Stormers shut Cheetahs out
The Stormers scored two tries in each half on their way to a convincing 33-0 victory over the Cheetahs at a wet Newlands on Saturday.
The home side were clinical in the slippery conditions to completely shut the visitors out and move past them on the standings.
Tries from Deon Fourie and Kobus van Wyk gave them a 15-0 half-time lead, and late tries from Siya Kolisi and Sailosi Tagicakibau wrapped up the bonus point win.
A sixth-minute driving maul from a line-out five metres away from the Cheetahs tryline was rounded off by hooker Fourie diving over for the first try of the match.
Flyhalf Kurt Coleman's conversion attempt was short – it hovered in the air, as the wind held it up.
Cheetahs Skipper Adriaan Strauss was yellow-carded in the 21st minute for a dangerous tackle on Van Wyk.
Reserve hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld joined the fray and No.8 Johannes Prinsloo was sacrificed to ensure the Cheetahs were restricted to 14 players at the time.
Coleman opened up an 8-0 lead with a penalty in the 29th minute.
The hosts sprung an adventurous move from their own 22 just before half-time with backs and forwards linking superbly in an upfield surge, Van Wyk ended off by running through the Cheetahs defence to score his side's second try.
At the start of the second half, Kolisi replaced Burger who seemed to be troubled by a knock to his neck, early in the match. In the backline, first-half try-scorer Van Wyk made way for Tagicakibau.
Coleman added a penalty in the 51st minute as the Stormers took an 18-0 lead.
Just on the hour mark, substitute Peter Grant, who had barely been on the field for a minute goaled a penalty.
In the 69th minute, the Stormers' pressure took its toll and Kolisi romped in for a converted try after getting a greatpass from De Allende.
The home side secured the bonus point three minutes from time, as Tagicakibau scored his first try in a Stormers jersey.
Grant's conversion attempt failed, but it did not matter as the home side claimed a resounding victory.
Man of the match: There were a number of impressive performances from the Stormers, but the stand-out was Damian de Allende who showed just why he will be attending the Bok training camp on Sunday with a superb all-round game which saw him break the line, put others in gaps and even compete well at the breakdown.
The scorers:
For the Stormers:
Tries: Fourie, Van Wyk, Kolisi, Tagicakibau
Cons: Coleman, Grant
Pens: Coleman 2, Grant
For the Cheetahs:
none
Yellow cards: Michael Rhodes (Stormers, 73 mins – Foul play) Adriaan Strauss (Cheetahs, 21 mins – Dangerous tackle)
Teams:
Stormers: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger (captain), 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Alistair Vermaak.
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Martin Dreyer, 19 Jean Kleyn, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Dylon Frylinck, 22 Peter Grant, 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau.
Cheetahs: 15 Hennie Daniller, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 Johann Sadie, 12 Rayno Benjamin, 11 Willie le Roux, 10 Johan Goosen, 9 Shaun Venter, 8 Johannes Prinsloo, 7 Teboho Mohoje, 6 Heinrich Brüssow, 5 Francois Uys, 4 Willem Serfontein, 3 Coenie Oosthuizen, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Trevor Nyakane, 18 Nicolaas van Dyk, 19 Hilton Lobberts, 20 Carel Greeff, 21 Tian Meyer, 22 Elgar Watts, 23 Gouws Prinsloo.
Referee: Stuart Berry (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa), Quinton Immelman (South Africa)
TMO: Deon van Blommestein (South Africa)
