Boland held off a Stormers fightback to win 29-24 in the friendly played in Wellington on Saturday.

The Stormers rested the majority of their Springboks for this Vodacom Super Rugby warm-up, instead opting to experiment with a number of youngsters. Predictably, they lacked synergy and ultimately struggled against a stronger and more settled Boland side.

The Kavaliers scored three tries in the first half, and went to the break with a commanding 24-12 lead. When they added a fourth try early in the second stanza, it seemed as though the game was over as a contest.

The Stormers scored tries through Sikhumbuzo Notshe and Rohan Kitshoff, and late strikes by Jarryd Savage and Devon Williams set up a dramatic finish. However, Boland managed to keep out the Stormers in the dying minutes.

The Stormers will welcome back their star players next week when they play their first Super Rugby match of the season agsainst the Lions.

Photo: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images