The Lions XV recorded their fourth consecutive SA Rugby Under-23 Cup victory when they outplayed their Gauteng neighbours, the Vodacom Bulls XV, by 49-31 in their fourth-round derby in Johannesburg, while the DHL Stormers XXIII defeated the Hollywoodbets Sharks U23S 41-7 in Cape Town.
Saturday’s results leave the Lions way out in front on a perfect 20 points from their four games. They are followed by the Bulls on 12 league points, while the Stormers are 10 points after their second win of the campaign. The winless Sharks have one point from their four starts.
On Saturday, the Sharks host the Bulls in Durban while the Lions travel to Cape Town for their meeting with the Stormers, in the penultimate league round of the new competition.
Playing at home in Johannesburg, the Lions XV delivered an emphatic attacking performance to outgun the Vodacom Bulls XV by 49–31 in a high-tempo encounter at Wits University.
The hosts set the platform early, scoring three converted tries inside the opening 20 minutes through Morne Venter, Michail Damon and Jason Hugo. While the visitors from Pretoria fought back bravely through tries from JJ Theron, Marnus Rademeyer and Shaun Schürmann, the Lions maintained control to take a 28–19 lead into the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with the Lions’ tempo and execution stretching the Bulls’ defence. Gilermo Mentoe struck shortly after the restart before the visitors briefly closed the gap through Dieter Schubert.
However, clinical finishes by former Junior Bok scrumhalf Haashim Pead and Exauce Kevani ensured the Lions pulled clear in the final quarter and despite a late try by Sintu Manjezi, the Bulls were unable to close the gap. Sam Francis capped a standout kicking display by converting all seven Lions tries.
In Cape Town, the DHL Stormers XXIII produced a dominant display to secure a commanding 41–7 victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks U23 in their meeting at DHL Stadium on Saturday.
Despite spending 10 minutes in the sin bin, former Junior Bok flanker Divan Fuller had an outstanding outing and scored no less than four tries for the hosts. His two first-half tries, followed by a Jonathan Roche score, saw the Stormers head into half-time with a deserved 19-0 advantage.
The second half belonged entirely to the Capetonians as they overwhelmed the visitors’ defence. Fuller added two more tries in the second stanza, while Hacjivah Dayimani and Josh Boulle also added tries to the Stormers’ tally.
The Sharks’ sole response came deep into stoppage time when replacement Christoff Etzebeth crossed, with Stefan Moolman adding the conversion.
Scorers:
Lions XV 49 (28), Vodacom Bulls XV 31 (19)
Lions - Tries: Morne Venter, Michail Damon, Jason Hugo, Ruan Welman, Gilermo Mentoe, Haashim Pead, Exauce Kevani. Conversions: Sam Francis (7).
Bulls – Tries: JJ Theron, Marnus Rademeyer, Shaun Schürmann, Dieter Schubert, Sintu Manjezi. Conversions: Viaan Mentoor (3).
DHL Stormers XXIII 41 (19), Hollywoodbets Sharks U23 7 (0)
Stormers – Tries: Divan Fuller (4), Jonathan Roche, Hacjivah Dayimani, Josh Boulle. Conversions: Dominic Malgas (2), Kyle Smith.
Sharks – Try: Christoff Etzebeth. Conversion: Stefan Moolman.