Stormers And Ulster Draw 38-All In 11-Try Belfast Thriller

The Stormers and Ulster produced a battle for the ages in an 11-try thriller that ended in a dramatic 38-38 draw at the Affidea Stadium.

The home crowd was treated to one of the most compelling encounters of the United Rugby Championship season, as both sides delivered a thrilling end-to-end contest that ebbed and flowed throughout. In the end, it was a match that more than justified the price of admission, with spectators receiving full value from an unforgettable night of rugby.

Despite enjoying a 20-minute numerical advantage and scoring five tries, the Stormers were unable to finally conquer their Belfast hoodoo, although they came close in a dramatic contest in which former Stormers wing Werner Kok scored a hat-trick against the Cape side.

The Stormers endured a slow start, conceding the opening try within the first five minutes.

After struggling to deal with a kick into their 22 and eventually clearing into touch, Ulster capitalised on an offside advantage to pile pressure on the Stormers’ try line. Following several phases of forward play, Jack Murphy spread the ball wide to Kok on the wing, and the speedster crossed for the opening score.

Nathan Doak added an excellent conversion from a difficult angle.

The visitors responded immediately, scoring with their first meaningful attacking opportunity. After building momentum through several well-worked phases, Ntuthuko Mchunu powered towards the whitewash before the tournament’s leading try-scorer, Evan Roos, gathered the ball and dotted down for his 12th try of the campaign.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras to level the scores.

Not long afterwards, Ulster captain Iain Henderson was shown a yellow card for a dangerous crocodile roll on Deon Fourie, forcing the Stormers skipper from the field and prompting the introduction of Paul de Villiers.

The yellow card was later upgraded to a 20-minute red card, and the Stormers quickly made their numerical advantage count. Slick handling and quick recycling created space for Mchunu to send Feinberg-Mngomezulu through a gap in the Ulster defence for the visitors’ second try.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to extend the Stormers’ lead to 14-7.

De Villiers’ work at the breakdown earned the Stormers a penalty in the 21st minute, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the three points to stretch the advantage to 17-7.

The momentum then swung dramatically as Ulster scored two tries in the space of six minutes.

Kok grabbed his second try of the evening in similar fashion to his first, this time collecting a long pass from Doak, who again converted in the 29th minute.

Ulster then produced a sensational try following a superb defensive stand on their own line. After forcing a turnover, they surged into the Stormers’ 22, and a powerful driving maul allowed Zac Ward to crash over near the posts.

Doak maintained his flawless kicking record from the tee before the home side held firm against one final Stormers assault to take a 21-17 lead into half-time.

HALF-TIME: ULSTER 21-17 STORMERS

Shortly after the Stormers had a try ruled out because of Ben-Jason Dixon’s aerial challenge in the build-up, Ulster surged back into the visitors’ half and once again showcased superb handling as Michael Lowry dived over in the corner for a world-class try.

Doak was unable to convert, but Ulster still extended their lead to 26-17.

The frantic pace of the match continued as the Stormers built momentum inside the Ulster 22 through a dominant maul and several attacking phases before Imad Khan backed himself, sold a brilliant dummy, and stretched over for a try.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to reduce the deficit to just two points at 26-24.

The Stormers controlled large periods of the second half but struggled to turn their dominance into points, with discipline issues, handling errors, and poor execution proving costly.

Parity was eventually restored in the 64th minute as sustained pressure finally wore down the home side. After multiple phases close to the line, Feinberg-Mngomezulu powered over for his second try of the match.

The flyhalf then converted his own try to cap another outstanding moment in a superb individual performance and hand the Stormers a 31-26 lead.

However, the visitors were unable to pull away. Ulster again found space out wide, allowing Kok to complete his hat-trick with 10 minutes remaining and level the scores at 31-31.

In keeping with the dramatic nature of the contest, the closing stages produced even more twists. Eric O’Sullivan appeared to have secured victory for Ulster with a try three minutes from full-time, but the Stormers were awarded a penalty try after the final hooter when Nathan Doak’s desperate tackle on Leolin Zas was ruled high.