The Stormers posted a 39-22 win over the Sharks at home on Saturday, with Hacjivah Dayimani crossing for a brace and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu earning man of the match honours on his return to the starting lineup.
The Stormers' scrum was the platform for the victory, with Nthuthuko Mchunu winning four penalties against Springbok loosehead Thomas du Toit in the opening exchanges alone. Three lineout-drive tries — including a pushover that Dayimani claimed — and sharp ball movement out wide to put Seabelo Senatla over in the corner illustrated the breadth of the Stormers' attack. Two further tries were disallowed, meaning the margin could have been wider still.
The Sharks were undone by ill-discipline at a critical juncture. Matt Ramao received a yellow card just after the half-hour mark for a drop-knee tackle — the infringement that World Rugby had explicitly reiterated was outlawed in the same week — and was followed shortly after by Manu Tshituka, who was binned as the Stormers scored their third try. Losing Eben Etzebeth and Vusi Moyo to injury before the break further disrupted Durban's plans.
The Sharks each had their loose trio cross the line, and showed brief signs of a second-half comeback, but their Bok wingers Edwill van der Merwe and Ethan Hooker were visible almost exclusively in defence throughout. The performance echoed the previous week's loss to Leinster: competitive in patches but without the consistency to trouble a well-organised opponent.
For the Stormers, the return of Springboks including Paul de Villiers and Siya Kolisi provided depth, though both had understated outings. It was Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and the front-row partnership of Wilco Louw and Mchunu who drove the performance. The Stormers also had to absorb a pre-match blow when Evan Roos was ruled out with a hamstring niggle, but the depth of their squad was never in question. The five-point haul will be a timely response after their loss to Edinburgh.