Five-try Stormers run Bulls off their feet at Newlands

It was a pleasing result for the 31 000-strong crowd who were treated to nine tries in the match.

Two-fired up sides produced rousing fare at the start but tight defences prevented any early breakthroughs.

Breakdown play was fiercely contested although no side could lay claim to early-play supremacy. However, a 13th-minute turn-over by the Stormers in own half paved the way for their opening try and helped to set the stage for a hugely unexpected 24-0 halftime lead.

Fullback SP Marais ran in from 20 metres out after his teammates put in the hard yards from breakdown play in the Stormers 22m area. Flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis goaled for a 7-0 lead.

This scoreboard advance seemed to help lift the level of play in the Stormers’ ranks and the visiting Bulls battled to contain a host of sorties into their half. After Du Plessis had increased the lead with a 20th-minute penalty (10-0), the Stormers’ sustained pressure in the Bulls’ 22m took his toll when rightwing Cheslin Kolbe ran in the side’s second converted try, seven minutes later (17-0).

Bulls skipper and marksman Handre Pollard had two first-half penalty opportunities but he was wide each time.

The Stormers’ continued to press home their decided territorial advantage right until the end of the half and their efforts were rewarded with a third converted try by eighthman Nizaam Carr moments before the halftime whistle sounded (24-0).

The Bulls returned from the sheds with fresh sense of urgency and a strong burst down the right channel caught the Stormers defence off guard and their No 8 Hanro Liebenberg crossed over in the corner, a mere minute into the second half (24-5)

Defences were taking strain the Bulls were next to concede when seven minutes later Siya Kolisi burst through for an unconverted try (29-5).

However, the Bulls shrugged off this setback with tries through prop Pierre Schoeman and another by Liebenberg. Polland managed one conversion (29-17) and this scoring burst suggested that the visitors could be shaping up for a fightback.

However, just after the hour mark, the Stormers opened up a commanding lead with an unconverted try by leftwing Dillyn Leyds and another Du Plessis penalty to push the scoreline out to 37-17 by the 65th minute.

Substitute Piet van Zyl managed a converted try at the end to reduce the deficit for the visiting Bulls.

Scorers: Stormers 37 (24): Tries: SP Marais, Cheslin Kolbe, Nizaam Carr, Siya Kolisi, Dillyn Leyds. Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (3). Penalty: Du Plessis. (2)

Bulls 24 (0): Tries: Hanro Liebenberg, Pierre Schoeman, Hanro Liebenberg, Piet van Zyl. Conversions: Handre Pollard, Tian Schoeman