The Stormers, missing several Springboks and fielding four debutants, were thrashed 61-10 in London.
The Stormers’ sensational rise this season finally came crashing down with a resounding 61-10 defeat to Harlequins in their third-round Champions Cup match at Twickenham Stoop on Sunday.
It ended the previously unbeaten Cape Town union’s 10-match winning streak across the United Rugby Championship and Champions Cup.
Meanwhile, the Cheetahs’ Challenge Cup fixture against Ulster in The Netherlands was postponed until further notice, due to adverse weather leaving the pitch unplayable.
The Stomers rested several Springboks and instead named four debutants for the game. And much like the Sharks, who dropped 13 Springboks before their 26-10 defeat to Sale, the Stormers’ weakened side were no match for their opponents in England, despite the Harlequins being in poor form with two wins from 10 games prior.
The Stormers were strong in the scrums but vulnerable at the breakdown and guilty of numerous handling errors which cost them possession whenever they were on the attack. They also conceded two tries from charge-downs.
Five Harlequins tries in the first half-hour left them a mountain to climb in the second half. The Stormers squandered every opportunity they had, save two, while Harlequins scored four more tries in the second half.
Harlequins too good for Stormers
Harlequins flanker Jack Kenningham crossed for the first score in the eighth minute following a counter-ruck just about on the Stormers 22, before winger Cadan Murley scored on the sideline after a charged-down kick fell favourably for Harlequins. That made it 12-0 after 10 minutes.
After a brief period where the Stormers had the ball but their attack failed, Harlequins No 8 Alex Dombrandt found a gap to score after a lineout in the 16th minute. Ten minutes later, Chandler Cunningham-South scored Harlequins’ bonus-point try following a charge-down. Winger Nick David made it five with an overlap try in the 30th minute.
The Stormers finally had an opportunity following a lineout in the 37th minute. But they were held up. That left the score 33-0 at the break.
Harlequins weathered 12 minutes of Stormers attack in the second half before David ran through gaps to score two tries, completing his hat-trick. Harlequins’ seventh try made it 47-0 on the hour mark.
The English team compounded the hurt with tries from Zach Carr and Jarrod Evans before the final whistle.
The Stormers finally scored a try in the 66th minute when replacement scrumhalf Imad Khan linked with Damian Willemse to work past defenders. Dylan Maart scored his team’s second with an overlap in the 74th minute.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Imad Khan, Dylan Maart. Conversions – Clinton Swart 0/1, Jurie Matthee 0/1.
Harlequins: Tries – Jack Kenningham, Cadan Murley, Alex Dombrandt, Chandler Cunningham-South, Nick David (3), Zach Carr, Jarrod Evans. Conversions – Marcus Smith 8/9.
