Stormers and Bulls impress with commanding home wins in opening round of United Rugby Championship
Stormers No.8 Evan Roos had an outstanding game against Leinster as the Cape side stormed to a 35-0 victory in the first match of the new URC season at the DHL Stadium.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Media
South African rugby got off to a strong start in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, with both the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls making emphatic statements on home soil this past weekend.
Cape Town and Pretoria supporters witnessed thrilling displays that put on an impressive display the attacking capabilities and depth of the SA sides.
The DHL Stormers set the tone on Friday evening at DHL Stadium, producing a flawless 35-0 bonus-point win over reigning champions Leinster. The scoreboard read only 6-0 at halftime after two disallowed tries and a few missed kicks, but the hosts dominated possession and territory, turning the game decisively in the second half.
Stefan Ungerer opened the scoring following a Leinster clearance error, and Springbok No.8 Evan Roos crashed over from a driving maul to secure the second try. Ruan Ackermann, making his Stormers debut after years abroad, added a third, and Jurie Matthee finished the night with 20 points, including the fourth try and three successful penalty goals.
Erasmus’s side collected a full five log points, signalling their intent early in the season.
Bulls Stampede
In Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls overcame an early deficit to defeat the Ospreys 53-40 in a high-scoring encounter at Loftus Versfeld.
Trailing 26-12 shortly before halftime, the Bulls rallied, with Johan Grobbelaar scoring a hat-trick and earning Man of the Match honours. Skipper Marcell Coetzee contributed two tries in the first half, while Junior Springbok wing Cheswill Jooste and centre Jan Serfontein each added two scores, and replacement hooker Juann Else capped the tally.
Despite Ospreys crossing for six tries themselves, the Bulls’ forward dominance and improved second-half rhythm proved decisive.
The weekend victories provide momentum heading into next fixtures, with the Stormers hosting Ospreys on Friday evening in Cape Town and the Bulls preparing for a rematch with Leinster on Saturday, rekindling last season’s final showdown.