Leinster suffer another chastening South African experience as Stormers blow them away

The rout would have been greater had Leinster not managed to rally in the third quarter, but by then, they were on a damage-limitation exercise.

Leinster’s cause was not helped in the opening by a string of basic errors and the Stormers, although also prone to mishaps, made them pay as they built up a 23-0 interval lead.

The Stormers refused to be rattled early on despite out-half Manie Libbok making a mess of the kick-off, which only went five metres and also a failed touch-finder down the left in the opening minutes.

They pounced, though, on a Leinster error to run in the opening try from deep. Leinster out-half Sam Prendergast found a good touch down the left with a penalty, but while they won the lineout, the move broke down in midfield and centre Damian Willemse pounced to break before sending winger Ben Loader away. The former London Irish player had the gas to score, with Libbok adding the extras after four minutes.

Leinster continued to enjoy good possession but, once again, fluffed a lineout, this time from five metres, as they failed to threaten the home line.

Libbok extended the Stormers' lead to 10-0 after 18 minutes from a penalty won by a superior scrum.

Leinster had a try scratched after 27 minutes when Liam Turner scored in the right corner, but full-back Henry McErlean was pinged for a tackle off the ball in the build-up.

Libbok again found the range with a penalty from 45 metres after Leinster scrum-half Cormac Foley was penalised for a neck roll on flanker Marcel Theunissen.

And he stretched the lead out to 16-0 two minutes from the break after Jason Jenkins was penalised as Leinster defended on the back foot.

The Stormers turned the screw before the break, piling forward with penalty advantages before captain Salmaan Moerat got over and Libbok’s fifth kick of the night made it 23-0 at the break.

It got worse for Leinster on the restart when no pillars at the ruck were exposed as scrum-half Herschel Jantjies cantered in for a converted try from outside the 22.

Leinster were staring at a hammering, but they managed to regroup and stem the flow. Good pressure inside the 22 was eventually rewarded when Max Deegan squeezed over and Sam Prendergast converted after 58 minutes.

Two minutes later, Deegan turned provider and the No 8 displayed great pace down the left before sending Rob Russell over for his seventh try of the campaign.

The constant pressure from Leinster and the continued penalties and advantages inevitably led to a yellow card, with Stormers No 8 Evan Roos binned after 59 minutes. Leinster opted for the scrum but were pinged on engagement, and at the next scrum again, conceded a penalty, with Libbok missing the first of his seven kicks from halfway as they took a 30-12 lead into the final quarter.

They pushed on from there and wrapped up the bonus point ten minutes from time when replacement flanker Willie Engelbrecht scored from close range as the Leinster defence was again opened in another chastening South African experience.

And the Stormers finished in style when full-back Warrick Gelant dummied his opposite number McErlean to score a stunning try in the left corner.

Scorers – Stormers - Tries: B Loader, S Moerat, H Jantjies, W Engerlbrecht, W Gelant. Cons: M Libbok (4). Pens: Libbok (3). Leinster - Tries: M Deegan, R Russell. Con: S Prendergast.

Stormers: W Gelant; S Hartzenberg, D du Plessis (W Simelane 61, 6), D Willemse, B Loader; M Libbok, H Jantjies (S Ungerer 71); B Harris (K Blose 59), J Dweba (A-H Venter 57), N Fouche (F Malherbe 59); S Moerat (c), R van Heerdan (C Evans 71); M Theunissen (H Dayimani 68), B-J Dixon (W Engelbrecht 69), E Roos

Leinster: H McErlean; L Turner, B Brownlee, C Ngatai (C Teckor 67), R Russell; S Prendergast, C Foley (F Gunne 72); M Milne (E Byrne 43-48-53), J McKee (G McCarthy 57), M Ala’alatoa (T Clarkson 43); B Deeny, J Jenkins (C O’Tighearnaigh 56); R Ruddock (M Moloney 43), S Penny (c) (D Mangan 74), M Deegan.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy).