Following the Stormers’ 43-25 win over Connacht in the United Rugby Championship semi-final in Cape Town, here are our player ratings for the Stormers.

15 Damian Willemse: A classy outing from the Springbok, who was solid in the backfield and electric on attack. His influence on the side is massive and, on several occasions, he inspired point-scoring plays. 8

14 Angelo Davids: His best game in a Stormers shirt. He scored a try and absolutely tore the Connacht defence to shreds to assist Manie Libbok. It was a coming-of-age performance for the former sevens star in the fifteens game. 9

13 Ruhan Nel: A strong defender as well, Nel scored the final try that secured a strong scoreline. Not always a player for the spotlight but one that is integral to the make-up of the Stormers. 7

12 Daniel du Plessis: The centre stood up to the Bundee Aki threat with aplomb; he was also active on attack and clever in his decision-making. It was a solid outing without him setting the game alight. 7

11 Leolin Zas: The wing put in a decent shift, although his handling let him down more than once. It was not his best, but he still remains a dangerous player. 6

10 Manie Libbok: Simply sensational. 23 points with two tries and an assist in a commanding effort. The Springbok is a complete attacking fly-half with all the tricks to match. It was a vintage performance from Cape Town’s favourite son. 9

9 Herschel Jantjies: The scrum-half is back to his best, and his combination with Libbok is one to savour. Jantjies made clever decisions throughout, with few errors if any. 8

8 Evan Roos: A committed effort from the robust number eight who carried hard all game long. His physicality brings a different edge to the Stormers. Yet to reach the heights we saw last season but on the rise. 7

7 Hacjivah Dayimani: The lightning-fast flank waited until the final quarter to sparkle, where he assisted two tries including a sumptuous offload behind his back to play Nel in. 8

6 Willie Engelbrecht: Stepped up in the absence of Deon Fourie. Physical and commanding in defence. May not be a performance for the ages but a committed outing in Stormers blue, which included 26 tackles. 8

Line-out concerns

5 Ruben van Heerden: The second-row has truly settled into the Stormers set-up. It was a busy outing for him, but the line-out woes are certainly a concern. 6

4 Ben Jason Dixon: Similar to Van Heerden, Dixon was busy and committed throughout, but the line-out remains a chief concern. He was the second busiest tackler making 24 in total, repaying John Dobson’s faith in him after Marvin Orie’s injury. 7

3 Frans Malherbe: Consistent as always. Penalised early in the scrum but recovered to give his side the platform. Will be grateful when the DHL Stadium gets a new pitch laid. 7

2 Joseph Dweba: Not the best throwing into the line-out, which remains his key weakness. Otherwise he was physical with a handling error or two. Will need to be better overall in the final. 5

1 Steven Kitshoff: Captain fantastic. The front-row scrummed well, was active at the breakdown and defended like a warrior. An inspired outing. 8

Replacements: Paul De Wet scored the try that changed the make-up of the clash, before grabbing another, as the main contribution from the substitutes. 7

READ MORE: United Rugby Championship: Five takeaways from Stormers v Connacht as the defending champions storm into the final

The article Stormers player ratings: Angelo Davids and Manie Libbok sparkle in a champions performance appeared first on Planetrugby.com.