Super Rugby: Stormers 52-24 Southern Kings
Last Updated: 16/07/16 8:11pm
Centre Huw Jones scored four tries as the Stormers secured a comfortable 52-24 win over the Southern Kings at Newlands in Cape Town on Saturday.
Twelve other players have achieved the feat, and Jones was the second to do so this season after Charlie Ngatai from the Chiefs.
Jones is the third player from a South African side to score four tries in a Super Rugby game after now retired Sharks duo Gavin Lawless and Stefan Terblanche.
Making a rare start for the Africa 1 conference winners, who will host the Chiefs in a quarter-final next weekend, Jones took just 43 seconds to score in a South African derby watched by a 20,000 crowd.
He got a lucky bounce off his grubber kick and raced over for a try that fly-half Jean-Luc du Plessis converted at a cold Newlands stadium in the south-west city.
Jones, who debuted for Scotland in a 21-16 win over Japan last month, got his and the Stormers' second try after 15 minutes of the final round league match. The hosts won a five-metre scrum and despite some uncertain handling, Jones gained possession and shrugged off several tackles to dot down.
Jones thought he had completed his hat-trick just before half-time after an intercept and sprint, but did not realise the referee had awarded Kings a penalty at the other end of the field.
But a line-out steal six minutes into the second half set in motion a move that ended with fellow centre Damian de Allende sending Jones over in the corner. The record-equalling fourth try for the 22-year-old came in the final minute when he punished half-hearted tackling to score. Jones heroics overshadowed a hat-trick from winger Leolin Zas, while Du Plessis and Brandon Thompson, who replaced Du Plessis, also crossed for the Stormers.
Du Plessis, a son of Springbok legend Carel, and pre-season fourth choice fly-half Thomson converted three tries each.
The Kings trailed 21-10 at half-time and fell away in the closing stages, as they have done so often during a season in which they returned to Super Rugby and lost 13 of 15 matches.
Full-back Malcolm Jaer, winger Wandile Mjekevu and centre Stefan Watermeyer scored a try each for the Port Elizabeth team.
Fly-half Dewald Human kicked a conversion and a penalty and his second-half replacement, Elgar Watts, slotted two conversions.
