The Stormers secured a 35-8 bonus-point win over the Jaguares at Newlands, Cape Town.
The Stormers scored four tries to one and kept the Jaguares scoreless in the second half as they climbed to second in South African Super Rugby Conference.
The match was in the balance at the break, but the Stormers put their foot down afterwards as the Jaguares tired.
The hosts dominated territory and possession, especially after the break.
Robbie fleck’s team had only scored twice in four Super Rugby games this season, but they doubled that tally with a dominant display built off the backs of the forwards.
The home team’s tight five scrummed their opponents into the dirt and the pack’s lineout drive was superb, scoring three times from or after a rolling maul.
Video Highlights: Stormers versus Jaguares
SP Marais kicked 14 points to go with Dan du Plessis, captain Siya Kolisi, Herschel Jantjies and Justin Phillips as the hosts continued their recent good form.
The Cape side’s kicking game was clinical, constantly pinning the opposition inside their 22.
Gonzalo Quesada’s men could not combat the multitude of left and right footed kickers in the Stormers’ ranks as his men kept being turned around after another failed attack.
His side’s hands were terrible, killing the few attacks with knock-ons in contact or in the act of trying to score.
Tight first half before the Stormers pull away
Bautista Delguy opened the scoring in the second minute, but the Stormers hit back through Dan du Plessis.
SP Marais added three penalties and a conversion as the home team took a 16-8 halftime lead.
The South Africans scored 19 unanswered points after the interval to claim an impressive victory.
It was another dismal display that we’ve come to expect from the South Americans; they blow too hot and too cold. There’s no middle ground.
Joaquin Diaz Bonilla kicked a 26th-minute penalty to reduce the deficit to 10-8, but they never scored again.
They did come close but twice dropped the ball over the try-line and once they were held up.
The game did not get off to the best of starts, both sides threw forward passes with their first attack into touch.
Jaguares strike first
The Jaguares were on the board early. Jaco Peyper played a penalty advantage for a high tackle; however, the South Americans did not need it.
They went wide. Matias Moroni drew two defenders after Marais shot out of the line, and the centre put Delguy away in the corner.
Diaz Bonilla missed the sideline conversion, but a warning shot had been fired.
Kolisi’s team, much like the visitors, kept turning the ball over or making errors in contact, but the Stormers looked good.
John Schickerling got over the advantage and the Stormers were awarded a penalty after failing to capitalise on two advantages. Marais called for the tee, making no mistake.
The scrums were mostly a mess, they needed to be reset at every instance, sometimes three times before Mr Peyper would act.
Jean-Luc du Plessis combined with his cousin, Dan, albeit after some clumsy play by the Argentinians, who got in each other’s way under pressure from De Allende.
The ball bounced kindly and into the grateful hands of the younger Du Plessis to dot down next to the posts.
Diaz Bonilla reduced the gap but two Marais penalties, one monster on the stroke of halftime, gave the Stormers a two-score lead.
Stormers win founded on the forwards’ momentum
The South Africans cranked up the intensity, but where usually they can be too gung-ho, they were patient, choosing when to strike.
Guido Petti used his speed after combining in midfield with a wrap-around. He was brought down near the goal line, the ball recycled but lost forward at the next phase.
From a position of attack to defence in a matter of moments. Marais kicked a penalty into the opposition’s 22 to set up a strike.
A superb rolling maul from the Stormers’ forward pack could not be stopped. They mauled patiently before peeling right, slowly marching towards the goal line.
Kolisi looked up, saw nobody in front of him and crashed through three tackles to score. Marais’s conversion made it a three-score game, all but ending any chance of recovery by the tourists.
Santiago Medrano dropped the ball forward over the try line while trying to ground it. The Stormers were not out of jail. They were penalised for collapsing a scrum and Bonilla kicked to the corner.
The ball was mauled towards the line but some good defending saw it held up. At the following scrum, the Cape side won a penalty, clearing the danger and taking the wind out of the South American’s sails.
They were tiring, and like the great Vince Lombardi once noted, “fatigue makes cowards of us all”.
Two minutes later, and two phases of penalties, Jantjies delivered the dagger.
Jantjies darted around a broken ruck, ghosting through Petti and Mayco Vivas.
Jean-Luc du Plessis took over the kicking duties, adding another two.
Game over; however, Stormers’ coach Fleck, under pressure for most of his reign, will have been happy with his side’s newfound ruthlessness.
Bongi Mbonambi broke from the rolling maul, in the dying moments.
The hooker was stopped short of the line, but the Phillips gathered and shot over four the bonus-point score.
Final Score: Stormers 35 (16) Jaguares 8 (8)
Stormers
Tries – D. Du Plessis, Kolisi, Jantjies, Phillips
Pen – Marais (3)
Con – Marais (2), J. Du Plessis
Drop –
Cards –
Jaguaress
Tries – Delguy
Pen – Diaz Bonilla
Con –
Drop –
Cards –
Match Officials
Referee: Jaco Peyper
Assistant Ref 1: Marius van der Westhuizen
Assistant Ref 2: Rasta Rasivhenge
TMO: Christe du Preez
Teams
Stormers: 15 Dillyn Leyds, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 SP Marais, 10 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 John Schickerling, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Siyabonga Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Corne Fourie, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Cobus Wiese, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Ruhan Nel, 23 Damian Willemse.
Jaguares: 15 Joaquin Tuculet, 14 Bautista Delguy, 13 Matias Moroni, 12 Bautista Ezcurra, 11 Ramiro Moyano, 10 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Javier Ortega Desio, 7 Tomas Lezana, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Tomas Lavanini, 4 Guido Petti Pagadizaval, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Julian Montoya, 1 Mayco Vivas.
Replacements: 16 Gaspar Baldunciel, 17 Santiago Garcia Botta, 18 Enrique Pieretto Heilan, 19 Matias Alemanno, 20 Juan Manuel Leguizamon, 21 Martin Landajo, 22 Juan Cruz Mallia, 23 Sebastian Cancelliere.
