Feinberg-Mngomezulu feasts on O'Gara's much-changed La Rochelle in Stormers win

The Pool 3 encounter in Port Elizabeth was always likely to be a tough ask for the Irishman's two-time champions as they travelled south making 14 changes

YELLOW WALL: La Rochelle players huddle during the Investec Champions Cup Round 2, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth between DHL Stormers vs La Rochelle. Pic: INPHO/Steve Haag Sports/EJ Langner

Investec Champions Cup Pool 3: Stormers 42 La Rochelle 21

Ronan O'Gara's inexperienced and understrength La Rochelle suffered a chastening Saturday morning down in South Africa as some Springbok stars, led by the imperious Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, imposed themselves on the visitors with the Stormers running out 21-point winners. 

The Pool 3 encounter in Port Elizabeth was always likely to be a tough ask for the Irishman's two-time champions as they travelled south without some of their biggest names. 

The try bonus picked up in last week's opening triumph over Leicester Tigers may prove all the more crucial after La Rochelle left Nelson Mandela Stadium without a consolation point to add to the scoreboard with the Stormers surging to the top on nine points alongside Leinster. 

With teenage back row Lucas Andjisseramatchi captaining his side for the first time and 14 changes from Round 1, O'Gara would have been fairly content with a first half where La Rochelle's new-look outfit kept the hosts within reach even if things looked grim early on. 

Winger Dylan Maart crossed after just two minutes and five minutes later the Stormers had a second when fellow wide made Leolin Zas touched down. However the youthful Rochelais responded and Quentin Lespiaucq got the other side of the scoreboard ticking on 25 minutes to leave the halftime deficit at just nine points, 16-7.

But Feinberg-Mngomezulu found his spellbinding best after the break and the hosts were much less hospitable as Andre-Hugo Venter, Maart, Warrick Gelant and Marcel Theunissen all scored tries. Nikoloz Sutidze and Nathan Bollengier had tried in vain to keep La Rochelle somewhat in it. A four-try bonus would have been a welcome piece of consolation luggage for the trip home but it never materialised. 

Next up for O'Gara's men is an all-too familiar journey: an Aviva Stadium date with Leinster in round 3 on January 16th.

Scorers for Stormers: Tries: Maart 2, Zas, Venter, Gelant, Theunissen. Cons: Feinberg Mngomezulu 3. Pens: Feinberg Mngomezulu 2. 

Scorers for La Rochelle: Tries: Lespiaucq-Brettes, Wardi, Bollengier. Cons: Jurd 3.

Stormers:

Gelant, Maart, R. Nel, Roche, Zas, Feinberg Mngomezulu, Reinach, Mchunu, Venter, Fouche, Moerat, Schickerling, de Villiers, Dixon, Roos. Replacements: Kebble for R. Nel (55), Ackermann for Roche (59), Simelane for Reinach (62), Kotze for Mchunu (53), Evans for Venter (53). Not Used: Sandi, Theunissen, Khan. Sin Bin: Fouche (47). 

La Rochelle: Bollengier, Vunivalu, Seguret, Daunivucu, Bosmorin, Jurd, Couillaud, Wardi, Lespiaucq-Brettes, Sorin, Dillane, Douglas, Kante-Samba, Fraindt, Andjisseramatchi. Replacements: Sclavi for Lespiaucq-Brettes (45). Not Used: Sutidze, Luaki, Huchet, Kuntelia, Richer, Berjon, Leyds. 

Ref: Luke Pearce (RFU).