Stormers too powerful for off-colour Sharks at Cape Town Stadium

It took a while for the Stormers to get going but when they did they bossed the Sharks in their United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

They won 20-10 having led 10-3 at half time.

The Stormers, more eager and alert, beat the Sharks to the punch in most departments and crucially defused all the perceived threats the visitors were said to take to the Cape.

The Cape side spurned several scoring opportunities but they gradually gained the upper hand against their highly-fancied opponents.

Tighthead prop Brok Harris, playing in his 100th match for the Stormers, was charged with stabilising a wonky scrum and he did just that in the first half. For most part he stood up to the man-of-the-match in last week's game, Ox Nché, thus neutralising a platform from which the Sharks profited last week.

Deon Fourie also put his vast experience to productive use, especially at the breakdown.

The Stormers' line-out also proved a source of frustration for the visiting team, while there were times when the home team's defence crucially hurried the Sharks into error. The Sharks, despite the presence of Nché, Bongi Mbonambi, Siya Kolisi and Lukhanyo Am, could not build rhythm or continuity.

Generally, the Stormers' forwards did not just front up, they set the tone. That in turn invited speeding runners onto the ball who exploited space or bust the tackle.

Seabelo Senatla and Dan du Plessis were a constant threat while Warrick Gelant at times also caught the eye.

The Stormers, however, did not make use of the opportunities that fell their way in the opening half-hour. Du Plessis burst through a gap but Ruhan Nel will lament the second of two poor first half touches.

Not much later Du Plessis' pass with the Sharks on the back foot failed to find a speeding Herschel Jantjies.

It wasn't until a bit of individual brilliance from left wing Senatla that the Stormers made the most of what was on offer. Senatla, after a rapid but sure Nel offload, grubbered the ball to Aphelele Fassi's right and used his speed to run onto the bouncing ball and score with half time beckoning.

A converted try by Adri Smith gave the Stormers a handy 17-3 advantage before Grant Williamson dotted down to reduce the deficit.

The Stormers, however, were the superior side and should perhaps have put greater distance between themselves and the off-colour Sharks.

Scorers

Stormers (20) — Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Adri Smith; Conversions: Manie Libbok (2); Penalties: Libbok (2)

Sharks (10) — Try: Grant Williams; Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain; Penalty: Tito Diaz Bonilla