Glasgow Warriors overpowered the Stormers 36-18, ending their URC title dreams in a punishing quarter-final showdown in Scotland.
The Stormers’ Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign came to a disappointing end on Friday night, as they were beaten 36-18 by defending champions Glasgow Warriors in a quarterfinal clash at Scotstoun Stadium.
Despite a promising start, the Stormers were left to rue missed opportunities and defensive lapses as Glasgow’s clinical finishing sealed their place in the semifinals.
Stormers’ Fast Start Fades As Glasgow Seize First-Half Control
The Stormers started brightly, dominating the opening minutes and earning an early 3-0 lead through a Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu penalty after sustained pressure inside Glasgow’s 22. But the hosts struck back quickly—Rory Darge crashed over from a line-out move, and Kyle Rowe exploited a yellow card to Seabelo Senatla to notch their second try.
Senatla made up for his earlier mistake by sprinting in off a loose ball to keep the Stormers in touch, but Glasgow reasserted control before the break. No.8 Henco Venter finished off a driving maul to extend the lead, and despite late Stormers pressure, the hosts held firm for a 19-13 halftime advantage.
Glasgow Pull Away As Stormers Fall Flat In Second Half
The second half began with both teams exchanging tries. Senatla dotted down his second of the evening after a slick backline move, but Rowe quickly responded for Glasgow with his own brace to maintain their cushion.
The Warriors extended their advantage when scrumhalf George Horne finished off a sharp counter-attack, before adding a penalty to push the lead to 36-18.
Although the Stormers enjoyed the bulk of possession in the final 20 minutes of this URC clash, they failed to convert territory into points. Glasgow’s disciplined defence and game management ensured the defending champions marched on, while the Stormers’ season ended in utter humiliation.
The result marks the end of a campaign that saw the Stormers show flashes of brilliance but fall short when it mattered most.
Disappointed Dobson Reacts To Poor Showing
Stormers boss John Dobson labelled his team’s output as its “worst performance in a couple of years”.
“We were just playing very, very poorly. We’ve been going 90% lineouts the last four games, suddenly dropped in the 70s, dropped down to giving away 17 line breaks, dropped down to 65% tackle completion, which is credit to Glasgow, how they attacked.
“But we kept our worst performance probably in a couple of years for a knockout game, which is really disappointing.”
URC Semifinal Line-Up
Match 1: Leinster vs. Glasgow Warriors, 7 June, 15:45
Match 2: Bulls vs. Sharks, 7 June, 18:15
Fans and punters are in for a treat. These matchups are ideal for those interested in online sports betting, given the odds and unpredictable nature of all the teams 0.0.
