Stormers 25 (13)
Try: Juan de Jongh. Conversion: Peter Grant. Penalties: Peter Grant (6).
Waratahs 6 (6)
Penalty: Berrick Barnes. Drop goal: Berrick Barnes.
What they said:
Chris Hickey:
“Defence was definitely a big part of the game. The Stormers have the best defensive record in the competition while we had the third best defensive record. The fact that only one try was scored highlighted that. The Stormers were very physical in contact and it’s difficult gaining momentum on the back foot. Our discipline was also poor. In the first 10 minutes of the second half, we conceded six penalties. That allowed them to have the momentum. We had our opportunities as well, but we failed to turn them into points. I think the final is a fair reflection on the competition. The Bulls and Stormers finished first and second respectively. I don’t think there has been a Super Rugby competition as tight as this one. Semi-final places were only confirmed after the last round. The final will definitely be close, too close to call. It will be a great game of footy.”
Phil Waugh:
“We broke their line and we won some turnovers, but we didn’t capitalise on that. You need to score in a match where opportunities are rare. That cost us. We were a young side and the guys really stood up. There were a lot of injuries but we had depth and that helped us stay in top gear. I’m very happy with the team’s performances this season, especially with our intentions of running with the ball in hand. I’m not too concerned about the final if you ask me.”
Allister Coetzee:
“I think we’ve stuck to what we promised to do at the beginning of the season. We’ve always copped a lot of flak for being a team that flatters to deceive, or a team that is good on paper, but we’ve really matured and learned from the lessons of the past. We’re happy to be part of history, but the job isn’t done yet. Some athletes go to the Olympics to compete, and some go to win gold medals and break records. We have a lot of respect for the Bulls, but we’re not going there just to run the race, we’re going to win. Our defence against the Waratahs was splendid. It just goes to show how systems can win matches. We pitched up physically and the work rate was good, and when you have those two attributes working for you, it will be very hard for the opposition to cut your defence. The Bulls have played in a lot of finals and know how to win them. They’ve been the pacesetters in both the Super 14 and Currie Cup for some time. They’ve dominated opposing teams. But we are getting there too. We have a solid set piece, a fantastic kicking game and there’s something special about our ball-in-hand approach in the backline. The decision making on when to kick and when to run has also impressed. I will have to look at why our scrum was reset so many times against the Waratahs. Other than that, I’ve been pleased with the way the guys have handled the pressure.”
Schalk Burger:
“The crowd has been fantastic the whole season. It was apparent in the warm-up matches how badly they wanted us to win. We’ve also made Newlands a fortress this season by only losing one game. It was a great way to finish our last match at home. Well, if you look at the Bulls record there, they’re probably better in Soweto than they are at Loftus.”
