Hacjivah Dayimani bagged a brace as the Stormers ended the Sharks’ unbeaten start to the URC season with a bonus-point win at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
Commanding a 22-8 half-time lead, Dayimani crossed the whitewash either side of the interval in a 39-22 victory for the home side to avenge back-to-back URC defeats in the coastal derby last season.
Wearing their black away kit for the first time this season – a throwback to the iconic 1999 Men in Black campaign – the Stormers played in front of more than 40,000 passionate supporters.
John Dobson’s troops went into the clash on the back of a 17-13 loss to Edinburgh in round two, while the Sharks were riding high after successive bonus-point wins at Kings Park.
Sharks coach JP Pietersen promoted Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nché and Ethan Hooker to the starting XV, while Dobson named 11 Springboks, with Wilco Louw earning his first Stormers cap since 2020.
However, the Capetonians were forced into a late change with Evan Roos ruled out with a hamstring niggle. Deon Fourie would cover loose forward while hooker JJ Kotzé was drafted onto the bench.
Right winger Seabelo Senatla celebrated with an acrobatic flick-flack à la the legendary Breyton Paulse after opening the scoring in the fifth minute, before Man of the Match Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu added a penalty.
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Flanker Emmanuel Tshituka crossed for the Sharks after a powerful André Esterhuizen carry, and levelled the scores at 8-8 via a Gianni Lombard strike from the kicking tee.
The Stormers then capitalised on flanker Matt Romao’s yellow card for a dangerous tackle on inside centre Jonathan Roche. Dayimani scored from a maul in the 36th minute, and Springbok hooker André-Hugo Venter crossed from another before the break.
ACKERS: Bulls showed their steel
The visitors kicked off the second 40 minutes with 13 men after Tshituka joined Romao in the sin bin for repeated team infringements, and the Stormers exploited the numerical advantage with a touchdown from speedster Leolin Zas out wide.
Dayimani completed his double soon after off the back of another strong showing by the pack, only for the Sharks to claw back through scores from Romao, Phepsi Buthelezi and the boot of Lombard as the match entered the final quarter.
Kotzé added his name to the scoresheet for the final touches on an impressive result from the 2021-22 champions in their first home game of the season.
The Sharks face Lyon in France next week in the opening round of the EPCR Challenge Cup, while the Stormers host English club the Bristol Bears in the Investec Champions Cup.
Pietersen, though, will be sweating over the availability of Etzebeth (lower leg) and Vusi Moyo (shoulder) after both Boks were substituted in the first half with injury concerns.
STORMERS – Tries: Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani (2), André-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JJ Kotzé. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
SHARKS – Tries: Manu Tshituka, Matt Romao, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalty: Lombard.
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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Hacjivah Dayimani bagged a brace as the Stormers ended the Sharks’ unbeaten start to the URC season with a bonus-point win at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
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