Stormers run riot against Glasgow to move to URC summit

The Stormers secured a morale-boosting bonus-point win in their final home fixture of the United Rugby Championship regular season. The Cape franchise thumped the Glasgow Warriors 48-12 in a top-of-the-table clash in Cape Town.

The men from the Cape were intent on bouncing back from last weekend’s slip-up against Connacht, with the quarter-finals firmly in their sights.

The hosts opened the scoring through the boot of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu at the five-minute mark. Ntuthuko Mchunu ensured his presence was felt by the opposition with a brace of tries inside the opening 15 minutes, giving the Cape side a 17-0 lead.

John Dobson’s side looked more assured in their decision-making a week removed from their defeat to Connacht. Ollie Smith gave the Scots a lifeline with a try after 24 minutes, but Evan Roos rounded off a brilliant Cobus Reinach breakaway to score under the posts just four minutes later.

The visitors dug in as the half-time break approached, looking to reduce the deficit.

Gregor Hiddleston gave his side hope when the Glasgow hooker applied the finishing touches to a rolling maul off a well-worked lineout, leaving the score at 24-12 at the break.

The Stormers approached the second period with caution as the bonus point loomed, wary of repeating their Connacht collapse. Their patience paid off nine minutes into the second half when Ruhan Nel got on the end of a neatly placed grubber from Feinberg-Mngomezulu, extending the hosts' lead.

The Cape franchise maintained control to keep its opponents at bay for the remainder of the game. Feinberg-Mngomezulu marked his 50th Stormers cap with a try eight minutes from time, before substitute Keke Morabe added the icing on the cake with a late score of his own.

There was a special moment for 18-year-old Markus Muller, who came off the bench to make his debut. The 23,000-plus crowd greeted the teenager with a thunderous roar as he became the youngest-ever player to represent the franchise at just 18 years, nine months, and 19 days old.

The Stormers currently occupy top spot in the URC and have their sights set on a top-two finish. A home quarter-final beckons, with the potential for a home semi-final and another Grand Final in Cape Town.

To secure that path, John Dobson’s men must navigate tricky away fixtures against Ulster and Cardiff next month.