Gopperth has talent to drop it like it's hot

When the Stormers forwards sat down in the changing room after their match against the Hurricanes on Friday night, it is easy to imagine their conversation going something like this - Faan Rautenbach: "Did we lose that game?" Eddie Andrews: "Yes." Rautenbach: "How?"

How indeed. The Stormers pack did all that most packs have to do to win games - Andrews and the impressive Rautenbach murdered the Hurricanes in the scrums, the Stormers generally won the lineouts and Schalk Burger and Luke Watson dug out loose ball and organised rolling mauls.

The Stormers spent most of the game camped in Hurricanes territory like those who prospect for gold - an exercise which demands a great deal of patience and repetition. But the only nuggets unearthed on a dull night belonged to the Hurricanes and one nugget in particular: Jimmy Gopperth, who won the game for his team with a well-taken drop goal.

The Stormers' much-vaunted backs hardly fired a shot and Gopperth, Conrad Smith and Ma'a Nonu made the only runs worthy of mention in a match ruled by the rain and a slippery ball. Both sides kicked the goals but the irony for the Stormers was that the Hurricanes kicked theirs in the only two raids they made into Stormers territory in the first 25 minutes of the second half.

The Stormers could point disappointedly to a try disallowed after good work by centre Jean de Villiers but the Hurricanes simply took their chances and the Stormers managed to let themselves down at vital moments.

At one such moment, big lock Quinton Davids leg-tripped replacement fullback Shannon Paku as Davids slipped on the greasy turf. That led to a penalty which Gopperth hammered up the sideline, Luke Andrews won the lineout and set up the Hurricanes' best rolling maul of the night - from which Gopperth's winning drop kick emerged.

You can fit a small car into the giant palm of David's hand but you'd suspect you couldn't say the same about his cranial capacity.

Full marks, however, to coach Colin Cooper who revitalised his side with replacements Paku, Kristian Ormsby and Chris Masoe. Masoe pulled off a try-saving tackle on de Villiers late in the game. Ben Herring also played a good hand all night, even after being sin-binned for ruck offences.

But the game's fate rested with Gopperth and it is impossible not to contemplate a bright future for this young man.

Hurricanes: 12 (J. Gopperth 3 pens; drop goal). Stormers: 9 (C. Roussouw 3 pens).

- HERALD ON SUNDAY