So often guilty of sluggish early-season performances, they turned that reputation on its head with a commanding 35–0 bonus-point victory over defending champions Leinster at Cape Town Stadium on Friday night.

Wearing their new blue-and-white striped jersey – a nod to their Western Province heritage – the Stormers gave their fans plenty to celebrate. They crossed for four unanswered tries and, had it not been for a few wasted chances and some tough calls in the first half, the scoreline might easily have pushed closer to 50.

Evan Roos. Photo: Stormers

The opening half was one-way traffic, even if the scoreboard didn’t show it immediately. After conceding an early scrum penalty, the Stormers’ pack took complete control, dominating both territory and possession. Yet they went into the break only 6–0 up thanks to two penalties from Jurie Matthee, who otherwise enjoyed an excellent outing. 

A couple of missed kicks, a disallowed maul try by Paul de Villiers, and a forward pass that denied Wandisile Simelane kept Leinster in touching distance. Still, it never really felt like Leinster were in the contest. While the visitors weren’t at full strength, neither were the Stormers, with several players unavailable through injury or Springbok duty. What they lacked in sharpness early on, they more than made up for in control and physicality.

The game was effectively settled in the first four minutes of the second half. Matthee slotted a penalty to stretch the lead to 9–0, before Seabelo Senatla sparked a counter-attack from a poor Leinster clearance that ended with Stefan Ungerer scoring under the posts. 

With Matthee’s conversion, the Stormers were 16 points clear, and Leinster had no reply.

From there, the hosts chased the bonus point. Evan Roos powered over from a maul for their second try before Leinster’s ill-discipline left them down to 13 men after back-to-back yellow cards. 

The Stormers pounced, with debutant Ruan Ackermann and Matthee himself dotting down. Matthee finished with 20 personal points, underlining his influence on the night. For the Stormers, this was more than just a statement win – it was a fresh start. Playing their first URC opener at Cape Town Stadium, they seized the chance to banish memories of sluggish beginnings in past seasons. 

There were inevitable first-game errors, but their dominance in every department made it clear they intend to be serious contenders again this year.

After the win, coach John Dobson said it was the perfect start, and he believes something special is building within the squad.

Stefan Ungerer. Photo: Stormers

“It probably is even more special because we came through with no injuries, at a time when we’re still building in some areas 

“I’m super proud of Ruhan Nel and the team, because we had a plan – and it had to be a slightly different plan from the normal Stormers way. If you know our game model, you’ll understand it was about hard work, intensity, physicality, and sticking to that plan. The guys executed it brilliantly, and I’m incredibly grateful.

“Just yesterday, people were asking how we’re going to fit Warwick Gelant, Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok, and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu into the same team – and then we go and deliver this. That’s credit to these players.”

Jurie Matthee. Photo: Stormers

“It really is a magic performance, and to the people of Cape Town, I’d just say: this is a special team to get behind. Hopefully next week you’ll come out and watch, because I think there’s something very exciting brewing here.”

Meanwhile, over in Scotland, it was a different story for the Sharks, who went down 35–19 to Franco Smith’s Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun Stadium.

On Saturday, the Bulls host the Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria at 14:00, while later at 20:45, the Lions face Cardiff at Cardiff Arms Park in Wales.

Scorers:

Tries – Stefan Ungerer, Evan Roos, Ruan Ackermann, Jurie Matthee Conv. – Matthee 3 Pen. – Matthee 3

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek dg