Evan Roos was colossal in a Stormers win that was as big in the context of the United Rugby Championship (URC) Race to Eight playoffs.
The Stormers beat Glasgow’s Warriors 48-12 at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, having led 24-12 at halftime.
The six-tries-to-two bonus-point win puts the Stormers at the top of the table with two matches left.
Glasgow had arrived in South Africa a fortnight ago with a four-point league lead over the second-placed Stormers. However, the Scottish club leaves South Africa with no league points, having conceded 102 points across their two matches against the Lions a week ago and the Stormers on Saturday.
The Lions had beaten a Warriors team 54-12 that had been heavily rotated to allow several first-choice regulars time off to prepare for the top-of-the-table clash in Cape Town.
The return of their best players did not change the result in Cape Town, making this easily the Stormers’ best performance of the season when measured against the quality of the opposition.
Glasgow is the equal of playing a Scotland Test XV.
The Stormers played with the authority of a Test team, and Roos was at the forefront of this team collective. The Stormers and Springbok No 8 scored a try, bringing his league season tally to 11.
But Roos’s all-round contribution made the real statement. He led the match with carries on both sides (13) and with tackles (18). His statistical return is easy on the eye, but limiting his impact to a spreadsheet would be a disservice. He has consistently been South Africa’s best No 8 in the URC, in what has been his most mature season.
Stormers locks Adré Smith and Ruben van Heerden were powerful and busy, and loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu scored two of the most popular tries.
Individuals will always command a presence in the storytelling of a review, and Stormers halfbacks Cobus Reinach and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu had outstanding afternoons, individually and as a combination.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu celebrated his 50th Stormers match with 23 points from six conversions, two penalties, and a try. He also had a few try-assists, and led the Stormers’ backs for carries.
The scrum was powerful and their lineout maul was dominant. As captain, Ruan Nel ensured discipline around a game plan template built on playing in the right areas, maximising the strength of their set piece, and turning transitions into terrific tries.
Paul de Villiers, in the No 6 jersey, won three turnovers and slowed down double the amount at the breakdown, and the Stormers played like a team capable of winning the title.
The Stormers play Ulster in Belfast and Cardiff in Wales in their final two matches.
Meanwhile, in Johannesburg, the Lions were as compelling in dismantling Ireland’s Connacht, who a week earlier had shocked the Stormers in Cape Town.
The Lions, who had scored 150 points in their last three matches against overseas opponents at Ellis Park, scored the first of five tries within five minutes en route to a 33-21 victory.
They led 21-0 at halftime and 33-7 with only three minutes remaining.
The Lions’ final two matches are in Ireland against Munster and Leinster. They are renowned for their flamboyance on attack, but this win had as much to do with defence as it did attack.
The hosts denied Connacht several times in the last quarter before striking either side of halftime to have the try-scoring bonus point before the 45th minute.
Ruan Venter (lock), Henco van Wyk (outside centre) and Quan Horn (fullback) were again among the individual standouts as the Lions consolidated a place in the top five.
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