Rosko Specman scored a hat-trick as the Cheetahs inflicted a 34-33 defeat on the Stormers at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
The Cheetahs ticked some boxes while several others remained vacant in this clash but, most importantly, they opened the new season on a winning note.
As for the Stormers, they began this new campaign where they left off in the last one: playing well in patches when their attack exhibited enterprise and potency. Unfortunately, these moments were too few and far between, and their discipline at the end also left much to be desired.
The game in itself was a scrappy affair. The Cheetahs had opened a 14-7 lead by the 17th minute, courtesy of two well-executed tries by hooker Wilmar Arnoldi and Rosko Specman. Fullback Tristan Leyds, younger brother of Springbok Dillyn, accounted for the Stormers opening try.
Rosko Specman… meet Edwill van der Merwe ??
A HUGE bump from the DHL Stormers winger in a brilliant solo run to send Tristan Leyds over for the try.
Watch live: https://t.co/hlsJOQLS2S pic.twitter.com/tAQc6waoGc
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) February 27, 2021
Vintage Rosko Specman ?
We’ve seen him do it so many times at the Cape Town Stadium for the Blitzboks and now he’s stepping players for fun in the Cheetahs jersey.
Watch live: https://t.co/hlsJOQLS2S pic.twitter.com/1PyPpe82dx
— SuperSport ? (@SuperSportTV) February 27, 2021
The Cheetahs’ good start forced the Stormers to play catch-up rugby. However, their comeback was well aided by the Cheetahs’ lack of discipline and high error rate. The hosts scored 19 unanswered points – four penalties off the boot of rookie flyhalf Kade Wolhuter and a converted try also originating from a Cheetahs mistake – to hit the front at 26-14.
With the game slipping away from the Cheetahs, Specman did what Specman always does: stepping up when the occasion demands it. The flyer danced through the Stormers defence for two tries in two minutes – one either side of the half-time break – to give his team a two-point advantage.
But their joy was short-lived as the lead exchanged hands again after referee Rasta Rasivhenge lost his patience and awarded a penalty try to the Stormers, who destroyed the Cheetahs’ scrum on the five-metre line.
The introduction of the Cheetahs’ replacements, especially that of Ruan Pienaar, changed the game, though. The Cheetahs managed to apply pressure on the Stormers for a sustained period of time and while the hosts’ defence didn’t cave, their discipline did. Steyn was there to punish those errors with two penalties, which ultimately proved defining.
Stormers – Tries: Tristan Leyds, Leolin Zas, Penalty try. Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (2), Automatic conversion. Penalties: Wolhuter (4).
Cheetahs– Tries: Wilmar Arnoldi, Rosko Specman (3). Conversions: Frans Steyn (4). Penalties: Steyn (2).
Stormers – 15 Tristan Leyds, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Kade Wolhuter, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 Chris van Zyl (c), 4 David Meihuizen, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Ali Vermaak.
Subs: 16 Chad Solomon, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Johan du Toit, 20 Ernst van Rhyn, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Abner van Reenen, 23 Mnombo Zwelendaba.
Cheetahs – 15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Chris Smit, 12 Frans Steyn, 11 Rosko Specman, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Jeandre Rudolph, 7 George Cronje, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Rynier Bernardo, 4 Carl Wegner (c), 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Schalk Ferreira.
Subs: 16 Marnus van der Merwe, 17 Conraad van Vuuren, 18 Khutha Mchunu, 19 Victor Sekekete, 20 Aidon Davis, 21 Ruan Pienaar 22 Dries Swanepoel, 23 Rhyno Smith.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
