Stormers sweep Bristol aside 49-12 in Champions Cup opener
The DHL Stormers overpowered Bristol Bears 49-12 in Cape Town on Saturday 17 October to open their Investec Champions Cup campaign in style.
The Round 1 pool match at DHL Stadium was the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. It kicked off at 4:15pm local time, 3:15pm in Britain, and was shown live on Premier Sports BBC Sport.
Seven tries did the damage. Jonathan Roche crossed twice. So did winger Leolin Zas. Fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted all seven, adding 14 points from the boot with the extra kicks awarded after each try.
Bristol replied with two tries of their own. Joe Owen went over. Sol Moody followed him. It was never enough to slow the home momentum.
The result leaves the Stormers top of Pool 3 with five points and a points difference of +37 after one match. Bristol sit bottom with zero points and -37 EPCR.
For context, the Champions Cup is club rugby’s top cross-border competition, bringing together leading sides from England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and South Africa. Teams play in pools first, with results and bonus points deciding who reaches the knockout rounds.
Bristol arrived in South Africa short of confidence. They had lost 30-7 at Saracens the previous weekend in domestic action. This trip was their first pool match of this season’s European campaign.
The schedule does not get kinder. Bristol host Munster in their next Champions Cup fixture on 12 December at 20:00. The Stormers travel to face Union Bordeaux Bègles on 13 December.
Elsewhere on the opening weekend, there were big scores and one thriller. Vodacom Bulls beat Stade Français Paris 56-20 to lead Pool 4. Leinster beat ASM Clermont Auvergne 48-23 to lead Pool 1. Glasgow Warriors beat Sale Sharks 47-27, while Gloucester Rugby and Bordeaux drew 36-36.
For Bristol supporters, this means a reset is needed fast. The physicality told in Cape Town. The set-piece — the scrum and lineout where possession is contested — will need to be sharper against Munster if they want to stay alive in the pool.
