The Stormers secured a crucial 29-17 bonus point victory over Scarlets in their recent United Rugby Championship (URC) clash, propelling them into the top eight of the congested URC log. This win sets them up nicely for their upcoming showdown against Ulster.
The match started off evenly between the two teams, but the Stormers quickly took the lead with two impressive tries. Fullback Warrick Gelant and center Wandisile Simelane orchestrated a brilliant break, leading to wing Ben Loader crossing the try line. Shortly after, Gelant and Simelane combined once again to set up flank Deon Fourie for another try, converted by flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Scarlets fought back in the 30th minute, with wing Ellis Mee scoring a try converted by flyhalf Ioan Lloyd. Despite Scarlets’ efforts, the Stormers maintained their lead with a penalty kick from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, ending the first half at 15-7 in favor of the Stormers.
Scarlets struck first in the second half, closing the gap to just one point after fullback Ioan Nicholas scored a converted try. However, the Stormers responded strongly in the 64th minute, with wing Leolin Zas slicing through the Scarlets defense to score another try, extending their lead to 22-14.
As the game entered its final stages, Scarlets managed to narrow the margin with a penalty kick from Lloyd. But the Stormers sealed the victory with a well-executed lineout play that saw replacement hooker Andre-Hugo Venter crashing over the try line for the bonus point.
In terms of scorers, Scarlets’ tries came from Mee and Nicholas, with Lloyd adding a conversion and penalty. The Stormers’ tries were scored by Loader, Fourie, Zas, and Venter, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting three and adding a penalty.
This hard-fought victory not only boosts the Stormers’ position in the URC standings but also gives them momentum heading into their next match against Ulster. The team will be looking to build on this performance and continue their climb up the league table.
