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URC result: Stormers outrun Scarlets for bonus point win
It was a superb effort from a young Stormers team that put the more experienced Scarlets side to the sword.
Stormers loose forward Junior Pokomela makes a break during their URC match against the Scarlets in Cape Town on Friday night. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
A superb exhibition of breathtaking running rugby from the Stormers saw them cruise to an impressive 36-19 (halftime 29-7) win over Scarlets in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at the Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.
It was an action packed first three quarters, that saw the young Stormers team run in five tries against the Scarlets three, which gave them a big enough lead to comfortably see the match out in the final quarter for an impressive win over an experienced Scarlets outfit.
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In the match the Scarlets got off to a good start and had an early chance to get points on the board with a fourth minute penalty, but with a tricky wind swirling in the stadium, flyhalf Dan Jones watched his effort drift wide.
This allowed the Stormers to open the scoring in the 15th minute as replacement scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies, on temporarily for a head knock, threw a dummy and dived over from close range, with flyhalf Kade Wolhuter knocking over the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
The Stormers were now in the ascendancy and ran in two more tries in the next eight minutes as they attacked from an overthrown Scarlets lineout with wing Leolin Zas cutting in and going over for a converted score, before captain Ernst van Rhyn crashed over, as they raced into a 19-0 lead.
The Scarlets then finally responded in the 32nd minute as fullback Johnny McNichol made a superb break from his own half to the Stormers 22m, where he popped the ball to Jones, who offloaded to wing Ryan Conbeer to go over to score, with Jones extras making it 19-7.
The Stormers however finished the half on top as eighthman Hacjivah Dayimani scored a superb solo try, brushing off a tackle and stepping past another to go over, while Wolhuter added the conversion and a penalty on the halftime hooter to give them a big lead at the break.
Fast start
The start of the second half then saw the Stormers in for their fifth try as they attacked from the kick-off into the Scarlets 22m, with outside centre Cornel Smit then feeding inside centre Dan du Plessis to go over under the posts, with Wolhuter converting to put them up 36-7.
The Scarlets however looked to make a game of it as they ran in two tries in four minutes, as wing Tom Rogers scored on the overlap, and then Conbeer went in for his second, with replacement flyhalf Rhys Patchell nailing one conversion to make it 36-19 after 54 minutes.
After the try fest during the first 55 minutes, the final 25 minutes then became a much tighter affair as both sides defences improved, making for a scoreless finale, allowing the Stormers to seal a comfortable win.
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Herschel Jantjies, Leolin Zas, Ernst van Rhyn, Hacjivah Dayimani, Dan du Plessis; Conversions – Kade Wolhuter (4); Penalty – Wolhuter
Scarlets: Tries – Ryan Conbeer (2), Tom Rogers; Conversions – Dan Jones, Rhys Patchell
