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Black day for Crusaders Stormers beat defending champs to move up in Super 12
Posted: Monday April 19, 1999 03:38 PM
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) -- South Africa's Stormers moved up into second place in the Super 12 standings with a hard fought 28-19 victory over the Canterbury Crusaders, the reigning champions on Sunday. Fly-half Braam van Straaten scored 18 of their points with a try, two conversions and three penalties as the home side came back from 10-12 down at halftime to move to within four points of leaders, the Otago Highlanders. All Black fly-half Andrew Mehrtens had kept the New Zealand club side in the lead with three penalties and a well-taken drop goal in the first half. Those cancelled out a converted try by Stormers right wing John Daniels and the first of van Straaten's penalties in a match frequently played in showers. A van Straaten penalty five minutes after the restart put the home team ahead. The fly-half gave his side some daylight when he surged through a gaping hole in the Crusaders' midfield defense to score wide out on the left. Van Straaten failed with the conversion but added a penalty to put his side 21-12 ahead. When the Stormers scored their third try after a blindside interception by left wing Pieter Rossouw, it seemed the game might be over for the Crusaders. Van Straaten's conversion made the score 28-12 with 20 minutes remaining but the Crusaders dominated the remaining quarter as they threatened to upset the home team. Norm Berryman scored their only try in the 72nd minute and Leon MacDonald -- taking over the kicking duties following the replacement of Mehrtens -- added a fine touchline conversion. But the solid defense of the black-shirted Stormers held out to register their fourth successive victory in front of a crowd of 40,000.
Western Stormers15-Percy Montgomery, 14-John Daniels (Manie du Toit, 37), 13-Robbie Fleck, 12-Andy Marinos, 11-Pieter Rossouw, 10-Braam van Straaten, 9-Dan van Zyl, 8-Bobby Skinstad (captain), 7-Anton Leonard, 6-Corne Krige, 5-Johnny Trytsman, 4-Selborne Boome (Hottie Louw, 71), 3-Cobus Visage, 2-Charl Marais (Tommie Webb, 73), 1-Robbie Kempson.Canterbury Crusaders15-Leon MacDonald, 14-Caleb Ralph, 13-Daryl Gibson, 12-Mark Mayerhofler, 11-Norm Berryman, 10-Andrew Mehrtens (James Kerr, 62), 9-Justin Marshall (Aaron Flynn, 73), 8-Clarke McLeod (Ron Cribb 42-52, 78), 7-Scott Robertson, 6-Reuben Thorne, 5-Norm Maxwell (Angus Gardiner, 50), 4-Todd Blackadder (captain), 3-Con Barrell (Greg Somerville, 50), 2-Mark Hammett (Matt Sexton, 77), 1-Greg Feek.
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