Brave Barry helps Stormers to victory
De Wet Barry turns only 21 in June. But the Stormers' centre came of age on Sunday in a brave 28-25 Vodacom Super 12 rugby victory over The Chiefs which keeps alive South Africa's flickering hopes of at least one semifinalist in a competition being dominated by three New Zealand sides - Crusaders, Highlanders and Hurricanes - and the ACT Brumbies.
If the Stormers had lost Sunday's grinding, error-ridden battle in Pukekohe it would have completed yet another depressing weekend for SA supporters.
Barry, however, a former Paarl Gymnasium product, has lifted the general gloom with a midfield display which already catapaults him into the leading bunch of centres national coach Nick Mallett can shortlist for the coming Tests.
In scoring only the second win Down Under in this year's Super 12 - the Sharks beat the Waratahs in Sydney for the first - Corne Krige's Stormers have kickstarted their own aspirations at a time when the alarm bells are ringing for SA rugby in a comparison with the two other components of world rugby's Big Three.
Barry, a member of SA's World Cup-winning under 21 team in Argentina last year, earned the major individual accolades by punching holes in the Chiefs' defences when he touched the ball, staying on his feet in the tackle to enable supporting runners to take short passes to sustain attacking momentum.
The newcomer was one of the few Stormers who was able to keep his team going forward in a performance which in truth was prone to excessive lateral movement which coach Alan Solomons' will want to eliminate for the next clash against the Blues in Auckland.
However in Barry and the exciting Breyton Paulse, scorer of two of the three tries, the Stormers had the two best backs on view as the visitors soaked up early punishment and hit back from a 15-3 deficit to reach halftime at 18-all.
Stormers captain Corne Krige, a tireless tackler and forager, paid tribute to the collective bravery of his squad.
"We knew we had to keep making tackles and to close down their two most dangerous runners, Tukino and Isotolo Maka. We managed that by and large, and in the end we were able to weather the onslaught for a win which the guys will celebrate tonight."
Solomons praised the true grit of his players. "To win Super 12 matches in New Zealand takes guts. It also takes defensive organisation and know-how to stop runners coming at you off different angles. We managed to do that when it mattered most against the Chiefs and this win sets us up for the next two matches on tour."
In truth, both sides made too many mistakes in one of the poorest quality Super 12 matches thus far, reflecting the anxiety which goes with a must-win situation for both. Forthe Stormers, last year's beaten semifinalists, the four points was a prime objective and they move up to 6th in the standings. After losing last week to the Crusaders, Krige revealed that the Chiefs was one match they had targeted for a win.
Solomons will be delighted that his squad has started the comeback without key forwards like Bobby Skinstad, Robbie Brink and Selborne Boome and now crucial backs like Brendan Venter and Percy Montgomery. However, he will know that the Blues and then the Reds lie in wait. So there's no time to dwell on a sweet victory.
The nature of Super 12 success is that consistent levels need to be maintained and each game gets harder especially during a four-match tour to Australasia when injuries and travel fatigue take a toll.
Scorers
Stormers - tries: Paulse (2), Markram; penalties: Braam van Straaten (3); conversions: Van Straaten (2).
Chiefs - tries: Bruce Reihana, Loki Crichton, Isotolo Maka; penalties: Crichton (2); conversions: Glen Jackson and Crichton one each.