By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Anton Geyser.
The DHL Stormers got their Champions Cup campaign off to a great start with a 49-12 bonus-point victory over Bristol Bears outfit at DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
The pre-game build-up was an emotionally charged affair following the untimely passing of Lions lock Hyron Andrews. Both teams held a moment of silence for the 31-year-old before the kick off.
The hosts made a flying start, with Seabelo Senatla slicing through the Bears defence to open the scoring after eight minutes, before Leolin Zas finished off another flowing attacking move to double the Stormers’ advantage.
Joe Owen powered over in the corner to reply for Bears but Stormers quickly restored their 14-point advantage with a Jonathan Roche try.
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.
The Bears had spells of pressure while the hosts were down to 14 players either side of half-time. And in a period when Stormers had just 13 men after Zas had been sin-binned for a high tackle, Bristol finally reduced their deficit as Sol Moody emerged from the back of a maul to touch down.
But any hope of a comeback was short-lived as two Bears players collided when 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, to secure a bonus point for Stormers, while fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted all of his side’s seven tries.
The Stormers’ next match in the competition is a visit to reigning champions Bordeaux Bègles, who drew 36-36 in Gloucester to kick off their title defence on Friday night, on 13 December, while Bears will host Munster (12 December).
Scorers
Stormers: Tries – Seabelo Senatla, Leolin Zas (2), Jonathan Roche (2), Warrick Gelant, Haashim Pead; Conversions – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (7)
Bristol Bears: Tries – Joe Owen, Sol Moody; Conversion – Sam Worsley
Meanwhile Vodacom Bulls opened their 2026–27 Investec Champions Cup campaign with a dominant 56–20 victory over French side Stade Francias at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Tshwane.
Champions Cup Results
LA Rochelle 31 – 14 10bets Lions.