Manie Libbok instrumental as Stormers defeat Connacht to reach URC final

Manie Libbok was instrumental as reigning champions the DHL Stormers overcame a nervy start to beat Connacht 43-25 and book their place in the United Rugby Championship final.

Fly-half Libbok finished with 23 points, including two key first-half tries, as the Stormers rallied from an early 8-0 deficit to claim victory in a thrilling 10-try clash at a windswept DHL Stadium in Cape Town.

The impressive Angelo Davids, Paul De Wet, Marcel Theunissen and Ruhan Nel also crossed for the South African side, with Mack Hansen, Conor Oliver, Shamus Hurley-Langton and Byron Ralston touching down in a losing cause for battling Connacht.

Connacht captain Jack Carty – who kicked his side to victory over Ulster in the quarter-finals – drew first blood when he slotted over a straightforward early penalty as the visitors capitalised on a mistake from Stormers hooker Joseph Dweba and then a collapsed scrum.

More handling errors from the Stormers then laid the foundations for Connacht to score the game’s opening try in the 13th minute, Hansen collecting a superb long pass from Carty to dive in at the corner.

Carty missed the touchline conversion and his opposite number Libbok then showed his class as the Stormers hit back in style.

With the champions pushing hard on the left-hand side of the pitch, Libbok picked out the unmarked Davids with a superb cross-field kick and the right-winger had the easiest of jobs to touch down.

Libbok, the tournament’s leading points scorer, made light of the difficult kicking conditions to slot over a testing conversion and then put Stormers 10-8 ahead with a penalty.

The home side were starting to move through the gears and Libbok was central again as they scored their second try just before the half-hour.

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