URC wrap: Stormers down Dragons to seal perfect URC weekend for SA sides
· Citizen
The Stormers were made to work hard, but eventually ground out a 29-21 bonus point United Rugby Championship (URC) win over the Dragons at the Cape Town Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
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It concluded a perfect weekend for South African teams as they all picked up bonus point wins to bolster their URC playoff prospects as they head into their respective end of season runs.
In the match in Cape Town the Stormers struggled in both halves, but did just enough as they outscored the brave Welsh visitors four tries to three to get over the line.
The home side initially started well as scrumhalf Imad Khan and flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu teamed up twice for the No 10 to dot down two converted tries within the first quarter.
Early tries
First Feinberg-Mngomezulu ran a superb line off a ruck in the Dragons 22m, to receive the ball from Khan to go over for the first try, while the second the scrumhalf go blind after a maul was stopped, before drawing the last defender and putting the flyhalf away, as they led 14-0 after 16 minutes.
But the rest of the half was a frustrating affair for the Stormers as they couldn’t continue their good early play, and even conceded a converted try as big Dragons lock Seb Davies powered over in the 25th minute, which made the score 14-7 at halftime.
In the second half Feinberg-Mngomezulu slotted an early penalty before a massive scrum gave them some breathing room.
It was a Dragons scrum on their own 5m, but the Stormers forward pack absolutely monstered them, which allowed eighthman Evan Roos to pick up at the back and dive over to put them 24-7 up after 49 minutes.
But the Dragons wouldn’t go away and replacement loose forward Thomas Young finished off some strong play from the visitors in the 53rd minute to pull a score back.
Six minutes later the Stormers got their bonus point, as they attacked in the Dragons half and swung the ball out wide where replacement back Wandisile Simelane grubbered ahead and received a kind bounce to field the ball and go over in the corner, to make it 29-14.
The Dragons then made it a nervy finish for the Stormers as wing Rio Dyer scored in the 72nd minute, after having been denied a few minutes before, which reduced the deficit to eight points, but that was then how it ended with the home team seeing out a scrappy win.
Rest of SA teams
The Bulls started the South African sides perfect weekend with a 40-7 win over Cardiff at Loftus Versfeld on Friday night.
It was a big first half effort from the Highveld team that set them on their way, as they bounced back from an early Cardiff score to run in five unanswered tries to take a 33-7 halftime lead.
The Bulls maul was in good working order, with two tries off it to Marcell Coetzee and Johan Grobbelaar, while Kurt-Lee Arendse dazzled as he set up two tries for David Kriel and Embrose Papier.
Elrigh Louw dotted down at the end of the half, while a scrappy second half saw just one try, to Ruan Vermaak, as the Bulls clinched a comfortable win.
On Saturday afternoon the Lions entertained with a stunning 54-17 win over Edinburgh at Ellis Park, as they ran in eight tries to the visitors three.
Half of their tries were started from their own 22m, including a stunner on the halftime hooter, after turning over the ball on their own tryline, before taking a quick tap and setting off down the field for a brilliant try to Bronson Mills.
Ruan Venter, Francke Horn, Darrien Landsberg, Morne van den Berg, Haashim Pead and two tries to Angelo Davids were the other scorers while Chris Smith slotted seven conversions.
The Saturday evening game saw the Sharks blank Munster 45-0 thanks to a strong second half performance at Kings Park.
Tries to Phepsi Buthelezi and Luan Giliomee gave them a 12-0 lead at halftime, before further scores to Phatu Ganyane, Emile van Heerden, Le Roux Malan and two to centurion Makazole Mapimpi completed the rout.