Stormers too slick for Scarlets

03/22/2025 01:02 PM

The Stormers survived a second-half onslaught from Scarlets to kick off their two-week Vodacom URC tour with a bonus-point win in Llanelli on Saturday.

Leading 15-7 at half time, Stormers scored two tries in the final 15 minutes in a 29-17 victory at Parc y Scarlets, after the home side closed the gap to five points inside the final quarter.

Two first-half tries from right winger Ben Loader and flanker Deon Fourie and five points from the boot of Man of the Match Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu powered the visitors in front, while a converted Ellis Mee touchdown kept the hosts within touching distance at the break.

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Loader dotted down in the corner following good interplay between forwards and backs, before Fourie crossed the whitewash to complete an impressive break from inside the Stormers half, sparked by Feinberg-Mngomezulu's long-range offload.

Scarlets kicked off the second stanza with 14 men – loosehead prop Alec Hepburn saw yellow for a no-arms tackle on Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the stroke of half time – but they drew first blood after the restart.

The offloads The footwork

This @TheStormers try is incredible #BKTURC | #URC | #SCAvSTOpic.twitter.com/5UQom9DaHg

— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) March 22, 2025

Fullback Ioan Nicholas barged over the tryline, and flyhalf Ioan Lloyd made it a one-point game with his second conversion of the match with more than 20 minutes left to play.

Speedster Leolin Zas burst through and in under the posts for the Stormers' third try inside the final quarter. Feinberg-Mngomezulu added the extras, but Lloyd split the uprights from the kicking tee soon afterwards.

However, replacement Andre-Hugo Venter emerged from a pile of bodies in the endzone before the hooter as John Dobson's men completed a hard-fought win.

The Stormers will now refocus for a trip to Belfast on Friday to face Ulster, before a run of four home games at Cape Town Stadium in the race for URC playoff spots. 

Dobson, though, will be sweating over the fitness of Fourie, who left the contest before the interval following a head-on-head collision with skipper Salmaan Moerat.

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