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.
The inaugural SA Rugby U23 Cup Final is scheduled to kick off at 13h00 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Friday, and will be streamed live on YouTube.
The Lions XV capped a dominant league campaign with a comprehensive 43–19 victory over the DHL Stormers XXIII at Ellis Park last Friday.
No 8 Morne Venter was central to everything positive for the hosts, crossing the tryline four times in a barnstorming Player of the Match performance that underlined the Lions’ forward dominance.
Leading by only 12-7 at the break, the Lions produced a ruthless second‑half display, scoring five unanswered tries in a 30‑minute blitz that effectively put the contest beyond doubt.
Venter completed his quartet, while Dylan Sjoblom, Zian Cilliers and Keagan Smith added their names to the scoresheet as the Lions stretched the Stormers’ defenders across the width of the park. Matthew Coetzee marshalled proceedings well from flyhalf and slotted four conversions.
Despite late consolation scores from Vernon Paulo and Hencus van Wyk, the Capetonians were unable to stem the momentum as the Lions closed out a convincing win that confirmed their place at the summit of the standings and secured home‑ground advantage for the final.
Twenty‑four hours later at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls XV delivered an equally resounding performance of their own, dismantling the Hollywoodbets Sharks U23s by 54–12 in a one‑sided final‑round encounter.
The hosts exploded out of the blocks, running in five first‑half tries to take a commanding 33–12 lead into the break. Junior Pokomela set the tone with a powerhouse showing at No 8, scoring twice in the opening quarter, while the Bulls’ tempo and breakdown dominance kept the Sharks under near‑constant pressure.
Keagan Johannes was metronomic from the tee, contributing six conversions and controlling the game despite briefly spending time in the sin bin.
The Bulls showed no signs of easing off in the second half, with impact off the bench proving decisive. Brooklyn Newman crossed twice, while tries from Khutha Mchunu and Juann Else also went over. The Sharks battled gamely, with tries from Sipho Nonyalela and William Ridl, but were ultimately outmatched across the park.
The Lions finished the league phase on a perfect 30 points from their six-game unbeaten run, followed by the Bulls on 18 points from three wins. The Stormers ended on 10 points and the Sharks on five.
Scorers:
Lions XV 43 (12) DHL Stormers XXIII 19 (7)
Lions – Tries: Morne Venter (4), Dylan Sjoblom, Zian Cilliers, Keagan Smith. Conversions: Matthew Coetzee (4).
Stormers – Tries: Vernon Paulo, Hencus van Wyk, Penalty try. Conversion: Dominic Malgas.
Vodacom Bulls XV 54 (33) Hollywoodbets Sharks U23 12 (12)
Bulls – Tries: Junior Pokomela (2), Brooklyn Newman (2), Henry Immelman, Juann Else, Neil le Roux, Khutha Mchunu. Conversions: Keagan Johannes (6).
Sharks – Tries: Sipho Nonyalela, William Ridl. Conversion: Tian Meyer.
All the results:
Round 1:
Sharks 7-24 Lions
Bulls 68-26 Stormers
Round 2:
Sharks 10-21 Stormers
Bulls 24-27 Lions
Round 3:
Lions 57-26 Sharks
Stormers 17-36 Bulls
Round 4:
Lions 49-31 Bulls
Stormers 41-7 Sharks
Round 5:
Sharks 21-17 Bulls
Stormers 15-24 Lions
Round 6:
Lions 43-19 Stormers
Bulls 54-12 Sharks