Defending United Rugby Championship winners from last season, the Stormers, got their new campaign off to a good start with a hard-fought, but deserved win against Connacht in Stellenbosch on Saturday.
John Dobson’s men scored four tries to Connacht’s two in a match that will give the men from the Cape plenty of confidence for the season ahead.
After leading 13-8 at the halftime break, the Stormers scored a further three tries in the second half to triumph 38-15.
The home team made the perfect start when Springbok loose forward and discard, but player of the inaugural URC season, Evan Roos powered through the Connacht defence to score a wonderful try.
But despite dominating in several areas the Stormers were unable to turn all their pressure into points. They had to rely on flyhalf Manie Libbok to slot two penalties midway through the half to stay out in front.
At the same time, the visitors slowly found their way into the match and after Conor Fitzgerald had knocked over an early penalty, Dylan Tierney-Martin scored late in the half to get his side right back into the match.
It came after a period of sustained pressure by the visitors to South Africa and when the Stormers had been reduced to playing with 14 men following the sin-binning of Marvin Orie.
The home team led 13-8 at the break and that soon became 19-8 after third and fourth Libbok penalties, soon after the start of the second half. And by the halfway point of the second half it got a whole lot worse for Connacht when they lost replacement centre Bundee Aki to a red card, for a dangerous cleanout on Seabelo Senatla.
And seconds later the Stormers got their second try, scored by Andre-Hugo Venter, after some sublime handling and inter-play between several players. The conversion by Libbok made it 26-8 to the home side.
And then, minutes later it was the turn of Hacjivah Dayimani to cross the tryline, after some good defensive work by thee Stormers, saw them win a turn-over and exploit the back-peddling Connacht defence.
But while the blow of losing Aki hurt Connacht they continued to play some good rugby and ask questions of the Stormers and were rewarded for their efforts when replacement prop Jack Aungier went over for a try with nine minutes to go.
The Stormers though finished the stronger side and scored a fourth try after the hooter had sounded, by replacement Marcel Theunissen.
Scorers
Stormers
Tries: Roos, Venter, Dayimani, Theunissen; Conversions: Libbok (3); Penalties: Libbok (4)
Connacht
Tries: Tierney-Martin, Aungier; Conversion: Hawkshaw; Penalty: Fitzgerald
