The Stormers produced a brilliant performance against Glasgow Warriors at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, beating them 48-12 and replacing them at the top of the URC table, now just two matches before play-offs.
The Cape side shrugged off their poor display against Connacht last week, surging to 17-0 ahead against the United Rugby Championship table leaders within the first 15 minutes, and then 24-12 at half-time.
Glasgow, coming off their season-worst defeat at the hands of the Lions (score 54-12), were again shell-shocked in the face of a blistering South African attack.
The Scottish side recovered in the second-half, but could not convert any opportunities in that period. They ultimately lost six tries to two.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had a great game to mark his 50th Stormers cap. He scored a try,- all six conversions and two penalties to rack up 23 points.
The Cape side travel to Ulster and Cardiff for the final league-phase games before the quarter-finals on 30 May.
Stormers shell-shock Glasgow
The Stormers opened scoring with a penalty kick in the fifth minute, and followed it up with a Nthuthuko Mchunu try four minutes later when Neethling Fouché passed the ball behind his back to set the prop up.
The Stormers extended their lead to 17-0 when Mchunu crashed over again following a lineout in the 14th minute.
Glasgow’s woes increased when No 8 Jack Dempsey received a yellow card for repeated infringements.
But they held on while he was in the sin-bin, and even scored their first try when Ollie Smith weaved between defenders to the try line after a Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu grubber landed in Glasgow hands. 17-5 after 26 minutes.
But the Stormers scored again after winning an aerial contest, Cobus Reinach linking with Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Evan Roos eventually grounding. The conversion made it 24-5 on the half-hour mark.
Glasgow saw an opportunity squandered when they knocked the ball on within a maul 5m from the Stormers’ try line.
However, Reinach received a yellow card for a cynical foul right before Glasgow’s Gregor Hiddleston scored after a few drives in the 38th minute. Hastings’ conversion made it 24-12 to the Stormers at half-time.
Visitors score no points in the second half
The home side extended their lead to 15 points with a penalty early in the second half.
Glasgow knocked the ball on 5m from the Stormers try line again, before Hastings received a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on André Hugo Venter.
The Stormers immediately capitalised when Feinberg-Mngomezulu grubbered the ball through for Ruhan Nel to score the bonus-point try. The conversion made it 34-12 after 49 minutes.
The Stormers were held up in the 59th minute, and knocked the ball on on the Glasgow try line in the 65th minute.
Eighteen-year-old Markus Muller then became the youngest Stormers player to make his debut.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu rubbed salt into Glasgow’s wounds with a try in the 73rd minute, before Keke Morabe scored from a maul four minutes later.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Nthuthuko Mchunu (2), Evan Roos, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Keke Morabe. Conversions – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 6/6. Penalties – Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2/3.
Glasgow Warriors: Tries – Ollie Smith, Gregor Hiddleston. Conversions – Adam Hastings 1/2.
