GQEBERHA – The Stormers delivered a masterclass in attacking rugby as they dismantled a young La Rochelle team 42-21 in their Champions Cup encounter in Gqeberha, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu orchestrating proceedings with near-perfect precision in the opening exchanges.
The Cape Town outfit exploded out of the blocks, striking within the first two minutes when Feinberg-Mngomezulu delivered an inch-perfect cross-kick that found Dylan Maart perfectly positioned for an easy finish, establishing an early 5-0 advantage that would set the tone for the afternoon.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s tactical kicking continued to torment the French defence, with his cross-kicks proving a constant menace throughout the opening period. The young playmaker’s influence extended beyond his boot work, as he orchestrated the Stormers’ second try in the ninth minute with lightning-quick ball from a dominant scrum, sending Leolin Zas over for a 10-0 lead despite struggling early with his goal-kicking duties.
The Stormers maintained their breathtaking pace, nearly extending their advantage further when Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked through a dropped ball, gathered expertly, and delivered a sublime chicken-wing pass to Ben Jason Dixon. However, the officials cancelled the try for an earlier infringement, denying the home side what would have been a spectacular score.
Paul de Villiers thought he had crossed from a driving maul to make it 15-0, but obstruction in the maul saw another Stormers try chalked off. Despite these setbacks, the Cape Town team continued to play at breakneck pace, keeping La Rochelle pinned in their own half.
The French side eventually stemmed the tide by keeping possession tight and away from the dangerous Stormers backs, launching a sustained bombardment of the home team’s defence. Their persistence paid dividends in the 26th minute when Quentin Lespiaucq crashed over from a driving maul, with Diego Jurd adding the conversion to reduce the deficit to 10-7.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu split the posts with a penalty in the 30th minute to extend the lead to 13-7, before adding another three-pointer on the stroke of half-time after his break and a forward pass brought play back for the penalty kick, sending the teams to the sheds with the Stormers leading 16-7.
The second half began with Andre Hugo Venter diving over in the 46th minute following excellent lineout work, pushing the advantage to 21-7. However, Neethling Fouché’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle forced the Stormers to play with fourteen men, and La Rochelle immediately capitalised on their numerical advantage.
Nika Sutidze bashed over following a quick-tap penalty to bring La Rochelle within seven points at 21-14. Rather than buckle under pressure, the Stormers responded magnificently in the 53rd minute when Cobus Reinach’s quick-tap penalty set up a flowing move that saw Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Maart combine to tear the La Rochelle defence apart, with Maart finishing emphatically to make it 28-14.
The home side’s relentless pressure continued to bear fruit in the 57th minute when Reinach spotted space and hit his afterburners, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu providing support before offloading to Warrick Gelant for another score, extending the lead to 35-14.
La Rochelle showed glimpses of their potential on the counter-attack but looked most dangerous when their big forwards carried tight. The Stormers’ defence proved too resolute. The French team did manage another try in the 67th minute when Nathan Bollengier pounced on a fumbled ball after a La Rochelle kick to score, but it proved merely a consolation.
Marcel Theunissen capped off the scoring in the 70th minute following excellent support play as the Stormers continued to play at blistering pace, with their tempo leaving La Rochelle completely out on their feet by the 76th minute.
The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive 42-21 victory for the Stormers, with the young La Rochelle side ultimately outclassed by a Cape Town outfit that combined clinical execution with an intensity that never wavered throughout the 80 minutes. Paul de Villiers’ effective jackalling and the team’s ability to maintain their breakneck pace proved decisive factors in a performance that showcased the Stormers at their devastating best.
