The Western Stormers won successive Super XV matches for the first time this season by outplaying the Central Cheetahs 33-0 on Saturday in awful Cape Town conditions.
The hosts were ahead within five minutes when hooker Deon Fourie barged over at Newlands, led 15-0 at halftime and were rarely under pressure.
A bonus-point victory for scoring four tries lifted the Cape Town franchise two places to 11th, while the Cheetahs dropped one place to 13th in the combined standings.
Wind, rain, cold and a slippery pitch ensured the South African derby was never going to be a classic and while Stormers executed the basics well, the Cheetahs were woeful.
Cheetahs skipper and hooker Adriaan Strauss was yellow-carded midway through the first half for a dangerous tackle on winger Kobus van Wyk and his 10-minute absence proved expensive.
The Stormers used their numerical advantage to score 10 unanswered points through a Van Wyk try, and a conversion and penalty from flyhalf Kurt Coleman.
Those scores coupled with the Fourie try made up the first-half total for the Stormers, who suffered a late, pre-match blow when center and Springboks skipper Jean de Villiers withdrew injured.
A reason why traditional playoff contenders the Stormers have battled this season is a long casualty list, and stand-in captain and flanker Schalk Burger quit at halftime nursing a sore neck.
Fellow Springbok Siya Kolisi took his place and scored the third try with 10 minutes left after penalties by Coleman and his replacement, Peter Grant, had put the game beyond the Cheetahs’ reach.
Grant converted the third try and after Stormers lock Michael Rhodes was sin-binned for hair-pulling, New Zealand-born winger Sailosi Tagicakibau dotted down to complete the rout.
The Stormers are away to leaders the Coastal Sharks in Durban next weekend, while the Cheetahs have a bye in the final round before a break for Test matches.
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