Manie Libbok scored 13 points as the Stormers thrashed the Sale Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday to keep their Investec Champions Cup hopes alive with their first win of the campaign.
Entering Saturday’s clash 0-2 in the competition this season, the Stormers converted a 14-0 half-time lead into a resounding 40-0 bonus-point victory over the English visitors at Cape Town Stadium, and will face Racing 92 in the final round of the pool stages at Paris La Defense Arena in seven days’ time.
The Sharks, meanwhile, will host three-time champions Toulon next Sunday.
First-half tries from lock JD Schickerling – who was making his 50th appearance for the Stormers – and Libbok, plus two of four conversions from the Springbok flyhalf in the match powered the hosts in front at the interval on Saturday.
John Dobson’s charges kicked off the second 40 minutes with 14 men after scrum anchor Frans Malberbe was shown a yellow card for repeated infringements at the set piece.
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But the Stormers shrugged off the numerical disadvantage and struck first after the restart, loosehead prop Sti Sithole barging over from close range for a converted touchdown.
And the tourists soon found themselves two men down – former Stormers playmaker Rob du Preez earning 10 minutes on the naughty chair following his obstruction of speedster Suleiman Hartzenberg while fullback Joe Carpenter was pinned for a deliberate knock-on.
Sale’s Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, too, saw yellow at the death for a shoulder to the head of fellow substitute Jean-Lu du Plessis.
Man of the Match Warrick Gelant raced into the endzone to secure the bonus point for the home side, before replacements Paul de Wet and Andre-Hugo Venter crossed the whitewash inside the final quarter to add the finishing touches to an emphatic win.
