CAPE TOWN — Stormers powered to a 49-10 victory over Bristol Bears in their Champions Cup pool opener in Cape Town, running in seven tries to secure a bonus point. Jonathan Roche and Leolin Zas both scored doubles as South Africa fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted all seven tries for the hosts.
Seabelo Senatla raced clear for the opening score before showing superb footwork to control a pass with his boot and offload for Zas, while Roche added a third to restore a 14-point advantage after Joe Owen had powered over in the corner for Bristol. Stormers hooker JJ Kotze was shown a 20-minute red card before the interval for making head-to-head contact in a tackle with Bristol skipper Kieran Marmion.
Bristol had spells of pressure while the hosts were down to 14 either side of half-time and, with Stormers reduced to 13 men after Zas was sin-binned for a high tackle, finally reduced their deficit as replacement Sol Moody emerged from the back of a maul to touch down. Any hope of a comeback was short-lived when two Bears players collided attempting to claim a high kick and Roche collected the loose ball to score his second.
Replacements Warrick Gelant and Andre-Hugo Venter added further scores late on, as did Zas with his second, to complete the rout. Bristol, who have won two of their first three Prem fixtures, host Munster in their next Champions Cup fixture on 12 December before rounding off the pool phase against French clubs Racing 92 and Bordeaux in January.