. The Bok carried two defenders over the line with the hosts playing with an advantage.
The Stormers took a 19-0 lead into half-time with Jantjies having a hand in two tries in a clinical display from the hosts.
The Hurricanes were rusty and operating on the ragged edge, testing the patience of referee Jaco Peyper.
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Siya Kolisi was felled by a late tackle and had to leave the field with a suspected medial collateral ligament injury that could rule him out for up to six weeks.
Early in the second half of the match, Billy Proctor was sent to the sin bin for a late charge on Damian Willemse, but the Stormers were not able to add to their lead with a one-man advantage.
As Proctor returned to the field Vaea Fifita hit Scarra Nutbeni high and he too was sin-binned. Peyper initially let the play go on but then the TMO reviewed the incident and called play back.
Willemse added three points to the Stormers lead from the resulting penalty to move, the score was 22-0 at the hour mark.
Jamie Booth was quick off the mark to get an intercept which allowed the Hurricanes to counter, but he wasn’t able to regather his kick and the visitors then knocked on from an attacking lineout.
Jantjies ends his shift
On 66 Minutes Godlin Masimla came on for Jantjies to close out the match at Newlands.
The Stormers with the extra man muscled the Hurricanes off the next scrum and Willemse thumped a clearing penalty into touch, it was clear the hosts were looking to keep it tight and wind down the clock.
Fifita returned to the park for the last ten minutes coming on with the Hurricanes under pressure just outside their 22. Despite having an eight-man scrum the Hurricanes conceded a scrum-time penalty, but Willemse fluffed his kick for touch to gift the Hurricanes a 22-metre drop-out.
With the Hurricanes desperate to score Willemse read the visitors attack and clinched the bonus point by sprinting the length of the field to score in the corner after pouching an intercept on his own five metre line.
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