DHL Stormers regained second spot on the BKT United Rugby Championship table with a 29-21 victory against a pugnacious Dragons RFC at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The home side was looking to regain the runners-up position after Ulster had leap frogged them with their losing bonus point against Connacht on Friday night.
The home side dominated possession and territory in the first half but the Dragons staunch defence kept them in the game, but a heavy penalty count and a scrum constantly under pressure meant Filo Tiatia’s side were often on the back foot.
The Stormers showed their intent from the outset, with the Dragons rarely getting out of their own half in the opening quarter.
In the 10th minute the Dragons were unable to defuse a box kick and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu waltzed over. The fly half then added the extras to give the Stormers an early 7-0 lead.
The Stormers caught the Dragons napping when the ball dropped loose from close to the visitors tryline and scrum half Imad Khan picked up and off-loaded to Feinberg-Mngomezulu who ran in unopposed for his second converted try.
Dragons then suffered a blow when former Wales U20 captain Harry Beddall was stretchered off after 20mins when he took a knee to his head trying to halt the rampaging Evan Roos.
The Dragons took the direct approach to get on the scoresheet in the 25th minute. Seb Davies ghosted through a gap in the midfield defence to score his first try in Dragons colours. Angus O’Brien’s conversion made the score 14-7 in the Stormers favour.
Indiscipline cost the Dragons dearly, with the Welsh side conceding vital field position with a string of penalties however Tiatia’s side would have been happy going down the tunnel still in touch at halftime.
The Stormers took a more pragmatic approach early in the second half, taking the points when on offer. Feinberg-Mngomezulu slotted a penalty to put his side 17-7 ahead in the 43rd minute.
The Stormers upped the tempo but were frustrated when denied twice by desperate last-ditch defence kept the Dragons line intact.
But there was no dispute when the Stormers pack disintegrated the visitor’s engine room for Roos to explode over the line. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s conversion put the Stormers 24-7 in front after 50mins.
Replacement flanker Thomas Young rolled himself over the Stormers tryline after both Jared Rosser and Brodie Coghlan went close in the build-up.
A retreating Rio Dyer then saw the ball bounce over his head for Wandisile Simelane to follow up and score the Stormers bonus point try.
Dyer was denied a try when it was ruled Feinberg-Mngomezulu touched the ball down simultaneously, but he romped over soon after when he took an inside ball from Aneurin Owen to stroll over. O’Brien’s conversion brought the Dragons to within eight points with eight minutes remaining.
The Stormers kept peppering the Dragons try-line in the dying stages but they couldn’t penetrate the stubborn Welsh defence so had to settle for a scratchy win against a spirited opposition.