The Stormers proved too strong for the Cats at Ellis Park on Saturday, running out winners 36-25.

Only the Chiefs separate the Stormers from the the rest of the South African teams languishing in the depths of the log standings.

Earlier in the week Cats coach Frans Ludeke stressed that his goal after eight successive losses against overseas opposition was to defeat all the local teams but that will have to be re-worked after the Stormers defeated the Cats for the first time in the competition's history.

"We're really chuffed to beat the Cats for the first time in our history but they came back well in the second half and I thought we might lose the match," said Stormers captain Corne Krige.

Leading 21-3 after 24 minutes and 26-17 at the break, the Stormers took their foot off the gas and allowed the Cats a sniff of victory, but the hosts could not capitalise.

"We lost it in the first half," admitted Ludeke. "We did not use our opportunities and never kicked the ball out, giving them room to move," he said.

The match marked winger Pieter Rossouw's 50th match for the Stormers and presumably his last at Ellis Park after joining London Irish, while Bob Skinstad made his long-awaited return to Super 12 action when he replaced captain Krige in the 58th minute.

"I took a hard knock in the first half and told the coach that I was keen to come off with 20 minutes to go," said Krige.

For the Stormers No 8 Adri Badenhorst played well scoring two tries, the second the match-sealing score in the 79th minute to take the game away from the Cats.

The visitors dominated a high-scoring first half scoring four tries to two, earning their bonus point in the 33rd minute when centre Marius Joubert went over after slick handling by the backline.

The Stormers were faster out of the blocks against a sluggish, jaded Cats outfit, with impressive scrumhalf Johannes Conradie - the Man of the Match - scoring their first try in the 11th minute, darting through under the poles, for Percy Montgomery to convert.

A Pretorius penalty in the 15th minute narrowed the score but the Stormers streaked further ahead after spurning two kickable penalties in favour of a more attacking approach.

Their boldness paid dividends when Badenhorst scored and Montgomery converted for a 14-3 lead.

The Stormers looked set to run away with the game in the 24th minute when flyhalf Werner Greeff rounded off a neat backline move. Montgomery succeeded with his third conversion taking the score to 21-3.

But the Cats shook off their shackles and staring down the barrell of a humiliating loss, took the game to the visitors. The hosts came back hard through their bustling pack and attacked with vigour down the right for wing John Daniels to score unopposed in the corner. Pretorius slotted the difficult conversion and at 21-10 they were back in the game.

But as usual the Cats defence relented, and in the 33rd minute, two minutes after scoring, they were again behind the poles after Joubert's try.

However, instead of capitulating as in the past the Cats surged forward and nippy scrumhalf Jimmy Powell scored on the stroke of halftime. Pretorius slotted an acutely-angled conversion and the score was narrowed to 27-17.

The Cats came close to an upset victory when wing Conrad Jantjes rounded off a good move after some clever play by lock Jannes Labuschagne.

However, a ferocious drive by the Stormers pack from a lineout and a break by flank Hendrik Gerber set the scene for a bullocking run by Badenhorst, who clinched victory with his second try.

Scorers:

Stormers - Tries: Johannes Conradie, Adri Badenhorst (2), Werner Greeff, Marius Joubert; Conversions: Percy Montgomery (4); Penalty: Montgomery.

Cats - Tries: John Daniels, Jimmy Powell, Conrad Jantjes; Conversions: Andre Pretorius (2), Penalties: Pretorius (2). - Sapa