LIVE BLOG: Stormers-Bulls United Rugby Championship final

The United Rugby Championship Trophy. Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

The United Rugby Championship Trophy. Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix

Published Jun 18, 2022

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Cape Town - Welcome to IOL Sport’s live coverage of the United Rugby Championship final between the Stormers and the Bulls at Cape Town Stadium!

Our team of rugby writers at Cape Town Stadium will keep you up to date with all the action as it happens.

80th minute: What a second half performance from the home side. They won the territory battle and kept the Bulls pinned in their half for much of the second stanza.

80th minute: STORMERS WIN!!!

Gelant with a great turnover at the death and Damian Willemse kicks the ball off the park to hand the Stormers the United Rugby Championship title!

We’re into the final minute ...

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

75th minute: DROP GOAL STORMERS!!! Libbok drops it over after that scrum. The Stormers team 18-13 going into the last 5 minutes.

73th minute: The Stormers get a scrum on the Bulls’ 5m line after a wonderful catch out of the air from Sergeal Petersen, whose final pass just could not find a teammate.

71st minute: Outsanding defence from the Bulls, keep ing the Stormers out so close from their line.

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

66th minute: More good news for the Bulls ... Hendriks is back on the field ...

65th minute: PENALTY BULLS! Smith punishes the Stormers after Warrick Gelant plays the ball on the ground.

58th minute: The Bulls make a change ...

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

57th Minute: TRY STORMERS: Andre-Hugo Venter goes over after Libbok put the penalty right on the Bulls’ 5 metre line. The Stormers maul too strong. Libbok misses the converstion and the home side are 15-10 in the lead.

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

56th minute YELLOW CARD BULLS! Cornal Hendriks is sent to the sin bin after a high tackle on Ruan Nel of the Stormers.

Ashfak Mohamed explains why the Stormers have been so much better in the second half ...

45th minute: TRY STORMERS! Evan Roos crashes over after the Stormers got a scrum close to the Bulls’ line. The scores are level (10-10) in Cape Town!

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

We’re back!

42nd minute: But it’s bad news for Stormers fans. The Bulls get a penalty almost straight after the restart. Smith converts for a 3-10 lead.

HALFTIME: Stormers 3 Bulls 7

40th minute: Libbok converts a penalty after a good spell of pressure by the Stormers. They will feel good heading into the break just four points down against the Bulls.

33rd minutes: Mannie Libbok fails to convert a penalty after the Bulls are blown up at a breakdown inside their 22.

29th minute: The Bulls aren’t taking their chances in the Stormers’ 22.

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

Morgan sums it up brilliantly ...

— Morgan Bolton (@FreemanZAR) June 18, 2022

23rd minute: Deon Fourie has been the Stormers’ hero so far, making crucial steals in his own 22 to keep the Bulls at bay.

— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) June 18, 2022

17th minute: Nervy start from the Stormers, who have made double the number of tackles so far.

WHAT A START FOR THE BULLS!

— vodacomrugby (@VodacomRugga) June 18, 2022

3rd minute: TRY BULLS! Harold Voster scores after a bullocking run by Johan Grobbelaar, who broke away from a maul. Smith adds the extras. What a start for the Bulls!

1st minute: The Bulls get us underway, with Chris Smith kicks it high into the Mother City night sky.

* It’s bitterly cold at Cape Town Stadium, but the crowd who came in is warming up for a massive battle between the two arch-rivals at Cape Town’s famous 20210 World Cup venue.

The trophy (Beastie, as they call all 20kgs of her) is on display on the pitch and there is a buzz in the air. The 31 000 faithful are in good spirits, and the only regret is that this majestic stadium isn’t filled to capacity for what is expected to be a fierce North-South derby.

There are lots of big names here, with former Stormers star Cheslin Kolbe giving his prediction for the game ...

TEAMS FOR CAPE TOWN STADIUM

Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant 14 Sergeal Petersen 13 Ruhan Nel 12 Damian Willemse 11 Seabelo Senatla 10 Manie Libbok 9 Herschel Jantjies 8 Evan Roos 7 Hacjivah Dayimani 6 Deon Fourie 5 Marvin Orie 4 Salmaan Moerat 3 Frans Malherbe 2 JJ Kotze 1 Steven Kitshoff (captain).

Bench: 16 Andre-hugo Venter 17 Brok Harris 18 Neethling Fouche 19 Ernst van Rhyn 20 Junior Pokomela 21 Nama Xaba 22 Godlen Masimla 23 Sacha Mngomezulu.

Bulls: 15 Kurt-lee Arendse 14 Canan Moodie 13 Cornal Hendricks 12 Harold Vorster 11 Madosh Tambwe 10 Chris Smith 9 Zak Burger 8 Elrigh Louw 7 Arno Botha 6 Marcell Coetzee (captain) 5 Ruan Nortje 4 Walt Steenkamp 3 Mornay Smith 2 Johan Grobbelaar 1 Gerhard Steenekamp.

Bench: 16 Bismarck du Plessis 17 Simphiwe Matanzima 18 Robert Hunt 19 Janko Swanepoel 20 WJ Steenkamp 21 Embrose Papier 22 Morné Steyn 23 David Kriel.

IOL Sports Show: Stormers vs Bulls Preview