Stormers hit their straps before fading

The Stormers hit the deck running comprehensively outplaying the Scarlets in the first 50 minutes in their 36-19 United Rugby Championship victory in Cape Town.

There was the fear they may be a bit rusty after a three-week break but they hit their straps early as they beat down the challenge of the Scarlets in the opening quarter.

Stormers coach John Dobson however would have been displeased with his team's second-half performance in which the visitors outscored them 12-7.

Still, his side showed some wonderful touches in a first half completely dominated by the home team.

Off the back of strong set pieces they delighted with their interplay between backs and forwards in which deft, inventive passing was often the order of the day. More importantly those passes stuck as Herschel Jantjies, Ernst van Rhyn, Leolin Zas and Hacjivah Dayimani became first-half try scorers.

Dayimani was a handful, so too were Dan du Plessis and Cornel Smit in the backline, while Leolin Zas and Clayton Blommetjies drifted in and out of play with telling affect.

The Stormers will also be pleased flyhalf Kade Wolhuter came through 70m minutes of rugby unscathed. Wolhuter has been beset by injury and with strong Stormers flyhalf representation in the Springbok ranks his return to fitness and form was and remains crucial for the franchise. Wolhuter acquitted himself well before making way for a Cape returnee Jean-Luc du Plessis who is back from Japan.

The Stormers were full of running against a passive defence.

They were 29-7 up at the break and when Dan du Plessis rounded off early in the second half the Scarlets looked destined for a thrashing.

However the visitors grew in belief thanks largely through scrumhalf Gareth Davies and fullback Johnny McNichol who often provided the spark.

The Stormers attack suddenly lacked the fluidity it had in the first half and they had to do a lot more defending. In fact, by the end of the game the Stormers had made more tackles than the visitors, who had more possession and made more carries.

However, even when the visitors held territorial advantage in the second half they often fluffed their lines at set piece and general play.

Scorers

Stormers — Tries: Herschel Jantjies, Leolin Zas, Ernst van Rhyn, Hacjivah Dayimani, Dan du Plessis. Conversions: Kade Wolhuter (4). Penalty: Wolhuter

Scarlets — Tries: Ryan Conbeer (2), Tom Rogers. Conversions: Dan Jones, Rhys Patchell.

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