The Stormers utterly dominated the Scarlets in a tough match, clinching a 34-0 victory in Llanelli. Despite battling injuries, Dwayne Peel’s men struggled to match the physical prowess of their opponents and did not manage to score a single point. The Stormers, led by John Dobson, showcased their strength with five tries. Evan Roos, Paul de Villiers, Reuben van Heerden, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Imad Khan all found the try line, while Feinberg-Mngomezulu also added points from the boot.
The first half set the tone, with the Scarlets conceding 15 penalties and finding themselves continuously on the back foot. Even when handed a golden opportunity as the Stormers’ Ben-Jason Dixon was shown a yellow card, the Scarlets couldn’t capitalise on their temporary numerical advantage. Taine Plumtree’s harsh yellow card further compounded their troubles.
The second half saw some improvement with changes from Peel, bringing Archer Holz, Dane Blacker, and Macs Page off the bench, sparking some hope. However, the Scarlets’ accuracy let them down, and the Stormers capitalised on every mistake to extend their lead. Despite being temporarily reduced to 14 men, the visitors didn’t relent, securing a bonus point try through Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
In the end, it was a difficult outing for the Scarlets, who will need to regroup and address these issues moving forward. Meanwhile, the Stormers showed why they are such a formidable force, remaining unbeaten and sending a strong message to their rivals.