Yaqeen Ahmed shines as Stormers push All Blacks in Cape Town

The Stormers were beaten by the All Blacks in the opening match of Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry on Friday, but 20-year-old fly-half Yaqeen Ahmed stood out as one of the Cape side’s best performers.

The match was level at 14-14 with 16 minutes remaining in Cape Town before New Zealand pulled clear. The Stormers’ lack of match fitness eventually showed, with the United Rugby Championship side still in pre-season.

Several Stormers players nevertheless made a strong impression against the All Blacks. Here are the individual ratings.

1. Vernon Matongo – 7

Matongo helped give the Stormers an advantage at scrum time and caused the All Blacks problems with his work at the set-piece. He also made a number of effective carries during a productive 45-minute appearance.

2. Andre-Hugo Venter – 8.5

Venter was a constant nuisance in open play and carried strongly. His physical performance underlined why he is being considered for further involvement with the Bok squad.

He had a try ruled out, although his performance was still good enough for him to joke that he would probably tell his grandchildren he had scored against the All Blacks.

3. Neethling Fouche – 8

Fouche was another Stormers forward who made an impact at scrum time alongside Matongo. He covered plenty of ground, made several useful defensive contributions and remained involved around the field.

4. Adre Smith – 6.5

Smith fulfilled his role as the Stormers’ number four lock. He provided some effective work at the lineout and was willing to make the physical contributions required of him.

5. Connor Evans – 8.5

Evans produced one of the Stormers’ most impressive performances. He was consistently reliable at the lineout, with many of the side’s mauls beginning from his work there.

He also played his part in a strong scrum and maintained a high work-rate around the pitch. John Dobson will have been encouraged by what he saw from Evans.

6. Deon Fourie – 9

Fourie continued to defy expectations after recently returning from a knee injury. Known as ‘Brannas’, he attacked the match with the energy of a player making his first appearance in a Stormers shirt.

Dobson noted that Fourie made three tackles in 15 seconds, but the flanker’s impact extended beyond defence. He disrupted All Blacks possession, carried effectively and scored a try before leaving the field with blood running down his face.

7. Hacjivah Dayimani – 7

Dayimani’s return to the Stormers has not yet produced his best form, but this display showed that he still has plenty to offer. His footwork enabled him to make ground with the ball, although some handling errors counted against him.

A kick from Dayimani was also charged down and led to an All Blacks try. He had to move to the wing during the match but remained solid overall.

8. Evan Roos – 6.5

Roos brought his customary physicality to the contest and made useful contributions both in attack and defence. He was occasionally rushed, while handling errors included one during a period when the Stormers were applying pressure close to the All Blacks line.

9. Imad Khan – No score

Khan’s match ended early after he sustained a knee injury. Dobson said afterwards that the injury appeared to be serious, a particularly unfortunate outcome for the lively scrum-half.

10. Yaqeen Ahmed – 9

Ahmed showed no sign of being overawed by the occasion in a superb performance at fly-half. Despite his age, he was willing to engage in the physical side of the contest in both attack and defence and varied his play with the composure of a far more experienced player.

He produced several excellent contestable kicks, made a line break and finished with a 100% kicking record. The 20-year-old’s display suggested he has a significant future ahead of him and brought comparisons with a young Henry Honiball.

Ahmed looked like an old head on young shoulders.

11. Leolin Zas – 7

Zas worked hard throughout his time on the field and remained a regular threat when competing for contestable kicks.

12. Jonathan Roche – 6.5

Roche is still settling into his role with the Stormers but delivered a committed performance. He had a few opportunities to attack and came close to scoring while also taking a high shot from Anton Lienert-Brown.

13. Ruhan Nel – 7

The Stormers captain led from the front defensively with a typically aggressive display. He had limited opportunities in attack, but the Stormers’ defensive effort visibly weakened after he left the field injured.

14. Seabelo Senatla – 7.5

Senatla cut through the All Blacks’ defence to score an excellent Stormers try. He also produced a spectacular dive that delighted the crowd and photographers.

His willingness to look for work was another positive, and, if he remains fit, Senatla will be a valuable member of the Stormers squad during the forthcoming United Rugby Championship campaign.

15. Warrick Gelant – 7

Gelant’s performances can fluctuate, but his footwork created problems for the All Blacks throughout the match. He scored a try, made several strong defensive tackles and won a turnover.

Replacements – 5.5

The Stormers’ replacements did not have the impact Dobson would have hoped for. Dewaldt Duvenhage spent the longest period on the field and produced a decent performance after replacing the injured Khan.

It was also Duvenhage’s final game for the franchise.