The Stormers team demonstrated impressive play in the United Rugby Championship (URC) derby, securing a convincing 39-22 victory over the Sharks on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town. The home side dominated from the start of the match, utilizing powerful mauls and scrums to avenge two losses suffered against the Durbanites last season.
The game was a special event for DHL Stadium, as over 40,000 spectators were present, welcoming the Stormers' new 'Men in Black'-inspired kit, which the team had not worn since 1999. Thanks to this win, which brought bonus points, the Stormers interrupted the Sharks' two-match unbeaten streak and climbed higher in the league table.
Winger Seabelo Senatla opened the scoring just six minutes into the game, scoring the first try from a corner and celebrating with a bicycle kick, reminiscent of the legendary Stormers and Springbok winger Breyton Paulse. This player, representing the 2026 class, debuted in the black jersey.
Captain Bok Siya Kolisi and tighthead Wilco Louw also returned during the match, and injured utility back Cheslin Kolbe made an appearance. Kolbe briefly came on before the start, while Kolisi displayed skill along the sideline during the game.
Dominance in Scrums and Mauls
Wilco Louw was one of the standout figures of the match, as his battle in the scrum against Ox Nché was entirely in favor of his new team. Together with loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu and hooker André-Hugo Venter, the Stormers heavily pressured the Sharks' front line. Nché and teammate Bok Thomas du Toit struggled with the powerful scrum, although Du Toit managed to win a defensive scrum for his team.
The home team also excelled in the mauls, gaining meters on every launch and scoring three tries as a result. The Sharks failed to find effective solutions, while hookers André-Hugo Venter and JJ Kotzé, along with eight Hacjivah Dayimani, scored brilliant tries following powerful mauls.
Dayimani scored his second five-pointer in the second half after the scrum pushed the Sharks over their own goal line, supported by Mchunu and Louw. The Stormers secured their bonus point just a minute into the second half when winger Leolin Zas scored a try. At that moment, the Sharks were playing with 13 men after yellow cards issued to Matt Romao for a dangerous tackle on Jonathan Roche and Tshituka for stopping a maul.
The Sharks regained a full complement of players and managed to advance towards the goal line, scoring a try from a maul, which was their second in the match, slightly livening up the game. Head coach JP Pietersen decided to bring on six substitutes simultaneously, and this seemed to work, as the Sharks scored another excellent try, scored by Phepsi Buthelezi.
Impact of Substitutions and Match Conclusion
This try occurred at a time when the Stormers were playing somewhat relaxed and experienced a defensive dip. However, when rugby director John Dobson introduced the substitutes, they injected fresh energy into the team. The try scored by substitute hooker JJ Kotzé from a maul effectively decided the outcome of the game while the Sharks tried to catch up.
Dayimani, who also played outstandingly, nearly completed a hat-trick in the final 10 minutes after a brilliant play by the home team, delighting the spectators. Nevertheless, before he could score, fullback Damian Willemse dropped the ball. Despite it being a brilliant first home performance for the Cape Town side, they acknowledged that they could have scored more points. Nonetheless, they can use this exciting display in upcoming matches.
Score at the end of the match: Stormers 39 (13): Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani (2), André-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JJ Kotzé. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Penalties: Mngomezulu. Sharks (8): Tries: Manu Tshituka, Matt Romao, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalties: Lombard.
