Despite a 33-7 bonus-point win, the Stormers were their own worst enemies at DHL Stadium, squandering chance after chance through poor handling before finally clicking into gear late in the first half. The piece argues that a sharper side would have put Ulster to bed far earlier, and that only the Stormers' set-piece dominance — with Mchunu and Louw wrecking Ulster's scrum throughout — kept the visitors sufficiently pinned back to prevent a closer scoreline. Ulster, missing eight front-liners, competed admirably for 70 minutes before fading, and the piece credits their work ethic while noting their early-season record of three losses and two draws leaves Richie Murphy with real problems.
The most interesting angle is the 'Springboks bolter watch.' Ahmed is singled out as genuinely special — his running lines, his cross-field kick for Nel's try — with the caveat that decision-making errors need ironing out. Muller had a solid if unspectacular debut alongside him. Norton came off the bench. The piece also takes a swipe at online critics who questioned Muller's selection on racial grounds, pointing to Ahmed and Vusi Moyo as evidence that Erasmus's net is being cast on merit across the board. For Bok fans tracking who's pushing for a Nations Championship spot, the Ahmed assessment alone is worth reading in full.