Rugby Union: Damian Willemse Pulls Off Unbelievable Finish In Stormers Victory (WATCH)
Damian Willemse scored a worldie of a try as the Stormers advanced in the Champions Cup at the expense of Harlequins.
The match always promised incredible action, and it delivered in spades.
Willemse pulled off a remarkable one-handed finish after he seemed to have been pushed out into touch.
After a few replays the TMO gave the green light to award the try.
The Stormers held out a determined Harlequins outfit and scored five tries to four for in a thrilling 32-28 victory in their Heineken Champions Cup round of 16 clash at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday and in the process, booked their place in the quarter-finals.
Both sides threw everything at one another to gain ascendancy in the first half, and there were small margins at times, but the DHL Stormers managed to gain the edge, scoring three tries to one by the Harlequins – with Springbok flank Deon Fourie earning a brace – for an encouraging 17-7 lead.
The second half was tightly fought with the Capetonians scoring an early try before surviving a brave fightback by the visitors who scored three quick tries at the end that saw them close the gap on the scoreboard from 32-7 to only four points.
Fourie opened up the scoring in the first minute after dashing his way to the tryline following a great break out wide and his national team-mate, flyhalf Manie Libbok, added the conversion to hand the team a 7-0 lead.
HARLEQUINS FIGHT BACK
The English club fought back with intent two minutes later to add to their first try of the match compliments of England No 8 Alex Dombrandt, who forced his way over the chalk from a powerful rolling maul, and they leveled the scores with the extra two.
Both teams created opportunities as the half progressed, but the DHL Stormers made the most of their chances with prop Steven Kitshoff and Fourie both crashing over from rolling mauls within 20 minutes of one another to hand them a 17-7 lead.
Harlequins fought hard until the end of the half to narrow their deficit before the break, but the tenacious Stormers shut them out, allowing them to enter the break with a 17-7 lead.
After Willemse’s try, Libbok slotted a penalty goal in the 56th to stretch their lead to 25-7.
In the 74th minute, replacement loose forward Willie Engelbrecht went over for the Stormers’ fifth try, and Libbok added the conversion to nudge their lead to 32-7.
Harlequins fought until the end, though, with three tries in the last eight minutes. Dombrandt clocked his second five-pointer, followed soon after by Springbok centre Andre Esterhuizen crossing the whitewash. Wing Joe Marchant scored ther fourth, but even with the conversions slotted they went down 32-28 as they ran out of time.
