The DHL Stormers scored six tries in their 41-10 bonus-point win against the Kings in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. SIMON BORCHARDT reports.
The Stormers opted to rest captain Siya Kolisi, they were missing other players through injury, and had three Super Rugby debutants on the bench, but were still too good for the Kings.
Stand-in skipper Eben Etzebeth led from the front, making 48m from seven carries while winning seven lineouts, and was a worthy recipient of the Man of the Match award. It could have also gone to SP Marais, who had another strong game at fullback.
The Cape franchise did, however, have to work relatively hard for the win, as the Kings put up a decent fight in the second half before conceding two late tries that blew out the scoreline.
With three wins out of three, the Stormers will finish the weekend at the top of the Africa 1 conference, and possibly the South African group too.
Lionel Cronjé opened the scoring in this match with a penalty for the Kings, but it was the Stormers who scored the first try. Dillyn Leyds received possession near halfway on the right wing, and handed off Waylon Murray and Malcolm Jaer on his way to the tryline.
The visitors struck again on the half-hour mark when EW Viljoen broke away after an inside pass from Robert du Preez and found Daniel du Plessis. He passed to Du Preez on his inside, with the flyhalf putting Bjorn Basson away for a try on his Stormers debut.
Five minutes before half-time, numbers on the blind side saw Rynhardt Elstadt dot down to make it 17-3.
The Stormers scored again early in the second half after counter-attacking from a kick. Du Plessis evaded two defenders before being ankle-tapped by a third, with the ball coming back to Du Preez, who backed himself to get over from close range.
The Kings finally gave their fans something to shout about in the 55th minute when an excellent grubber through the defence from Cronjé sat up for Makazole Mapimpi. Cronjé nailed the touchline conversion.
Du Preez's first penalty of the match gave the Stormers a 17-point lead, but the Kings continued to play with commitment and came close to scoring a try from lineouts on a couple of occasions, however without being able to get over the line.
It was the visitors, though, who finished strongly.
Marais took play from just inside his half to within 5m of the Kings tryline, before putting replacement scrumhalf Justin Phillips away for a try on his Super Rugby debut. And in the last minute of the match, Phillips gave the try-scoring pass to EW Viljoen as the Stormers went past 40.
Kings – Try: Makazole Mapimpi. Conversion: Lionel Cronjé. Penalty: Cronjé.
Stormers – Tries: Dillyn Leyds, Bjorn Basson, Rynhardt Elstadt, Robert du Preez, Justin Phillips, EW Viljoen. Conversions: Du Preez (2), Kurt Coleman (2). Penalty: Du Preez.
Kings – 15 Masixole Banda, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Luzuko Vulinduli, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Lionel Cronjé, 9 Rick Schroeder, 8 Riaan Lerm, 7 Themelani Bholi, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Irne Herbst, 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Schalk Ferreira (c).
Subs: 16 Kurt Haupt, 17 Schalk van der Merwe, 18 Chris Heiberg, 19 Willem van der Sluys, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Johan Steyn, 22 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 23 Berton Klaasen.
Stormers – 15 SP Marais, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth (c), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble.
Subs: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Chris Van Zyl, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Damian Willemse.
Photo: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images
