- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Five-eighth Hayden Parker has nailed a drop goal almost four minutes after the siren to give the Sunwolves a thrilling 26-23 Super Rugby win over South Africa’s Stormers in Hong Kong.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Sunwolves 26
Stormers 23
It’ll be hot and humid as Hong Kong hosts its first ever Super Rugby game, with the Sunwolves set to take on the Stormers. Join The Roar for live scores from 3:15pm (AEST).
Whichever team adjusts to the conditions better could well come away with the victory at Mong Kok Stadium, with the temperature expected to sit at 30 degrees and humidity to rise as high as 90 per cent.
That will create uncomfortable conditions for anything, let along rugby, but the Sunwolves, who are used to training in such conditions should be confident after picking up their first win of the season last weekend.
It’s been a long hard slog for the Sunwolves, who lost all of their first nine games and barely looked like getting close to registering points on the ladder during that time. Things finally turned for the Japanese club last week though as they belted the hapless Reds, running up a huge 63-28 victory.
Their attack, for the first time this season, clicked. They ran up some decent scores in some of their early losses, but it never felt like they were going to win those games. Last weekend, everything clicked for them, and while their defence still needs work, it will probably be slightly easier to contain the Stormers.
The South African outfit will be starting to get desperate, with chances of qualifying for the finals starting to skip away from them through the second half of the season.
They have been absolutely dreadful on the road throughout the year, not winning a single game away from Newlands, but their ability to win at home had been keeping them in it. Last week, even that faltered as they went down 15-9 in a scrappy, tight affair against the Chiefs.
With just four games left in their season, they find themselves at the bottom of the logjam in the South African conference, but one win could rocket them into second and back to a wildcard spot. Every game is so, so important from here to the end of the season, but with a trip to Argentina also involved, it feels like they must win at least one away from home.
Prediction
The Sunwolves are at home, coming off a victory and playing in conditions which should suit them a little more than the Stormers – although not by much. If they were playing against any other South African team, you’d tip against them, but the Japanese club might go two in a row here.
Sunwolves by 3.
Be sure to join The Roar for live scores of this match from 3:15pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add your own comments throughout the course of the coverage.