Stormers dig deep to claim brave 26–17 Champions Cup victory in France

The Stormers opened their European Champions Cup campaign with a gritty and mature performance, grinding out a 26–17 victory over Bayonne in France despite receiving a 20-minute red card in the second half.

What had been a controlled and composed outing suddenly shifted when the red card to replacement lock Adré Smith put them under heavy pressure as their hosts started finding gaps. Instead of unravelling, as they probably would have in the past, the Cape side dug in and delivered one of their most determined defensive efforts in recent seasons to seal the victory.

Two tries through scrumhalf Imad Khan, named Player of the Match, and lively flanker Paul de Villiers, and kicks off the trusted boot of flyhalf Clinton Swart secured the victory. Bayonne fought valiantly, even after being down 16-5 at the end of the first half, and how the Stormers kept them out would have meant a lot to the Cape side.

While their discipline wavered at times — after also receiving a yellow card in the game — their resolve never faltered. The French club, with a proud home history and lifted by an intense and partisan home crowd, threw everything at the Stormers in the final 30 minutes, sensing an opportunity to overturn the deficit.

Yet phase after phase, the visitors held their ground. Tackles were made with conviction, the defensive line stayed connected despite leaking two tries when they were down to 14 players, and the belief built up every time they repelled their hosts.

“That red card cost us, and we got ourselves into trouble,” Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said.

“The way we got up off the canvas was excellent, but our discipline was not good. We went down to 14 men; they had the crowd behind them and got on top of us. Our discipline with the ball in hand also put us under pressure, forcing a chicken-wing pass when it wasn't really on.

“We must win at home next week, and if we can do that, we will probably get to the European playoffs. These away wins have been tough, but we can't wait to play Stormers rugby in front of our people.”

In the end, it was the Stormers’ willingness to fight for every inch that secured the win, not the cleanest performance, but certainly one of the most courageous. Claiming an away victory in France is hard enough at full strength; doing so a man down and without several Springboks and key players speaks volumes about the team’s character and conditioning.

The result sets them up well for their next challenge — La Rochelle at home in Gqeberha — where they will welcome the return of their Boks.But perhaps more importantly, Friday night proved that this Stormers group has the steel to withstand pressure and still find a way to win.

Their credentials for a deep run in the competition look very real.

Points scorers

Stormers 26 (16): Tries: Imad Khan, Paul de Villiers. Conversions: Clinton Swart (2). Penalties: Swart (4). Bayonne 17 (5): Tries: Federico Mori, Arnaud Erbinartegaray, Lucas Paulos. Conversion: Tom Spring