Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Heineken Champions Cup: Stormers 32-28 Harlequins - South African side reach last eight

Written by 
Published in Rugby
Saturday, 01 April 2023 09:48

The Stormers reached the Heineken Champions Cup quarter-finals for the first time despite three late Harlequins tries in Cape Town.

In a blistering start, the hosts' Deon Fourie and Alex Dombrandt of Quins exchanged tries before Steven Kitshoff re-established Stormers' lead.

Fourie doubled his tally before Damian Willemse's finish and a Willie Engelbrecht score added the gloss.

Dombrandt, Andre Esterhuizen and Joe Marchant scored late consolations.

Stormers will visit either Exeter or Montpellier in the last eight.

Quins toil in heat before late fightback

If Harlequins were already feeling the heat in Cape Town, it intensified with less than a minute on the clock when Fourie finished off a flowing team move after clever hands from Hacjivah Dayimani.

The visitors recovered quickly as Dombrandt freed himself from a driving maul to crash over, but Stormers regained the lead with a set-piece move from their own line-out and skipper Kitshoff dotted down for the game's third try in nine minutes.

Quins playmaker Marcus Smith barely touched the ball in the opening 20 minutes as Stormers exerted their dominance at the breakdown to limit his access to quick ball.

And, as the pitch began to cut up beneath the players' feet, the hosts kept the ball tight and rolled through the phases to test the Quins defence.

Fourie ran clear for his second to stretch the hosts' advantage after the interval, before Willemse scored the try of the game.

Seabelo Senatla caught Manie Libbok's cross-field kick and threw it back inside in one movement to the full-back, who maintained his balance despite Marchant's desperate shove to ground the ball in the corner with his body in mid-air.

The game was up when Engelbrecht scored from another rolling maul, but the inevitability of defeat appeared to release the shackles for the Premiership side, who began to play with a freedom their performance lacked for the first 70 minutes.

First Dombrandt got over out wide after a stunning Smith pass, before Esterhuizen ran through unopposed, then Marchant gathered the loose ball for an easy run-in score with the clock in the red.

Quins' wait for victory in a Champions Cup knockout game goes on, but Stormers join the Sharks as the second South African side in the last eight.

Teams

Stormers: Willemse; Hartzenberg, Nel, Du Plessis, Senatla; Libbok, Jantjies; Kitshoff (c), Dweba, Malherbe, Van Rhyn, Orie, Fourie, Dixon, Dayimani.

Replacements: Kotze, Harris, Fouche, Porter, Engelbrecht, Theunissen, De Wet, Blommetjies

Harlequins: David; Marchant, Northmore, Esterhuizen, Murley; Smith, Care (c); Marler, Walker, Louw, Lamb, Herbst, Kenningham, Evans, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Riley, Baxter, Collier, Hammond, Lawday, Gjaltema, Allan, Beard

Read 152 times

Soccer

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

Mo Salah glum on Liverpool future: 'More out than in'

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMohamed Salah has said he is yet to receive a formal contract offer...

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Galaxy hit 6 to rout Loons; Sounders next in West

Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored twice -- with one goal in each half -- a...

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

Amorim: United set for long period of suffering

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsRúben Amorim said Manchester United will have to "suffer for a long...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

Sources: Hornets' Williams out for rest of season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams sustained season-ending te...

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

'Phenomenal' Pippen Jr. shines in dad's ex-arena

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsScotty Pippen Jr. already had plenty of fond memories of watching h...

Baseball

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

Woodward returns to Dodgers as first-base coach

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLOS ANGELES -- Chris Woodward has been named first-base coach by th...

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

Carty, 1970 NL batting champ with Braves, dies

EmailPrintRico Carty, who won the 1970 National League batting title when he hit a major-league-best...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated