Stormers 49-12 Bristol Bears: Likely lads give Pat Lam’s young side a lesson in finishing

The Stormers claimed a 49-12 bonus-point victory over Bristol Bears in Cape Town, running in seven tries in their Champions Cup clash. Despite hooker JJ Kotze receiving a 20-minute red card and Leolin Zas being shown a yellow card, the South African side pulled clear. Jonathan Roche and Zas each crossed twice, alongside scores from Seabelo Senatla, Warrick Gelant, and Andre-Hugo Venter, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting all seven scores.

Pat Lam fielded Bristol's youngest-ever Champions Cup team, with an average age just over 25 and 10 academy-contracted players involved. Tries from Joe Owen and replacement hooker Sol Moody briefly cut the deficit to 21-12, but defensive errors and missed opportunities allowed the hosts to dominate late on.