Super Rugby: Stormers beat the Rebels with late flurry
Last Updated: 02/07/16 3:28pm
The Stormers rallied late to record a 57-31 win over the Rebels at AAMI Park on Saturday.
The scores were locked at 31 apiece going into the final quarter, when Northampton-bound scrum-half Nic Groom scrambled across the line from a scrum to spark a flurry of scores from the visitors.
Two minutes later, centre Damian De Allende put his side further ahead when he crossed on the back of an overlap with the Rebels down to 14 men after loose forward Scott Fuglistaller was yellow-carded for collapsing a maul.
The Stormers scored seven tries in total, claiming a bonus point in the 80th minute through a Scarra Ntubeni try, while Groom's half-back partner Jean-Luc du Plessis contributed 27 points.
The Stormers had led 23-17 at half-time, but the Rebels drew first blood in the second half with a well-worked try to winger Jonah Placid. The game was closely fought until the hour mark, after which the South Africans ran away with it.
The visitors' win was set up by a dominant set piece, with the Rebels struggling in the scrums and lineouts after losing both starting second rowers in the first half, which allowed Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth free rein in the line-outs in the second half.
The home side had actually started the better of the two teams and scored two converted tries in the first 15 minutes to open a 14-6 lead, but a Du Plessis try on the 20-minute mark and a third penalty soon thereafter put the Stormers 16-14 ahead.
Vincent Koch then dotted down to increase the lead to 23-14 before Rebels fly-half Jack Debreczeni narrowed the gap to six points from the tee going into the break.
Rebels winger Jonah Placid then crossed 11 minutes after the restart and Debreczeni's touchline conversion put the home side back in front.
In a see-sawing game the Stormers were soon back in front 31-24 thanks to a du Plessis penalty and an Etzebeth try.
The Rebels, who were struggling to win their own ball from the scrums and the line-outs, hit back again when winger Tom English made a superb break up the middle and put Debreczeni in under the posts to tie the game up.
But that was as good as it got for the Rebels, who were blown away in the final 20 minutes.
