The north–south derby rarely needs extra spice, but the latest United Rugby Championship (URC) clash between the Stormers and Bulls delivered a bruising reminder of just how physical this rivalry can be.
From the opening whistle, it was clear finesse would have to wait, and the game was going to be settled by physicality, especially amongst the forwards. With things even at eight-all in the dying minutes, a rolling maul try clinched a hard-fought 13-8 victory for the home team.
With the four points, they remained unbeaten in the URC and in all competitions as their focus now shifts back to the Champions Cup.
For the first 20 minutes of the first half and almost the entire second half, neither side managed to really trouble the scoreboard as tackles thundered in and bodies were flung into collisions with little regard for longevity.
The final score showed just how tight the contest between the arch-rivals was, and neither gave an inch at any stage. Despite plenty of errors creeping in, the 53 600-strong supporters were still treated to a thrilling game as both sides looked to plant the knockout shot in a tense showdown.
The home side edged into halftime with an 8–5 advantage, but that narrow lead was hard-earned. The swirling Cape wind played its part, turning routine takes into tough ones and contributing to a string of handling errors that repeatedly stalled promising attacks.
Possession was precious and territory fiercely contested, with both forward packs intent on asserting dominance at the scrum and breakdown. The sky-high penalty count also showed how neither wanted to give an inch to allow their opponent to gain attacking space.
The Bulls thought they had struck first through a slick passage sparked by scrumhalf Embrose Papier. A well-weighted kick and sharp break split the Stormers’ defence, only for the try to be chalked off after a review when the nippy nine went over the dead-ball line.
Undeterred, the visitors stayed on the front foot and were rewarded minutes later when Handré Pollard reacted quickest to a quick tap penalty, muscling his way over to finally open the scoring. He missed the conversion and two penalties in the second half that could’ve stretched his team’s lead.
The Stormers hit back with a penalty to steady themselves before finding real momentum late in the half. A powerful maul, built on patience and brute force, rumbled its way over the line, Evan Roos peeling off to score and give the Cape side a slender halftime lead.
For the entire second half, the game was delicately balanced as the teams looked for a winning score.
Pollard levelled things to 8-8 early after the restart, but for the next 30-plus minutes it was a tough battle until the Stormers, with their supporters behind them, started to run the Bulls off their feet. Pollard was one of the players blowing wind and eventually, via the rolling maul, prop Ntuthuko Mchunu scored the winner to hand the Bulls their sixth loss.
Points scorers
Stormers 13 (8): Tries: Evan Roos, Ntuthuko Mchunu. Penalty: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu. Bulls 8 (5): Try: Handré Pollard. Penalty: Pollard.
