The Stormers are yet to win a single competitive match at Cape Town Stadium after going down 20-16 to the Bulls in their Rainbow Cup SA clash on Saturday.
Since moving from Newlands to Greenpoint at the start of the new season, coach John Dobson’s team has lost three out of four matches at home – with their only win coming in the pre-season Preparation Series against the Lions.
In competitive action, the scoreboard reads 2-0 to visitors, with the Stormers also cursing their luck with injuries since the big move.
Lock Salmaan Moerat went down with a serious neck injury before the first match against the Sharks and is expected to miss the Rainbow Cup SA, flyhalf Kade Wolhuter then suffered a season-ending knee injury in that defeat, while Herschel Jantjies and lock JD Schickerling are also still on the road to recovery after picking up knocks in that match.
Then the one shining light of the Sharks match, Nama Xaba, suffered a tournament-ending ankle injury in training last week and was ruled out of the clash against the Bulls.
With all the disruptions, Dobson was forced to make the hele se changes to his team and it showed in a disjoined performance that saw their lineout collapse completely after also losing lock Marvin Orie early on, while their backline simply couldn’t get going against Jake White’s men.
It was more misfortune that led to the Bulls’ first try of the match when Stormers scrumhalf Godlen Masimla took a quick tap from a penalty in the 16th minute.
A couple of fumbles after that saw the Bulls launch a counter from within their own half, with wing Madosh Tambwe beating Stormers flyhalf Abner van Reenen, who had a tough day at the office, and fullback Damian Willemse with ease on his way to the tryline (7-0).
The Stormers made it 7-7 in the 25th minute when No.8 Evan Roos scored after a lineout maul.
Three minutes before the break, the Capetonians lost their captain Steven Kitshoff to a yellow card after he was penalised for leading with his arm in a tackle.
The Bulls immediately made their numerical advantage count with Morne Steyn’s cross kick falling into the hands of Tambwe for his second try.
That score made it 14-10 to the Bulls at the break after Van Reenen had successfully converted a penalty earlier on.
Two more penalties apiece made it 20-16 to the Bulls, with the Stormers having one last shot at victory with an attacking lineout with the final move of the game.
But, fittingly, the Bulls won the lineout and kicked the ball out for the win.
Stormers – Try: Evan Roos; Conversion: Abner van Reenen; Penalties: Van Reenen (3).
Bulls – Tries: Madosh Tambwe (2); Conversions: Morne Steyn (2); Penalties: Steyn and Chris Smith.