The Bulls and Stormers in action during the North-South URC derby at Loftus in March last year. Picture: Gordon Arons/Gallo Images
The Stormers and Bulls have built up a fantastic rivalry in the United Rugby Championship (URC) over the past four years and they are all set for another massive North-South derby at a packed Cape Town Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It has been the Stormers that boast the lopsided bragging rights with an incredible seven wins in their eight matches so far, but many of those were extremely close results that could have gone either way at the death.
The Bulls finally broke their losing streak against the Stormers in their last match against each other at Loftus in March last year, so the hosts will be eager to bounce back and keep their unbeaten home run in check, while the visitors will be hunting a first win in Cape Town.
Here are the previous eight North-South URC derbies between the Stormers and Bulls:
The first URC derby between the Bulls and Stormers was battled out at Loftus in early 2022, and was a game that the hosts kicked themselves for not winning after being in charge going into the final quarter.
It was an entertaining game with wings Madosh Tambwe and Seabelo Senatla dotting down twice for either side, and when Elrigh Louw went over for the hosts in the 62nd minute it put them up 26-18.
However the Stormers came flying back, with Herschel Jantjies scoring in the 65th minute, followed by a converted score with three minutes left, Senatla breaking the line and setting Paul de Wet up for the match winning score to seal a late win.
This game was a tight affair and looked like it was heading into halftime at three-all, only for a converted score to Hacjivah Dayimani after the halftime hooter, gave the Stormers a 10-3 lead at the break.
Early in the second half a converted try to Canan Moodie levelled the scores, Manie Libbok then pushed the hosts into a 19-10 lead with two penalties and a drop goal with 10 minutes remaining.
A 72nd minute yellow card to Dayimani, followed by a converted score to Elrigh Louw two minutes later, pulled the Bulls to within two points and gave them a great chance of snatching a win, which they were unable to do.
The first URC final was a game for the ages and it required a superb second half comeback from the hosts to continue their winning run over the BUlls and secure them the title.
The first half produced very few scoring opportunities, with the visitors taking an early lead through a converted try to Harold Vorster in the opening five minutes, while a Manie Libbok penalty on the stroke of halftime made it 7-3 at the break.
The Stormers fought back in the second half with converted tries to Evan Roos and Andre-Hugo Venter, while Chris Smith kept the Bulls well in the game with two penalties, before a Libbok drop goal with five minutes to go gave the hosts enough breathing room to see out the win.
The first North-South derby in season two of the URC was a rollicking affair that saw the Cape side emerge as comfortable victors after outscoring their Highveld visitors four tries to three.
It was a tight first half with just one try and two penalties a piece to both sides that saw them head into halftime locked level at 13-all.
But the game burst two life in the second half with a further five tries between the sides, while Manie Libbok’s boot kept the Stormers ahead, as he slotted three penalties and three conversions for a personal haul of 15 points.
The Bulls were desperate to break their losing streak against the Stormers, with them finally back at home after three straight away games against them, but it was instead more misery for the Highveld side.
Four first half penalties from the boot of Chris Smith was not enough for the hosts as they trailed by a point at the break after a converted Marcel Theunissen try and two Manie Libbok penalties.
The Stormers were then never headed in the second half as Junior Pokomela dotted down for a seven pointer, followed by S’bu Nkosi for the hosts, while a 72nd Libbok drop goal gave the visitors a four point buffer which they held onto over the dying moments.
It was a dominant showing from the Stormers that saw them cruise into the URC semis with a comfortable win back on home turf.
Converted tries to Hacjiva Dayimani and Leolin Zas, along with a Manie Libbok penalty, against a late converted score to Cyle Brink saw the hosts go into halftime 17-7 ahead.
In the second half an Angelo Davids converted try and three penalties from the boot of Libbok pushed the Stormers into an unassailable lead, and it was only a consolation converted score to Bismarck du Plessis after the full time hooter that made the game look more competitive than it was.
Another festive North-South derby, another Stormers win as they made it an incredible seven straight wins over their Highveld rivals.
The Bulls outscored the Stormers two tries to one in the first half, but with Manie Libbok kicking a conversion and two penalties and Damian Willemse a drop goal, while Johan Goosen missed both conversions, the hosts led 16-10 at halftime.
A Libbok penalty and converted try to Ruhan Nel, against a converted score to Canan Moodie, put the Stormers 26-17 ahead going into the final 20 minutes, and it was only a 72nd minute penalty from Chris Smith that had the Bulls in range over the last few minutes of the match.
Finally the Bulls broke their duck, and they did it in style, as they picked up the biggest win between the two teams in the URC at Loftus last year, thanks to the unerring boot of Johan Goosen as he contributed 20 points.
Four first half penalties from Goosen plus a converted try to Johan Grobbelaar, against two scores and a Manie Libbok conversion and penalty saw the Bulls 19-15 ahead at the break.
It was a top second half performance that saw the Bulls dot down for three converted tries, to Grobbelaar, Canan Moodie and Embrose Papier, while the Stormers could only reply through a converted score Andre-Hugo Venter, as the hosts celebrated their first URC win over their coastal rivals.
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