The north-south derby belongs to the Stormers when it comes to Vodacom URC clashes at Loftus.
In four URC encounters dating back to the inaugural season in 2021-22, the Stormers have left Loftus with three wins, albeit with tight margins.
In the first two matches, the Stormers edged the Bulls by only four points on each occasion.
The home side finally bagged a win – and an impressive one at that – at the third time of asking, routing the Stormers 40-22 in the 2023-24 season.
But it was business as usual last season when the Stormers again found a way to win, eking out a three-point victory.
Bulls vs Stormers in URC at Loftus Versfeld
2021-22: Bulls 26 Stormers 30
2022-23: Bulls 19 Stormers 23
2023-24: Bulls 40 Stormers 22
2024-25: Bulls 16 Stormers 19
STATE OF THE URC: Snorting Bulls await Stormers
Relive the two most recent clashes between the teams at Loftus:
BULLS 16 STORMERS 19
1 March 2025
Round 12, 2024-25 season
The Stormers claimed a hard-fought win over the Bulls in atrocious conditions.
The match, which was delayed due to lightning strikes, was dominated by tight forward exchanges, with the Bulls holding the edge at scrum time while the Stormers relied on tactical kicking and strong breakdown work.
Jurie Matthee opened the scoring for the Stormers with an early penalty after the visitors forced a breakdown infringement from the kick-off.
The Bulls responded through David Kriel, who levelled the scores soon after with a penalty of his own. However, the Bulls then saw Willie le Roux yellow-carded for an infringement.
Handling proved difficult in the wet conditions, and both teams struggled to build any sustained attacking momentum. Matthee and Kriel traded penalties as the sides remained locked in a tense battle.
The teams turned with the Stormers holding a slender 12-9 lead.
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The Bulls struck first in the second half when replacement forward Ruan Vermaak powered over for the opening try in the 61st minute, with Kriel converting to put the hosts ahead 16-12.
However, the Stormers hit back six minutes later. After a clever kick exchange involving Warrick Gelant, Wandisile Simelane crossed for a crucial try, which Matthee converted to restore the visitors’ lead.
The Bulls pushed hard in the closing stages, but a breakdown turnover by Evan Roos deep inside Stormers territory halted the home side’s final attack.
BULLS 40 STORMERS 22
2 March 2024
Round 11, 2023-24 season
This was a truly momentous result as the Bulls recorded a first-ever URC win over the Stormers – home or away.
It was also the first time the Stormers had lost a URC match to any of their South African rivals, a run that had stretched 15 matches over more than two years.
The Bulls did it in some style too, delivering a commanding bonus-point victory at a sold-out Loftus Versfeld.
The hosts made the perfect start when Johan Grobbelaar powered over from a driving maul, with Johan Goosen converting for a 7-0 lead. Goosen then added two more penalties as the Bulls capitalised on poor Stormers discipline to extend their advantage.
The Stormers struck back when Ben Loader finished a move created by Dan du Plessis, although Manie Libbok missed the conversion.
Two more Goosen penalties took the score out to 19-5 to the home side.
Momentum briefly shifted when Evan Roos scored from a maul after a yellow card to Stedman Gans, with Libbok adding the conversion and a penalty to reduce the deficit to 19-15 at half-time.
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However, the Bulls regained control in the second half. Grobbelaar grabbed his second try from another powerful maul, before Canan Moodie chased down a loose ball to score after a contestable kick. The conversion by Goosen made it 33-15.
The Stormers responded with a maul try by André-Hugo Venter, but the Bulls put the seal on an emphatic win late on when Embrose Papier dotted down for the bonus-point try, with Goosen again adding the extras for a match haul of 20 points.
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Photo: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The post Stormers love a trip to Loftus appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The north-south derby belongs to the Stormers when it comes to Vodacom URC clashes at Loftus.
The post Stormers love a trip to Loftus appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
