Planet Rugby's winners-and-losers breakdown of the Stormers' comfortable 33-7 URC win over Ulster identifies the home scrum as the game's defining force — Louw and Mchunu gave O'Sullivan and Knox a torrid afternoon, with the Ulster front row eventually reduced to 14 men after a yellow card. Evan Roos was explosive before limping off just after the hour, while Paul de Villiers put in a monster shift — 20 tackles, a charge-down try, and the kind of all-court display that keeps him firmly in Rassie's thinking. Adre Smith and Schickerling were both impressive in the engine room, and Yaqeen Ahmed's Nations Championship call-up was well-timed given a polished cameo that included a try and a try-assist. On the Ulster side, Ethan McIlroy was the lone bright spot, finishing with 126 metres, but Devine's errors — including the loose pass that gifted Roos his try — and Lowry's disjointed showing left the visitors without a win in five. The piece also flags injury concerns for both Roos and Leolin Zas.
Stormers demolish Ulster 33-7: Roos, De Villiers and a dominant scrum lead the way
A dominant Stormers scrum drove a 33-7 URC win over Ulster, with Roos, De Villiers and Ahmed the standouts — though injury concerns for Roos and Zas temper the mood slightly.
Burger: Roos earns his Bok recall — but the soft-skill weakness is real
Burger endorses Roos's Bok recall but flags a genuine soft-skill concern, while De Villiers uses Papier and Horn to argue Erasmus's selection culture consistently rewards sustained URC form.
Erasmus backs Porthen as long-term Louw successor ahead of England Test
Erasmus has publicly backed Zachary Porthen as the long-term successor to Wilco Louw at tighthead, with Louw rested for personal reasons ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener against England at Ellis Park.
Augustus still in Springboks' plans despite Nations Championship absence
Rassie Erasmus confirms Juarno Augustus remains in Springbok plans but is currently injured and unavailable for the Nations Championship, with the Ulster back-rower still awaiting a first Test cap.
Willemse and De Villiers lead Stormers to 44-21 URC quarter-final win over Cardiff, but Feinberg-Mngomezulu limps off
Damian Willemse and Paul de Villiers were the standout performers as the Stormers beat Cardiff 44-21 in their URC quarter-final in Cape Town, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu's second-half injury the main concern from an otherwise commanding display.
What Bordeaux's Champions Cup demolition of Leinster means for SA's URC finals hopes
Rich uses Bordeaux's physical demolition of Leinster as a lens on SA's URC finals prospects — arguing the Stormers cost themselves and their SA counterparts dearly by failing to secure second place, while flagging a scrumhalf depth problem that extends beyond the URC and straight into Erasmus's Bok planning.