The DHL Stormers scored six tries on their way to a comfortable 42-21 win against Stade Rochelais in Gqeberha on Saturday.
On a day when two tries were disallowed, the DHL Stormers still ended with a full five log points to notch their eighth consecutive win of the season.
The DHL Stormers started on the front foot and it wasn’t long before they opened the scoring as wing Dylan Maart got on the end of a deft kick to score in the corner.
They doubled their lead soon afterwards as Leolin Zas finished in the other corner after a massive shove in the first scrum of the game had set the platform.
There were two tries disallowed as first Ben-Jason Dixon and then Paul de Villiers had their efforts called back by the TMO.
The visitors got on the scoreboard with a maul try from hooker Quentin Lespiaucq before Sacha Fainberg-Mngomezulu landed a penalty to make it 13-7 on the half-hour mark.
The French side kept pushing, but were kept out by some impressive defence and it was the DHL Stormers who had the final say before the break with Feinberg-Mngomezulu slotting a second penalty to make it 16-7 at half-time.
The hosts started the second half with a maul try from hooker Andre-Hugo Venter, but were soon reduced to 14 men when prop Neethling Fouche was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.
Stade Rochelais took advantage as replacement hooker Nikolozi Sutidze forced his way over for their second try, but the DHL Stormers hit back with a sensational try of their own soon afterwards.
A quick tap from Cobus Reinach got them going before Feinberg-Mngomezulu stepped through and offloaded to the speeding Maart who ran away for his second try.
They followed that up soon afterwards as Reinach broke the line again and offloaded it to Feinberg-Mngomezulu who found Warrick Gelant for the finish.
Australian lock Kane Douglas got one back for Stade Rochelais but it was the DHL Stormers who had the final say as Marcel Theunissen burst over for the final try to put an exclamation on the win.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Tries: Maart 2, Zas, Venter, Gelant, Theunissen
Cons: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 3
Pens: Feinberg-Mngomezulu 2
For Stade Rochelais:
Tries: Lespiaucq, Studize, Douglas
Cons: Jurd 3
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Wandisile Simelane.
