DHL Stormers, Vodacom Bulls on winning paths in URC

The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls sealed handy Vodacom United Rugby Championship victories as they took the field in their eighth round of matches, with the Capetonians holding out the Cell C Sharks for a 20-10 win in Cape Town and the Pretoria side earning a 21-13 win against the Emirates Lions in Pretoria.

The matches marked a repeat of last week’s encounters, but this time at different venues.

The Vodacom Bulls again came away with the spoils against their Gauteng rivals at Loftus Versfeld to earn their second win in a row and their third of the season, while the DHL Stormers made the most of their home ground advantage at DHL Stadium and maintained their focus until the final whistle to bounce back from their draw last week.

The win for the DHL Stormers allowed them to catapult the Cell C Sharks as the top placed South African franchise in 10^th place on the standings (with 18 points), followed by the Cell C Sharks in 11^th place and the Vodacom Bulls in 12^th place (both on 16 points), and the Emirates Lions in 14^th place with 12 points.

Stormers hold out Sharks in tense encounter

The DHL Stormers returned to their winning ways in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on Saturday as they overcame a determined Cell C Sharks outfit 20-10 at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town in a thrilling encounter.

The first half proved to be a tight affair as both teams tried hard to gain ascendency and breach the defence, but only 10 points were scored in the first half with Cell C Sharks flyhalf Joaquín Díaz Bonilla kicking a solitary penalty goal and DHL Stormers wing Seabelo Senatla scoring a pearler for the home side to hand them a 7-3 halftime lead.

The Capetonians kept the scoreboard ticking in the second half to secure their second win this year, crossing the Sharks line twice to add to two penalty goals by Manie Libbok (flyhalf), while their effective defence limited the visitors to a converted try for their efforts.

Scorers:

DHL Stormers 20 (7) – Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Adre Smith. Conversions: Manie Libbok (2). Penalty Goals: Libbok (2).

Cell C Sharks 10 (3) - Try: Grant Williams. Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain. Penalty Goal: Joaquín Díaz Bonilla.

Vodacom Bulls overcome Emirates Lions in Error-ridden win

The Vodacom Bulls continued their upward move on the Vodacom United Rugby Championship points’ log with a hard-fought 21-13 win over Gauteng rivals, the Emirates Lions, on Saturday in a match that failed to deliver on its promise in many aspects and played in wet conditions.

The Loftus Versfeld faithful expected much of the same as last week, when the Bulls scored at will at Emirates Airline Park, but the Jozi side came to Loftus Versfeld far more willing for a fight, and scrap they did, conceding three tries in the match - two of those in the first half, with the Vodacom Bulls leading 14-6 at the break.

The home side will lament the missed bonus point and spilled chances, especially in the first half where their backs fluffed a number of opportunities.

Scorers:

Vodacom Bulls 21 (14) - Tries: Marcell Coetzee, Johan Grobbelaar, Kurt-Lee Arendse. Conversions Morne Steyn (3).

Emirates Lions 13 (6) -  Try: Ruben Schoeman. Conversion: Tiaan Swanepoel. Penalty Goals: Swanepoel (2).