Bulls trample Ulster at Loftus

A strange, if enterprising, United Rugby Championship (URC) match at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. The Stormers won 52-40, having led 33-14 at half time.

The hosts had the try-scoring bonus point try by the 33^rd minute, but such was the swing in the match in the second half that, with 15 minutes to play, the scores were level at 40-all.

Stormers flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu kicked six from eight conversion attempts and was a constant menace on attack, setting up scrumhalf Haashim Pead’s first-half try with a delightful back pass.

Stormers front-rowers Zachary Porthen and Ntuthuko Mchunu were devastating in their scrumming, when allowed to scrum and equally prominent in general play.

The Stormers did not concede a penalty in the first half, were disciplined in all facets and had balance in their game, kicking 17 times to the visitors’ 10. They conceded just one penalty in 83 minutes.

They were stronger in the collisions, making 48 post-contact metres in the first half, compared with the Scarlets’ 16. The second half contrasted this, with 32 post-contact metres for the Stormers to the Scarlets’ 17.

Stormers’ frailties exposed

The scrums were uncontested for the final 23 minutes, and by the 65th minute, Scarlets outside centre Joe Roberts had completed his hat-trick.

The Scarlets must be credited for refusing to fold at half time, but their fight was made that much easier by a Stormers approach that was loose, inaccurate and self-destructive.

Individually, Roberts sparkled, and it took a brilliant try-saving tackle from Feinberg-Mngomezulu on left wing Macs Page to prevent a third successive Scarlets try in the opening 10 minutes of the second half.

The Scarlets made 21 line breaks to the Stormers’ 15, and the tackle success of both teams was less than 70%.

Few could have foreseen how the second half would play out, with the Stormers so dominant and in such control in the first.

The Stormers scored eight tries to the Scarlets six, and it was SA under-20 flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed who provided the home support relief when he scored in the 75th minute. Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sixth conversion gave the Stormers a 47-40 lead and Ahmed sealed the victory with a second try in the 79^th minute.

Crucially, the hosts scored the big points in the big moments, and the positive is that they scored eight tries and 52 points.

Stormers defence coach Norman Laker will hate a match of this nature and a 68% tackle success, which included 29 missed tackles.

More pragmatic approach

Ulster will be more stressful on the Stormers defence, so expect to see a different and more pragmatic approach when the two teams meet in Cape Town next weekend.

Stormers captain Paul de Villiers was the best of the forwards, and scrumhalf Pead, in his first start, was named the Player of the Match.

For the neutral, the 14 tries on a lovely Saturday afternoon in Cape Town were bliss, but for the Stormers coaching staff, there was more angst than awe when the scores were tied 40-all with 15 minutes to play.

At Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, Bulls captain Marcell Coetzee scored a brace in a four-try bonus-point 34-26 win against Ulster.

The Bulls led 21-0 midway through the first half before a spirited fightback from Ulster brought them to within five points in the 80^th minute.

Handré Pollard kicked three conversions and a crucial second-half penalty, and replacement flyhalf Curwin Bosch kicked a penalty in the 82^nd minute to deny the visitors a losing bonus point. They did get a four-try bonus point.