Stormers Deny O’Halloran A Winning Send-Off In Galway

Two closing penalties from Manie Libbok clinched an important 16-12 win for the DHL Stormers, as Connacht lost their final home game of the season at Dexcom Stadium.

Retiring full-back Tiernan O’Halloran missed out on a winning send-off in his native Galway, with Connacht’s BKT United Rugby Championship top eight hopes now hanging by a thread.

With a total of 49 points, the westerners will head into the final round on May 31-June 1 in 10th position, trailing Edinburgh, Benetton, and the Emirates Lions by four points each. A bonus point victory away to Leinster is required, and some favourable results elsewhere.

Caolin Blade’s 30th-minute try gave them a 7-3 half-time lead this evening, with their much-improved defence restricting the South Africans to a lone penalty from player-of-the-match Libbok.

Angelo Davids and replacement Jack Aungier exchanged tries, but John Dobson’s fifth-placed side, armed with a wind advantage, decided this scrappy contest through Libbok’s right boot.

As well as sealing their place in the quarter-finals, it was the Stormers’ first victory on Irish soil at the sixth attempt. Their best previous result was a 22-all draw with Leinster at the RDS in March 2023.

Both teams played with width early on as the visitors had Suleiman Hartzenberg fastening onto a Warrick Gelant kick in behind, and O’Halloran soon got a chance to stretch his legs down the opposite wing.

Two early scrum penalties convinced the Stormers to opt for the set-piece option in the 19th minute. O’Halloran and Blade denied Davids near the left corner, but a further penalty saw Libbok open the scoring.

Connacht had shown their defensive grit before that, with Jack Carty and Shamus Hurley-Langton combining to rip the ball away from Dan du Plessis. Byron Ralston was also first to a breaking ball after Hartzenberg had kicked through from his wing position.

The province’s best initial moments in attack saw Sean Jansen’s short line onto a Carty pass get them within reach of the opposition 22. Like O’Halloran, Cian Prendergast made good metres down the touchline, only for the supporting Ralston to knock on.

O’Halloran raised the decibel level around the groud with a pacy midfield break, the Clifden man following up a few phases later with a quickly-taken penalty. The Stormers did not appear to be back 10 metres, but managed to force turnover ball.

Connacht had a let-off at the other end in the 26th minute, as Davids missed out on a breakaway try when TMO Stefano Penne spotted Gelant’s forward pass. Damian Willemse was the link man in a blistering counter attack.

There was no denying Connacht on the half hour mark, taking the tap option again from a penalty before scrum half Blade, following up on a Bundee Aki carry, ducked his way over from a ruck. Carty added a well-struck conversion.

The Stormers remained try-less despite two defence-slashing runs from Damian Willemse, and a late first-half lineout maul which was well defended by Connacht, and by Prendergast and Finlay Bealham in particular.

Handling errors twice halted the progress of Pete Wilkins’ men early in the second period, and they fell behind in the 50th minute when the South African franchise were back to their clinical best in attack.

Libbok used Gelant’s nicely-timed pop pass to tear up into Connacht’s 22 and send the supporting Davids over, with the Stormers out-half converting to make it 10-7.

Willed on by John Porch’s terrific restart take, and a penalty after some decent ball retention, the hosts badly mistimed their lineout and the opportunity was lost.

The Stormers’ indiscipline invited Connacht forward again, though, and off a robust maul platform, the industrious Jansen and Aki carried strongly before prop Aungier, backed by captain Dave Heffernan, reached over from close range.

The Connacht fans rose to acclaim O’Halloran, who is hanging up his boots after a 15-year career, when he was replaced in the 61st minute. Argentinian international Santiago Cordero came on at full-back to make his long-awaited debut following an ACL injury.

Oisin Dowling’s turnover penalty ensured the Stormers left points behind them, but Libbok brilliantly nailed a 45-metre penalty in the 68th minute to hand his side a one-point advantage.

A scrum penalty allowed the Springbok to split the posts again four minutes later, and more knock-ons made it a frustrating finish for Connacht, who had lost just twice at home in the URC since December 2022 – to Leinster (December 2023), and the Lions (in March of this year).

Opposing flankers Evan Roos and Prendergast both stood out in the physical exchanges, with Connacht’s abrasive number 8 Jansen also regularly making yards.

However, it was Libbok who deservedly pocketed the BKT URC player-of-the-match medal, as his 11 points from the tee, try assist, and overall game management proved vital for the 2021/22 champions.

Afterwards, O’Halloran and departing players Jarrad Butler, Tom Farrell, Diarmuid Kilgallen, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, Tom Daly, Gavin Thornbury, Matthew Burke, Oran McNulty, Tadgh McElroy, and Michael McDonald were each presented with a framed jersey.

It was a poignant moment for the squad members on the pitch, and the supporters watching on, particularly the regulars in the Clan Terrace which is being demolished next month. It will be replaced by the new 7,000-capacity North Stand, with its completion due in the 2025/26 season.