Stormers stand tall in United Rugby Championship as Bulls, Sharks and Lions stumble

THE DHL Stormers provided the only ray of light on an otherwise gloomy weekend for South Africa’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship teams, delivering a commanding 34-0 bonus-point win over the Scarlets in Llanelli.

The Cape side’s clean sheet stood in sharp contrast to Saturday’s results, when the Lions lost 41-15 to Benetton in Treviso, the Hollywoodbets Sharks suffered a 31-5 defeat against Leinster in Dublin, and the Vodacom Bulls went down 28-7 to Ulster in Belfast.

Stormers cruise in Llanelli

In their first match on tour, the Stormers outscored the hosts five tries to none, combining sharp attack with solid defence. Despite receiving two yellow cards — matched by the Scarlets — they never allowed the home team onto the board.

The Capetonians were bolstered by the return of Springboks Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse, who both crossed the line late in the game. Their presence helped cap a well-rounded performance that underlined the side’s depth and composure away from home.

Evan Roos opened the scoring in the 11th minute, with Feinberg-Mngomezulu converting and later adding a penalty for a 10-0 lead. The visitors lost Ben-Jason Dixon to a yellow card soon after, but the Scarlets’ own disciplinary lapses proved costly. Just before halftime, Paul de Villiers dotted down for the Stormers’ second try, extending their advantage to 17-0 at the break.

Second-half surge seals emphatic win

The Stormers maintained their momentum after half-time despite another yellow card — this time to Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the 52nd minute. Tries from Ruben van Heerden, Feinberg-Mngomezulu, and Imad Khan sealed the result in style.

The victory lifted the Stormers to joint top of the URC standings on 14 points, level with Munster as the only other unbeaten team after three rounds.

The Bulls’ defeat saw them drop five places to sixth with 10 points, while the Sharks and Lions — still winless this season — sit 13th and 15th respectively on two and one point.

Both the KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg teams return home this week, aiming to reset their campaigns, while the Stormers and Bulls remain abroad to face Zebre Parma and Connacht, respectively, next weekend.

DHL Stormers 34 (17)

Scorers:

Tries: Evan Roos, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Imad Khan. Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Damian Willemse. Penalty goal: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.