The DHL Stormers and Cell C Sharks reaffirmed their status as South Africa’s leading teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship on February 12 as they registered valuable away wins in Gauteng against the Emirates Lions and Vodacom Bulls, respectively.
A strong second-half showing by the DHL Stormers saw them secure a bonus-point 32-10 victory against the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg, outscoring the hosts four tries to one, after holding a slender 10-3 halftime lead.
The Cell C Sharks and Vodacom Bulls, meanwhile, scored four tries apiece in Pretoria, despite the hosts being reduced to 14 men for 70 minutes, and in the end, it was Durbanites’ superior goal-kicking with two conversions and a penalty goal to the hosts’ solitary conversion that had them the upper hand for a 29-22 victory.
The victory for the DHL Stormers saw them leap from 10th place on the log to seventh on 23 points from nine games, while the Cell C Sharks advanced from 11th to ninth place (21 points).
The Vodacom Bulls are 12th with 18 points and the Emirates Lions 14th on 12 points, but the four SA teams still have the luxury of a game in hand against most of their rivals further up on the standings.
