Damian Willemse and Paul de Villiers stood out as the Stormers dismantled Cardiff 44-21 in their URC quarter-final at DHL Stadium on Saturday, though the result was tempered by concern over Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who left the field with a leg injury in the second half.
Willemse earned an eight out of ten rating for a performance that combined sharp attacking touches — including the offload that sent Leolin Zas over in the first half — with a steadying influence after Feinberg-Mngomezulu's departure. De Villiers matched that rating with a match-high 15 tackles, two turnovers won, and a consistent presence across both sides of the ball.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu himself had been in fine form before going off, finishing with 56 metres gained and a try to his name. The Stormers will be anxious over his availability as the competition moves into the semi-finals.
Seabelo Senatla, returning from injury, made an immediate impact with an offload that created Feinberg-Mngomezulu's try, while Ben-Jason Dixon contributed eight tackle completions and consistent lineout work. Neethling Fouché was dominant at scrum time during his 57 minutes before making way for Zachary Porthen.
Evan Roos, the URC's leading try-scorer, was kept unusually quiet by Cardiff's defence and finished with nine tackles before being replaced in the final quarter.
Scrum-half Imad Khan's enterprising distribution was undermined by a pair of costly errors — an intercepted pass that led to Cardiff's opening try and an illegal ball release after stepping into touch that gifted Cardiff possession from a lineout and another five points. Ruhan Nel captained the side in a composed, if unspectacular, performance at 13.