The Stormers became the first South African franchise to beat the Bulls in this year’s Super Rugby.
Heading into the match, the Bulls were at the top of the South African Conference log having beaten the Stormers 40-3, the Lions 30-12, Sharks 37-14 and the Sharks again 19-16.
But on Saturday the Stormers put an end to the Pretoria side’s dominance of local opposition, outrunning (597 metres made to 441), out-tackling (158 to 117) and outscoring (three tries to two) their visitors to claim a 24-23 win.
While the scoreboard suggests a close game, the Bulls shouldn’t actually have gotten any log points out of the match.
But when their flyhalf, Handre Pollard missed what would have been the final kick off of the match at 80 minutes to get a bonus point for losing within seven points, the Stormers decided to attack from within their own in-goal area.
The Bulls then gathered a Seabelo Senatla chip kick and started a counter-attack which ended with Manie Libbok scoring a try that made it 24-23 with the conversion.
WHATEVER IT TAKES: Stormers skipper Siya Kolisi tackles Burger Odendaal. Photo: Phando Jikelo/ANA.
You can’t blame the Stormers for having the confidence to run from their own try line really.
They proved throughout the game that they wanted to run at the Bulls and ran the visitors off the park in the opening minutes.
It was a mini-break and offload by Cobus Wiese to Pieter-Steph du Toit that ended in the ball going wide to Sergeal Petersen, who stepped flank Marco van Staden, for the first try in the 12th minute.
If that got the Newlands faithful on the edge of their seats, they would have loved the next try 15 minutes later.
Fullback Damian Willemse picked up a scrappy ball in his own 22 and ran down the left touchline before passing to Senatla on his inside.
The speedy winger then sidestepped Pollard en route to their second try (14-3).
The Bulls added two more penalties to their earlier one for a 14-9 half time scoreline.
It was the visitors who kept the ball for 15 phases after the break and ultimately got their first try when scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl dotted down from close quarters to take the lead (16-14).
The Stormers then regained the lead with a penalty conversion of their own, before a poor clearance kick by Libbok was collected by Man of the Match Dillyn Leyds on the Bulls’ 22.
Leyds then sliced through the Bulls defence and made a superb offload to scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies for the Stormers’ third five-pointer (24-16) – one short of a bonus point.
Despite the late Bulls try, it was the Stormers that got revenge on their embarrassing defeat at Loftus earlier in the season.
Stormers:
Tries: Sergeal Petersen, Seabelo Senatla and Herschel Jantjies.
Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (2) and Josh Stander.
Penalty: Stander.
Bulls:
Tries: Ivan van Zyl and Manie Libbok.
Conversions: Handre Pollard (2).
Penalties: Pollard (3).