Stormers book home semi berth
The Stormers brushed aside a second-string Bulls side at Newlands to march into the semi-finals of the Super 14 thanks to a 38-10 bonus-point win.
Last Updated: 17/05/10 11:43am
The Stormers brushed aside a second-string Bulls side at Newlands to march into the semi-finals of the Super 14 thanks to a 38-10 bonus-point win.
Bryan Habana scored two tries against his former team in a one-sided affair that ensured both semi-finals will take place in South Africa next Saturday.
The Stormers will host the Waratahs at Newlands while the Bulls will play the Crusaders at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
Habana's two tries set the hosts on their way, before further scores from Andries Bekker and Jaque Fourie put further daylight between the two sides.
Debutant Ruan Snyman did manage a late consolation for the visitors, who rested their entire first team having already secured top spot.
The Stormers were ahead inside the opening five minutes when they worked the ball through the phases and Schalk Burger sent a long pass out to Habana on the left to run in.
Peter Grant added the conversion, but the visitors were on the board not long after - the hosts conceding a penalty for playing the ball on the ground and Jacques-Louis Potgieter making no mistake with his effort.
But two penalties from Grant within the space of four minutes, the first for not rolling away and second when Pedrie Wannenburg was caught offside, put Alister Coetzee's side further in front after the first quarter.
Habana then grabbed his second try after Gio Aplon and Joe Pietersen moved the ball quickly through the hands, where the South Africa winger was again waiting to score.
Opportunity
Grant missed the conversion this time, but took his next opportunity when Bekker went over just on the half-hour mark - the big lock picking up six metres short and driving over.
It was 25-3 at the break and another two Grant penalties after the restart extended that lead - the second coming at a cost for the Bulls, who lost De Wet Barry to a yellow card after he entered a tackle with his elbow.
The Stormers grabbed their bonus-point try in the 64th minute when a chip by Aplon was excellently regathered and then passed inside for Fourie to score.
Grant made no mistake with the conversion and, when Habana was sent to the bin for a deliberate knock-down, it gave the Bulls an opening to score.
Snyman obliged when he made a break from five metres out to score a consolation, which was converted by Francois Brummer, but the Pretoria side were already well beaten.
