A strong finish by the DHL Stormers saw them clinch a 41-24 win over the Rebels in Melbourne in their Vodacom Super Rugby round nine clash on Friday.
Two second half tries by former Blitzbok star Ruhan Nel helped the visitors pull clear of the Australian outfit, as the DHL Stormers ultimately outscored the Rebels by five tries to three. The result gave the Cape outfit a morale-boosting win in their fourth and last match of their Australasian tour, following three losses on consecutive weeks.
The triumph is especially sweet for the DHL Stormers as they went into the game without regulars such as the experienced Springbok forward trio of Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Pieter-Steph du Toit, with Steven Kitshoff captaining the Capetonians in this match.
The DHL Stormers were solid on defence andthey made full use of their scoring opportunities to register tries through Dillyn Leyds, Damian de Allende, Nel (2) and replacement forward Juarno Augustus. Jean-Luc du Plessis (flyhalf) added two conversions and a penalty goal, while replacement Josh Stander also hit the target with three conversions and a penalty goal.
The visitors deservedly led by 10-3 at the break, courtesy of Leyds' early converted try, and a penalty goal. They added four more tries in the second half, three of which came in the first 15 minutes after the break during which time the DHL Stormers heaped more pressure on the Rebels and moved into a 21-point lead.
The win moved the DHL Stormers (18 points) from the basement to third in the South African Conference, while the Melbourne side remain top of the Australian table despite this defeat. Robbie Fleck's side now travel home to face the Brumbies at DHL Newlands next weekend, while the Rebels travel to Sydney for their next match against the Waratahs.
Catch the highlights of the match here.
Scorers:
Rebels 24 (3) - Tries: Reece Hodge, Will Genia, Campbell Magnay. Conversions: Quade Cooper (3). Penalty: Cooper.
DHL Stormers 41 (10) - Tries: Dillyn Leyds, Juarno Augustus, Damian de Allende, Ruhan Nel (2). Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (2), Joshua Stander (3). Penalties: Du Plessis, Stander.
Match report
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