The Stormers claimed a 33-7 bonus-point URC victory over Ulster at the DHL Stadium on Saturday, with 20-year-old flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed — named in the Springbok touring squad earlier this week — finishing with four conversions and a try to cap a man-of-the-match performance from hooker Paul de Villiers.
The win looked far from straightforward for long periods. The Stormers conceded 14 turnovers in the first half alone and were repeatedly betrayed by handling errors and players losing their footing on the stadium surface. Ulster's Dave McCann crossed for the only try of the first half after a disallowed Ulster score — the TMO ruling the player had lost control on the line — and the Stormers were fortunate not to find themselves chasing a 14-0 deficit before they had settled.
The turnaround came through the driving maul, which had also been central to their win over the Sharks three weeks ago. Sustained maul pressure eventually forced a Canan Knox yellow card, and on the half-hour mark Cobus Reinach fed De Villiers, who worked the ball to prop Tuks Mchunu. Mchunu's offload put JD Schickerling over for the Stormers' opening try. De Villiers then contributed a charge-down to create a further opportunity before the break.
Evan Roos put the result beyond doubt seven minutes into the second half with a stunning 80-metre individual try, and the bonus-point hunt then became the focus. The Stormers made heavy weather of it, with handling errors repeatedly stalling their attacks, but with nine minutes remaining a sustained phase-play sequence held together long enough for Ahmed to find Ruhan Nel with a cross-kick on penalty advantage. Nel gathered and scored, with Ahmed's conversion making it 26-7.
Ahmed then added a close-range wriggle-through try — his second contribution to the scoresheet — to bring the final tally to 33-7. Inside back Markus Muller, even younger than Ahmed and in contention for Springbok exposure during the forthcoming Nations Championship away leg, also impressed throughout.
John Dobson will nonetheless have concerns about the team's discipline and ball security. Fourteen first-half turnovers against a side of Ulster's calibre is a habit that will be punished by stronger opposition, and the recurring issue of players slipping on the DHL Stadium turf remains unresolved.