With the black eye and stitches to show for his heroics, Deon Fourie saved the day for the Stormers in a dramatic Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final win over Ulster.
The Stormers had taken an early lead at Cape Town Stadium thanks to tries from JJ Kotze and Evan Roos, the latter scoring off a well-worked lineout trick play developed by Fourie at training in the buildup to Saturday’s match.
But Ulster hit back when right wing Rob Baloucoune controversially got over the whitewash and, with the match keenly poised 10-5 in the 26th minute, Irish flyhalf Billy Burns launched an attack from just inside the visitors’ half.
MORE: Fourie has a bone to pick with Bulls
Burns regathered a clever chip kick over a Stormers defensive line pushing high up, before bursting through and recollecting his second dab into the 22.
Stormers right wing Seabelo Senatla did well to haul in Burns, but not before the Ulster No 10 offloaded in the tackle to his support runners.
But Fourie had bravely tracked back to win the loose ball close to the tryline, which led to him leaving the field for a head injury assessment in the first half, although he returned to the pitch.
His efforts against Ulster were rewarded with a place in the URC final against the Vodacom Bulls in Cape Town on Saturday, with his overall red-hot season earning the 35-year-old a first Springbok call-up.
One chip and chase coming off? Pretty good
Two? I don’t believe you.Check out Stormers 6 Deon Fourie’s chase-back to make the try saving intervention too. Brilliant.#STOvULS #URC pic.twitter.com/j7KlhTQYBn
— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) June 11, 2022
