The DHL Stormers cruised to a five-try 33-13 win over Zebre Parma to remain unbeaten in the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship.
Despite a great start by the hosts, the Stormers hit back, and Paul de Villiers scored off the back of a line-out maul after five minutes of play. Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted the try to extend the Stormers' lead to 07-00.
Zebre absorbed all the pressure that the Stormers could apply, and a stupid pass by Warrick Gelant was intercepted by Mirko Belloni, who ran sixty meters to score Zebre’s first try. The conversion by Giacomo Da Re gave Zebre the edge, leading 05-05 after seventeen minutes of play in the first half.
For the following fifteen minutes, Zebre dominated, especially on the ground, stopping any attacks by the Stormers with relative ease.
With five minutes to play, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked an up-and-under, which was knocked on by Zebre, allowing Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to regain the ball and score a great individual try. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to claim the lead for the Stormers by 12-07, which was also the halftime score.
The Stormers set up camp in Zebre’s red zone, and following three attempts to score off lineout-mauls, the Stormers moved the ball to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu on the blind side, who scored a workmanlike try to extend the Stormers' lead to 17-07 with thirty-three minutes still to play in the second half.
Following fifteen minutes of play in the second half, the Stormers spread the ball wide from a scrum to Warrick Gelant, who scored an easy bonus-point try. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to extend the Stormers' lead to 25-07.
Giacomo Da Re converted two penalties to cut the Stormers' lead to 24-13.
With time running out, Zebre upped the tempo and set up camp in the visitors' red zone; however, the Stormers “escaped” and ended up with Ruhan Nel intercepting a loose pass to score under the poles. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu converted to secure a bonus-point 31-13 win.
Teams
Zebre Parma: 15 Giovanni Montemauri, 14 Mirko Belloni, 13 Giulio Bertaccini, 12 Damiano Mazza, 11 Simone Gesi, 10 Giacomo Da Re, 9 Thomas Dominguez, 8 Giovanni Licata (c), 7 Samuele Locatelli, 6 Davide Ruggeri, 5 Leonard Krumov, 4 Guido Volpi, 3 Ion Neculai,2 Tommaso Di Bartolomeo, 1 Muhamed Hasa. Replacements: 16 Giovanni Quattrini, 17 Juan Pitinari, 18 Matteo Nocera, 19 Franco Carrera, 20 David Odiase, 21 Migael Prinsloo, 22 Marco Zanon, 23 Lorenzo Pani.
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (c), 12 Damian Willemse, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Zachary Porthen, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Ali Vermaak. Replacements: 16 André-Hugo Venter, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Imad Khan, 23 Wandisile Simelane.