Jonathan Roche and Leolin Zas scored a brace apiece in the Stormers’ Investec Champions Cup opening win over the Bristol Bears at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Roche crossed the whitewash either side of the interval in a 49-12 bonus-point victory as the Stormers survived a 20-minute red card for hooker JJ Kotzé and the sin-binning of Zas, who touched down in each half.
The Stormers took a 21-7 half-time lead, with wingers Zas and Seabelo Senatla crossing in the opening 16 minutes before Kotzé was red-carded for a dangerous tackle on Bristol skipper Kieran Marmion seven minutes shy of the break.
Stormers boss John Dobson had rejigged his pack with Kotzé, Vernon Matongo and Sazi Sandi starting in the front row, while No 8 Evan Roos, back from a hamstring injury, replaced the concussed Hacjivah Dayimani for his first outing of the season.
Dobson was also forced into a late change – Ruhan Nel withdrawn due to a calf injury, with Wandisile Simelane inheriting the No 13 jersey and Paul de Villiers taking over the armband for the first time.
It was a first-time meeting between the clubs, with Pat Lam’s Bristol arriving in the Mother City after a 30-7 loss to Saracens in the Premiership and without frontline stars like prop Ellis Genge, flanker Fitz Harding, speedster Louis Rees-Zammit and South African-born England back Benhard Janse van Rensburg.
The match kicked off in observance of a minute’s silence following the death of Lions lock Hyron Andrews in France on Friday.
Man of the Match Senatla showed his pace to break through and score in the right corner in the eighth minute before Zas finished on the opposite wing after Senatla’s offload with four minutes until the close of the first quarter.
Flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted both tries.
There’s no substitute for pace
Seabelo Senatla slices through Bristol Bears’ defence
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Bristol responded through openside flank Joe Owen, who beat Feinberg-Mngomezulu and finished in the corner, with No 10 Sam Worsley adding the extras.
The Stormers restored their two-score advantage when Roche collected a pass from Damian Willemse to score in the 29th minute. Kotze was sent to the naughty chair shortly afterwards.
The hosts had a Cobus Reinach intercept try chalked off after the break for a controversial hit from Zas on Bristol winger Aidan Boshoff, with the Stormers flyer seeing yellow.
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The Stormers ran in five second-half tries, although Bristol briefly threatened when Moody scored from a maul, but Roche replied after a handling error left the visitors’ defence exposed.
Replacments Warrick Gelant, André-Hugo Venter and Zas added further tries in the closing stages.
The Stormers’ next match in the competition is a visit to reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles, who drew 36-36 in Gloucester to kick off their title defence on Friday night, on 13 December, while Bristol will host Munster (12 December).
Dobson’s men will first return to URC action against the Scarlets in Cape Town next week.
STORMERS – Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Leolin Zas (2), Jonathan Roche (2), Warrick Gelant, André-Hugo Venter. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (7).
BRISTOL BEARS – Tries: Joe Owen, Sol Moody. Conversion: Sam Worsley.
Photo: INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/Thinus Maritz
The post Seven-try Stormers skin Bears appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Jonathan Roche and Leolin Zas scored a brace apiece in the Stormers’ Investec Champions Cup opening win over the Bristol Bears at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
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