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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The Stormers cushioned their lead in the South African conference by dominating the Melbourne Rebels 40-3 in Super 15 rugby on Friday.
The bonus-point win puts the Cape Town-based Stormers in a strong position to make the playoffs this month — they're second overall with 57 points behind Queensland (58) and ahead of Auckland (54), both of which have a game in hand.
Flyhalf Kurt Coleman scored his first Super rugby try and kicked 13 points as the Stormers completed their four-match tour Down Under with a third straight win.
This was also the second consecutive match they didn't concede try after a 16-3 win over the ACT Brumbies last week.
"We base ourselves around our defense and it's something that really gets the team going," Stormers captain Schalk Burger said. "We pride ourselves on it, so a fantastic performance again."
Winger Bryan Habana scored in the 17th minute as the Stormers went to the break with a 16-3 lead.
Coleman scored his try in the 54th and Springboks center Jaque Fourie added another in the 57th. Backrower Nick Koster earned the bonus point with the Stormers' fourth try in the 77th and center Jean de Villiers crossed to seal the win two minutes later.
Coleman opened the scoring for the Stormers after just three minutes when he kicked his first of three penalties.
Habana emphasized the Stormers' dominance when he finished off a slick set move to cross the tryline untouched.
The Rebels had a chance to strike back in the closing minutes of the first half after a Francis Louw indiscretion set up a Melbourne lineout, but the home team couldn't capitalize as Lachlan Mitchell lost the ball in sight of the Stormers' line and the South Africans went to the break with a comfortable 16-3 lead.
Coleman crossed for a try after the Stormers backrowers created an opening in the Melbourne defense.
Fourie sprinted 70 meters to score, capping a backline move that started with a De Villiers break deep in the Stormers half.
The Stormers rotated all of their substitutes in the final 10 minutes to use fresh players in a desperate hunt for a fourth, bonus-point try.
The breakthrough came three minutes from the end when Koster took a pass just meters out after a turnover of possession. From the kickoff, the Stormers swept back on attack with a move that De Villiers finished over the tryline.
"At halftime the change room was very positive and we felt we needed just one try to get back in the game, but unfortunately in the second half we made a lot of mistakes," Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock said. "When we built up possession, we ended up having some really scatty loose formations and loose attacking structures, and they capitalized."
Julian Huxley's penalty in the 13th minute were the only points for Melbourne, which was playing without regular playmaker and goalkicker Danny Cipriani. Cipriani has not played since April and has been dogged by off-field disciplinary problems.
Rebels lock Hugh Pyles limped from the field in the second half to compound the woes for the new Australian side, which has yet to beat a South African team.
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Stormers 40 (Bryan Habana, Kurt Coleman, Jaque Fourie, Nick Koster, Jean de Villiers tries; Coleman 3 penalties, 2 conversions, Earl Rose conversion), Melbourne 3 (Julian Huxley penalty). HT: 16-3.
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The bonus-point win puts the Cape Town-based Stormers in a strong position to make the playoffs this month — they're second overall with 57 points behind Queensland (58) and ahead of Auckland (54), both of which have a game in hand.
Flyhalf Kurt Coleman scored his first Super rugby try and kicked 13 points as the Stormers completed their four-match tour Down Under with a third straight win.
This was also the second consecutive match they didn't concede try after a 16-3 win over the ACT Brumbies last week.
"We base ourselves around our defense and it's something that really gets the team going," Stormers captain Schalk Burger said. "We pride ourselves on it, so a fantastic performance again."
Winger Bryan Habana scored in the 17th minute as the Stormers went to the break with a 16-3 lead.
Coleman scored his try in the 54th and Springboks center Jaque Fourie added another in the 57th. Backrower Nick Koster earned the bonus point with the Stormers' fourth try in the 77th and center Jean de Villiers crossed to seal the win two minutes later.
Coleman opened the scoring for the Stormers after just three minutes when he kicked his first of three penalties.
Habana emphasized the Stormers' dominance when he finished off a slick set move to cross the tryline untouched.
The Rebels had a chance to strike back in the closing minutes of the first half after a Francis Louw indiscretion set up a Melbourne lineout, but the home team couldn't capitalize as Lachlan Mitchell lost the ball in sight of the Stormers' line and the South Africans went to the break with a comfortable 16-3 lead.
Coleman crossed for a try after the Stormers backrowers created an opening in the Melbourne defense.
Fourie sprinted 70 meters to score, capping a backline move that started with a De Villiers break deep in the Stormers half.
The Stormers rotated all of their substitutes in the final 10 minutes to use fresh players in a desperate hunt for a fourth, bonus-point try.
The breakthrough came three minutes from the end when Koster took a pass just meters out after a turnover of possession. From the kickoff, the Stormers swept back on attack with a move that De Villiers finished over the tryline.
"At halftime the change room was very positive and we felt we needed just one try to get back in the game, but unfortunately in the second half we made a lot of mistakes," Rebels captain Stirling Mortlock said. "When we built up possession, we ended up having some really scatty loose formations and loose attacking structures, and they capitalized."
Julian Huxley's penalty in the 13th minute were the only points for Melbourne, which was playing without regular playmaker and goalkicker Danny Cipriani. Cipriani has not played since April and has been dogged by off-field disciplinary problems.
Rebels lock Hugh Pyles limped from the field in the second half to compound the woes for the new Australian side, which has yet to beat a South African team.
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Stormers 40 (Bryan Habana, Kurt Coleman, Jaque Fourie, Nick Koster, Jean de Villiers tries; Coleman 3 penalties, 2 conversions, Earl Rose conversion), Melbourne 3 (Julian Huxley penalty). HT: 16-3.
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