Coastal sides reign supreme in URC derbies

With big crowds enjoying the South African summer weather at the two local Vodacom United Rugby Championship derbies in Cape Town and Durban, the DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks were too good for their Gauteng visitors on Saturday.

The Stormers retained top spot on the Vodacom URC log with a full house of points in their 34-27 victory over the Lions at the DHL Stadium, where the visitors gained a valuable losing bonus point in a highly entertaining clash.

The Sharks scored two tries in the final 10 minutes for a deserved 21-12 victory over the Vodacom Bulls at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, where the hosts won only their second clash of the competition this season.

With a couple of games to go in the seventh round, the Stormers (first), Lions (seventh) and Bulls (eighth) remained in the quarter-final race, while the Sharks moved up to 12th on the URC log.

The four local sides will enjoy a break over Christmas and will resume their battle for the South African Shield on 3 January, when the Stormers host the Bulls in Cape Town, and the Lions travel to Durban for their clash against the Sharks.

The Stormers had to work very hard against the Lions to keep their unbeaten run going with victory over their visitors from upcountry at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.

In a match that was a great advertisement for South African rugby, the hosts outscored their Gauteng visitors by four tries to three, while both flyhalves, the Stormers’ Jurie Matthee and Chris Smith for the Lions, on song with all their kicks from the tee.

The Lions were out of the blocks in no time when Ruan Venter crashed over for the first of his two tries from a mistake by Evan Roos at the kick-off and the visitors held a seven-point lead at the break.

But the Stormers put in a proper shift after the break, scoring three tries to seal the deal, with former Junior Bok captain Paul de Villiers again putting in a massive performance, while the Lions’ discipline let them down.

Roos went from villain to hero late in the game when he scored the Stormers’ fourth try and won a crucial turnover at the death with the Lions hard on the attack for the equalising try.

Score

DHL Stormers 34 (10) – Tries: Dylan Maart, Wandisile Simelane, Paul de Villiers, Evan Roos. Conversions: Jurie Matthee (4). Penalties: Matthee (2).

Lions 27 (17) – Tries: Ruan Venter (2), Kelly Mpeku. Conversions: Chris Smith (3). Penalties: Smith (2).

Springboks Siya Kolisi and Edwill van der Merwe scored in the final 10 minutes of an enthralling derby in Durban to help the Sharks to only their second win of the season as they beat the Bulls on Saturday evening.

The match was like two heavyweight boxers slugging it out, with Hakeen Kunene’s intercept try breaking the early deadlock but Bok pivot Handre Pollard ensured the visitors led 9-7 at the break with three first half penalties.

With their scrum in command, Pollard landed his fourth penalty midway through the second half to push the Bulls’ lead out to 12-7 but the Sharks grew in confidence as the game progressed and when Kolisi crashed over with just under 10 minutes to go, they took a 14-12 lead.

Van der Merwe sealed the deal with three minutes to go with a brilliant try from a clever kick into the Bulls’ 22 from Jaden Hendrikse as the Sharks repaid their fans, who came out in droves, for their support.

Score

Hollywoodbets Sharks 21 (7) – Tries: Hakeen Kunene, Siya Kolisi, Edwill van der Merwe. Conversions: Jordan Hendrikse, George Whitehead (2).

Vodacom Bulls 12 (9) – Penalties: Handre Pollard (4).