Cats 29 Stormers 24
CAPE TOWN - The Cats' first five-eighths, Louis Koen, was the architect as his team became the only side to win on the road in the opening Super 12 round.
Koen contributed 24 points to his team's narrow victory at Newlands. He scored one try and kicked five penalties and two conversions in a match in which the lead changed hands five times.
The Cats trailed 23-24 with 10 minutes remaining in a match between South Africa's favourites to reach the playoffs.
But Koen's two late penalties edged his side to a fourth successive triumph over the Stormers and the only away win in the first round of the 2001 competition.
Both sides scored two tries. Koen claimed the first from 5m out as he took a return pass from prop Heinrich Kok in the first quarter.
Stormers first five-eighths Braam van Straaten, who scored 19 points, put the hosts ahead with two penalties and the conversion of Percy Montgomery's try.
Springbok centre Japie Mulder - who was bizarrely cited at halftime by Stormers coach Alan Solomons for a dangerous tackle on his opposite number, De Wet Barry - regained the Cats' lead with a try under the bar, but two more Van Straaten penalties swung the pendulum back in the Stormers' favour at 19-17.
The Stormers' second try, scored in the right-hand corner by Van Straaten, restored the advantage but the touchline conversion failed.
The Cats had dominated the forward exchanges, and penalties for offside at a ruck, and collapsing a scrum, allowed Koen to complete the victory over the team he played for in 1998 and 1999.
- REUTERS
New Zealand's Super 12 squads
2001 Super 12 schedule/scoreboard
Koen gets side purring along
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