The DHL Stormers provided the only ray of light on a gloomy weekend for three of the four South African sides in a challenging third round abroad in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship.
The Capetonians outplayed the Scarlets 34-0 for a valuable bonus-point win in Llanelli in the only match on Friday. However, it was a disappointing day of action on Saturday as the Lions went down 41-15 against Benetton in Treviso, the Hollywoodbets Sharks suffered a heavy 31-5 defeat against Leinster in Dublin, and the Vodacom Bulls were downed 28-7 by Ulster in Belfast.
These results allowed the unbeaten DHL Stormers to claim the top spot on the standings tied on 14 points with the only other unbeaten team in the competition, Munster. Meanwhile, the Vodacom Bulls’ defeat saw them drop five spots on the table down to sixth place with 10 points.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks and Lions, who have yet to win a match this season, find themselves on the lower end of the table in 13th and 15th place respectively with two and one point.
However, the KwaZulu-Natalians and the men from Johannesburg will look to turn things around this week when they return to South Africa, while the DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls will remain abroad, facing Zebre Parma and Connacht respectively next weekend.
DHL Stormers cruise to easy win against in Llanelli
The DHL Stormers delivered a solid performance on Friday night, cruising to a comprehensive 34-0 bonus-point win against the Scarlets in Llanelli during their first tour match. They outscored the hosts by five tries to none.
Returning Springboks Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse contributed to the scoreline, showcasing a solid attacking performance supported by an outstanding defensive effort which kept the Scarlets scoreless, despite both teams receiving two yellow cards.
The scoring began in the 11th minute with a try by Evan Roos, converted by Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who later added a penalty goal for a 10-0 lead. After a yellow card to Ben-Jason Dixon, the Scarlets found themselves in a similar situation, allowing Paul de Villiers to score right before halftime, leaving the Stormers with a 17-0 lead.
The Stormers continued their dominance in the second half. Despite Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s sin binning in the 52nd minute, they added more tries through Ruben van Heerden, Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Imad Khan to cap off the match.
Scorers:
Scarlets 0
DHL Stormers 34 (17) – Tries: Evan Roos, Paul de Villiers, Ruben van Heerden, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Imad Khan. Conversions: Feinberg-Mngomezulu (2), Damian Willemse. Penalty goal: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Lynagh quadruple sinks Lions in Treviso
The Lions faced a polished Benetton side in Treviso, with Louis Lynagh scoring an impressive four tries, leading to a decisive 41-15 victory. This defeat marked the Lions’ third consecutive loss in the Vodacom URC this season, while it marked Benetton’s second win.
Despite starting strong, the Lions struggled offensively, only managing to score one try by Springbok prop Asenathi Ntlabakanye, against four from the Italians, resulting in a 24-10 halftime score in favor of Benetton.
In the second half, the Lions restricted Benetton to an early penalty goal, but Lynagh's extraordinary performance ended with a hat-trick, ultimately concluding the match with a fourth try. The visitors managed a late try by Conraad van Vuuren.
Scorers:
Benetton 41 (24) – Tries: Rhyno Smith, Louis Lynagh (4), Simone Ferrari. Conversions: Jacob Umaga (3), Smith. Penalty goal: Umaga.
Lions 15 (10) – Tries: Asenathi Ntlabakanye, Conraad van Vuuren. Conversion: Chris Smith. Penalty goal: Smith.
Leinster teach Hollywoodbets Sharks a lesson in Dublin
Leinster rebounded strong from their previous struggles, putting on an impressive display to outclass the Hollywoodbets Sharks 31-5 in Dublin.
Leinster scored five tries overall, with three in the first half, demonstrating their attacking prowess. The Sharks managed only one try from Springbok wing Ethan Hooker, who intercepted and sprinted to the tryline.
Leinster’s dominance was evident as the home side quickly built a significant lead, scoring three tries by the 27th minute. Despite some resilience from the Sharks, they couldn’t break through Leinster's formidable defense.
Scorers:
Leinster 31 (21) – Tries: James Osbourne, Jimmy O’Brien, Josh van der Flier, Max Deegan, Gus McCarthy. Conversions: Harry Byrne (3).
Hollywoodbets Sharks 5 (5) – Try: Ethan Hooker.
Yellow card costs Vodacom Bulls dearly against Ulster
A yellow card issued to Jeandre Rudolph early in the second half had severe consequences for the Vodacom Bulls as they fell to Ulster 28-7 in their tour match.
In stark contrast to their previous performances, the Bulls started slowly, allowing Ulster to score early. After leveling at 7-7, they were dealt a critical blow from Rudolph’s sin binning, leading to three unanswered tries by Ulster, cementing their defeat.
Scorers:
Ulster 28 (7) – Tries: Stuart McClosky, Juarno Augustus, Rob Herring, Cormac Izuchukwu. Conversions: Nathan Doak (4).
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