CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 28: Evan Roos of the Stormers scores a try during the United Rugby Championship match between DHL Stormers and Edinburgh at DHL Stadium on March 28, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)
Stormers eighthman Evan Roos said the Cape side were clicking again after three straight wins that have lifted them to second on the United Rugby Championship table, with four games left before the playoffs.
The Stormers followed up victories against the Bulls (away) and Dragons (home) with a 33-14 win over Edinburgh at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
While there were errors aplenty in the first half, which left the score 7-7, the Stormers pulled away with four tries in the second period to secure an important bonus-point win.
‘We understand our roles’
Their kicking game was particularly good, retaining 11 of their kicks compared to Edinburgh’s two. They also had scrum and forward dominance, forcing two scrum turnovers.
Roos earned man of the match for carrying and tackling well, and scoring two tries.
In the first half, he finished a good team move after Dan du Plessis found a gap, offloaded to Ntuthuko Mchunu, who in turn sent the ball to the No 8 who made it over the line dragging a tackler with him.
In the second half, Roos simply ran through a gap between retreating defenders to score the team’s fourth try.
“I think the one week off did me well,” Roos said after missing the Stormers’ 10th round defeat to the Sharks at Kings Park in January.
That game came in the middle of two more defeats, first to the Sharks in Cape Town and later to the Lions in Johannesburg. The Stormers slumped from first to fifth after those, but are climbing the table again.
“I think the team is clicking now,” Roos added. “We understand our roles, and everyone’s jobs, and everyone buys into it.”
He said the team executed their plans well against Edinburgh, but “the only thing we could be a bit better at is not conceding after we get points. I think that’s a big one for us for the future.”
The eighthman credited backline players Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Ruhan Nel, Damian Willemse, Warrick Gelant and Jurie Mathee for putting the ball in the right places for players like himself to have front-foot ball.
“It works. It’s fun. It’s better than [chasing] the whole time,” he said.
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