The Stormers kicked off their Vodacom URC season with a swagger, bagging a bonus-point win over Scarlets in a fiery showdown in Llanelli this past Friday. The Cape Town squad, fueled by the return of Springbok aces Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse, showed no mercy as they stomped to a commanding 34-0 victory.
The game, which occasionally teetered on the edge of a brawl, saw the Stormers' forward pack unleash havoc. They snatched an early scrum penalty, setting the tone for the night. Although Feinberg-Mngomezulu pinged his first kick against the upright, Evan Roos bulldozed over for a try soon after, marking his fourth in just three games. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, shaking off his earlier miss, slotted the conversion and later a penalty to push the score to 10-0.
The Stormers' dominance was briefly interrupted when flanker Ben-Jason Dixon got a ten-minute sit-down for a dubious croc roll. Scarlets' Taine Plumtree wasn't far behind, finding himself in the bin after a scuffle with Roos. Amidst rising tensions, Scarlets conceded their 15th penalty of the half, from which Paul de Villiers launched over from a lineout maul, stretching the lead to 17-0 by halftime.
The drama didn't end there. Feinberg-Mngomezulu found himself yellow-carded for a cheeky ruck infringement in the third quarter. Even down a man, the Stormers didn't slack, with Ruben van Heerden crashing over for the third try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu dashed back from the bin to secure the bonus point with a dazzling try.
A late yellow card for Scarlets' Macs Page paved the way for Imad Khan to add a fifth try for the visitors, sealing an emphatic win. This victory sends the Stormers off to Italy with high spirits, where they'll face Zebre and Benetton next.
The Scarlets, licking their wounds, will look to regroup as they prepare to host the Lions and Sharks in their upcoming matches.
"We came into this game knowing the physical challenge would be immense. Credit to the boys for stepping up and making every opportunity count," said a jubilant Stormers coach after the match.
With standout performances and a clear display of strength, both in tactics and temperament, the Stormers have firmly positioned themselves as the team to beat this URC season.
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The Stormers kicked off their Vodacom URC season with a swagger, bagging a bonus-point win over Scarlets in a fiery showdown in Llanelli this past Friday. The Cape Town squad, fueled by the return of Springbok aces Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse, showed no mercy as they stomped to a commanding 34-0 victory.
The game, which occasionally teetered on the edge of a brawl, saw the Stormers' forward pack unleash havoc. They snatched an early scrum penalty, setting the tone for the night. Although Feinberg-Mngomezulu pinged his first kick against the upright, Evan Roos bulldozed over for a try soon after, marking his fourth in just three games. Feinberg-Mngomezulu, shaking off his earlier miss, slotted the conversion and later a penalty to push the score to 10-0.
The Stormers' dominance was briefly interrupted when flanker Ben-Jason Dixon got a ten-minute sit-down for a dubious croc roll. Scarlets' Taine Plumtree wasn't far behind, finding himself in the bin after a scuffle with Roos. Amidst rising tensions, Scarlets conceded their 15th penalty of the half, from which Paul de Villiers launched over from a lineout maul, stretching the lead to 17-0 by halftime.
The drama didn't end there. Feinberg-Mngomezulu found himself yellow-carded for a cheeky ruck infringement in the third quarter. Even down a man, the Stormers didn't slack, with Ruben van Heerden crashing over for the third try. Feinberg-Mngomezulu dashed back from the bin to secure the bonus point with a dazzling try.
A late yellow card for Scarlets' Macs Page paved the way for Imad Khan to add a fifth try for the visitors, sealing an emphatic win. This victory sends the Stormers off to Italy with high spirits, where they'll face Zebre and Benetton next.
The Scarlets, licking their wounds, will look to regroup as they prepare to host the Lions and Sharks in their upcoming matches.
"We came into this game knowing the physical challenge would be immense. Credit to the boys for stepping up and making every opportunity count," said a jubilant Stormers coach after the match.
With standout performances and a clear display of strength, both in tactics and temperament, the Stormers have firmly positioned themselves as the team to beat this URC season.