The DHL Stormers bounced back from their unexpected defeat in the emotion-charged atmosphere of last week’s defeat to Connacht with as emphatic a performance as you can wish to see, as they outplayed Glasgow Warriors 48-12 at DHL Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
A crowd of 26 000, which is impressive for such an early afternoon kick-off, would have been happy with the imperious performance of their team, who took an early stranglehold on the game and then never let up as they scored six tries to two and marched back to the top of the Vodacom URC log with two games to play.
Glasgow enjoyed a four-point lead at the top going into the game, so by picking up five points and denying Glasgow anything, the Stormers made sure they will end the weekend back in the pole position they were in earlier in the season, with two away matches against Ulster and Cardiff to come.
Leinster still have to play Benetton and had the same number of points as the Stormers at the start of round 16, but they were behind on points difference, and after this big win, that should remain the case even if Leinster score a big win in Treviso.
SWEET REVENGE FOR PAST PLAYOFF DEFEATS
A big win was what this was for the Stormers, who, with this result, avenged four years of hurt against Franco Smith’s team - not since the game here in 2022 have the Stormers beaten Glasgow, and in among their defeats were two quarterfinal losses at The Scotstoun.
The trend never looked like continuing when the Stormers marched onto the front foot from the off, with a penalty from Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and then a try to Ntuthuko Mchunu, who drove over from a tap penalty near the Glasgow line, propelled the hosts into a 10-0 lead after nine minutes.
A few minutes later, Mchunu dropped in again, this time from a driving maul, and it was 17-0 to the Stormers, and the game hadn’t seen as many minutes as that. The former Sharks prop Mchunu was a rampaging presence as a carrier and also the anvil of a destructive scrumming performance that strangled the visitors.
Under the pressure that the Stormers applied through their big men and also their rapidly advancing defensive system, Glasgow pretty much spat the dummy, with their scrumhalf in particular being particularly error ridden, and the malaise spread down a backline that repeatedly threw out loose passes, with the players often having to fall back to regather in the face of a swarming Stormers defence.
SACHA WAS HIS DAZZLING BEST
The Stormers did strike a false note when a little dink kick from Feinberg-Mngomezulu was picked up by Sione Tuipoluto, and the big Scottish international surged through the Stormers' defensive system to put Olly Smith in for the try. However, Feinberg-Mngomezulu immediately atoned for that lapse, if indeed you can call it that, as it was really just bad luck, by winning an aerial battle and then sending Cobus Reinach on a run up the left touchline.
When the ball was transferred inside, big Evan Roos was there to run the ball over the line, and with Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion, making it 24-5, there was a considerable degree of comfort for the Stormers. However, Reinach, who was unfortunately injured later, and that could hurt the Stormers going forward if it is as serious as it looked, was then yellow-carded for playing his opposing number in an offside position during a period of Glasgow pressure.
A driving maul try dotted down by hooker Gregor Igglestone drew Glasgow back to 24-12 at the break, but any hopes Glasgow harboured of a fightback were short-lived. The Stormers started the second half almost as powerfully as the first, and with the forwards overpowering the visitors in the manner that they did the Bulls at Loftus six weeks ago, there was always going to be one result.
All the Stormers players shone, not least of them the outrageously talented Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who scored what is now almost a customary try for him and also has his place-kicking boots properly nailed on now after some lapses earlier in the season.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked a penalty from the Glasgow 10-metre line just over a minute after the restart, and then his little stab kick sent in skipper Ruhan Nel for his team’s fourth try with 31 minutes to go. Further tries were then added by himself and replacement looseforward Keke Morabe to leave Glasgow humiliated for the second week in succession.
For the Stormers, it was almost like someone in the crowd had sung: "Will the real Stormers please stand up, please stand up..." If this is what the "real Stormers" can offer, silverware is not beyond them.
Scores
DHL Stormers 48 - Tries: Ntuthuko Mchunu 2, Evan Roos, Ruhan Nel, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Keke Morabe; Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 6; Penalties: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2. Glasgow Warriors 12 - Tries: Olly Smith and Gregor Igglestone; Conversion: Adam Hastings.