DHL Stormers go down against Vodacom Bulls
The DHL Stormers suffered their first defeat of the Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked campaign as they went down 39-6 against the Vodacom Bulls on Saturday.
In a match cut short by a thunderstorm in the area, the DHL Stormers were unable to fight back to win for the third consecutive match.
The teams traded penalties early on, with both teams penalised at the breakdown. The DHL Stormers marched into opposition territory and had the Vodacom Bulls on the back foot in their own half.
Two penalties from each flyhalf saw the match locked up at 6-6 after a tense opening 15 minutes, but the home side managed to swcore four unanswered tries after that to take a 32-6 advantage into half-time.
Tries from hooker Johan Grobbelaar, centre Stedman Gans, scrumhalf Ivan van Zyl and lock Ruan Nortje left the DHL Stormers needing a big second-half performance to get back into the game.
The DHL Stormers started the second half with real intent and took the ball deep into the Vodacom Bulls 22, but were blown up at the breakdown again.
Gans crossed for his second try on the 50-minute mark and the match was suspended and then abndoned shortly afterwards for safety reasons, with a thunderstorm in the area.
The scorers:
For DHL Stormers:
Pens: Willemse 2
For Vodacom Bulls:
Tries: Grobbelaar, Gans 2, Van Zyl, Nortje
Cons: Steyn 4
Pens: Steyn 2
Teams:
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Dan du Plessis, 12 Rikus Pretorius, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Damian Willemse, 9 Herschel Jantjies, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Ernst van Rhyn, 6 Jaco Coetzee, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Salmaan Moerat, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Neethling Fouche, 19 Chris van Zyl, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Ben-Jason Dixon, 22 Godlen Masimla, 23 Tim Swiel.
Vodacom Bulls: 15 David Kriel, 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Stedman Gans, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Morné Steyn, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7 Elrigh Louw, 6 Marco van Staden, 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Jacques van Rooyen.
Replacements: 16 Joe van Zyl, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Marcel van der Merwe, 19 Sintu Manjezi, 20 Nizaam Carr, 21 Embrose Papier, 22 Chris Smith, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren.
