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Cape Town - The Stormers scored a well-deserved 39-31 win over the Cheetahs in pre-season action at Newlands on Friday evening.
The hosts, in action at home for the first time in 2015, led by 29-10 at half-time - having scored four excellent tries in the first half.
Outside centre Juan de Jongh - who looked sharp all night long - opened their account in the fifth minute and they never looked back from there, with hooker Scarra Ntubeni, inside centre Huw Jones (his second in two games) and scrumhalf Nic Groom also crossing in the opening period.
Although Stormers managed just one try in the second half - by left-wing Dillyn Leyds - they were the better team on the night in most facets of play, the hosts impressing at scrum-time yet again and also on the ground and their backs looking incisive and skilful with ball in hand.
Flyhalves Demetri Catrakilis (four conversions) and Kurt Coleman (two penalties) missed just one kick between them to cap off a good night in front of a crowd of just under 9 000 at Newlands.
The Stormers will play the Boland Cavaliers in their final pre-season friendly at Cape Town Stadium next week, while the Cheetahs will tackle the Griffons in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
Both teams start their Super Rugby campaigns on February 14, with the Stormers taking on the Bulls in Pretoria and the Cheetahs travelling to Durban to face the Sharks.
Scorers:
Stormers:
Tries: De Jongh, Ntubeni, Jones, Groom, Leyds
Cons: Catrakilis 4
Pens: Coleman 2
Cheetahs:
Tries: Cook, Hendricks 2, Burger
Cons: Du Plessis 2, Brummer 2
Teams:
Stormers:
15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Juan de Jongh (vice-captain), 12 Huw Jones, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Demetri Catrakilis, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Michael Rhodes, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Manuel Carizza, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Steven Kitshoff.
Substitutes: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Alistair Vermaak, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Jurie van Vuuren, 20 Johnny Kotze, 21 Neil Rautenbach, 22 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 23 Louis Schreuder, 24 Kurt Coleman, 25 Jean Kleyn, 26 Robert du Preez, 28 EW Viljoen
Cheetahs:
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Cornal Hendricks, 13 JP du Plessis, 12 Michael van der Spuy, 11 Danie Dames, 10 Willie du Plessis, 9 Tian Meyer, 8 Willie Britz (captain), 7 Oupa Mohoje, 6 Jean Cook, 5 Carl Wegner, 4 Armandt Koster, 3 Ewald van der Westhuizen, 2 Martin Bezuidenhout, 1 Caylib Oosthuizen.
Substitutes: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Danie Mienie, 18 Coenie Oosthuizen, 19 Francois Uys, 20 Lodewyk de Jager, 21 Tienie Burger, 22 Shaun Venter, 23 Francois Brummer, 24 Francois Venter, 25 Raymond Rhule, 26 Willie le Roux
Referee: Jaco van Heerden
