Bulldozing Sharks break the Stormers’ Cape Town stranglehold with bonus-point URC victory

A more clinical Sharks took the spoils on Saturday evening in Cape Town, clinching their first-ever victory over the Stormers at the DHL Stadium in the United Rugby Championship (URC).

They were on top for most of the match, played in front of over 52 000, and were quickest out of the blocks from the kick-off to secure a crucial 30-19 win. They became the first URC team to beat the Stormers this season.

A fourth try off a rolling maul seven minutes before the final whistle bagged a bonus point for the visitors and rounded off their dominant display. It was a sight for sore eyes with Stormers supporters leaving their seats right after the score.

From the first kick-off, the Sharks pounced on a couple of Stormers errors. Late in the second half, more sloppiness from the hosts, coupled with a host of penalties, yellow cards, lost lineouts, and scrum infringements, swayed the momentum totally in favour of the visitors.

Their opening five-pointer came after only seven minutes of play at the back of a rolling maul, and by the 16-minute mark, the Durbanites had a healthy 17-5 lead following a crossfield-kick try rounded off by winger Jaco Williams. While the Stormers showed some fight in the final 20 minutes of the first half to score a second try via centre Damian Willemse, that display after the break will be one to forget.

Sharks captain and centre André Esterhuizen was outstanding. His runs in the midfield kept the Stormers’ defence honest. His grit on defence also saved a certain try in the first half after he hauled in winger Leolin Zas. He was one of the beneficiaries of a rolling maul try.

The tactical substitution in the 30th minute, bringing on loosehead Ox Nché, also paid dividends, with the Sharks ruling the scrums after he took the field.

But it was on the Stormers’ lineout, especially in the second half, and with their own lineouts that the visitors secured the victory.

They scored a total of three tries via their bulldozing mauls, and the Cape side, normally a good stopper of rolling mauls, had zero answers for the Sharks’ forwards. Vincent Tshituka and Emile van Heerden were the chief disruptors at lineout time against the Stormers’ throw, while both home team hookers didn’t cover themselves in glory with their primary task.

Points scorers

Stormers 19 (12): Tries: Damian Willemse (2), Penalty try. Conversion: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Sharks 30 (17): Tries: Jason Jenkins, Jaco Williams, Phepsi Buthelezi, André Esterhuizen. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse. Penalties: Hendrikse (2).