MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) The Cape-Town-based Stormers edged closer to a home playoff spot with a seven-try, 57-31 win over the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby on Saturday.
The Stormers claimed a bonus point after the fulltime siren through a try to reserve hooker Scarra Ntubeni. Flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis finished with 27 points, including a try.
The win gave the Stormers a nine-point South Africa 1 conference lead over the Bulls, who played late Saturday at Buenos Aires against the first-year Jaguares.
There are only two rounds remaining in the regular season after this weekend, with conference winners receiving a home playoff in the first round.
Earlier, Reece Robinson scored two second-half tries as the New South Wales Waratahs overwhelmed the Sunwolves 57-12 at Tokyo.
And flyhalf Beauden Barrett returned from test duty to kick 17 points, including conversions of two second-half tries by lock Vaea Fifita, as the Wellington-based Hurricanes came from behind to beat the Auckland-based Blues 37-27.
Robinson crossed in the 46th minute for a 33-12 lead, and the visiting Waratahs put the game beyond reach with another converted try a minute later that made it 40-12. Matt Lucas, Matt Carraro and Taqele Naiyaravoro added tries to complete the rout.
Barrett scored 26 points in the All Blacks' 46-6 win over Wales last weekend and he maintained that outstanding form, kicking seven goals from seven attempts as the Hurricanes kept alive their playoff chances.
Blues flanker Jerome Kaino also made an impact on his return from international rugby, touching down twice during a frenetic 13-minute period in the first half in which the teams exchanged five tries.
The Blues scored three of those through Kaino and his fellow flanker Kara Pryor while the Hurricanes replied with tries to prop Reg Goodes and All Blacks hooker Dane Coles as the lead see-sawed before the Blues took a 24-17 lead to halftime.
Barrett reduced the margin with two penalties early in the second half before Fifita, who hadn't previously scored a Super Rugby try, ran among the backs to score tries in the 55th and 71st mintues to give the Hurricanes a winning lead.
''It was a gritty win,'' Hurricanes captain Dane Coles said. ''We were just guilty in that first half of playing attack and no defense.
''In that second half we turned our defense around and just got some intent, some line speed, and slowed their ball down. We had to work really hard for that win.''
