In an intense South African derby, the DHL Stormers experienced their first defeat of the Vodacom URC season, falling 30-19 to the Hollywoodbets Sharks at DHL Stadium on Saturday night.
The match kicked off with the Sharks drawing first blood as lock Jason Jenkins scored a try from a maul in the corner. The DHL Stormers hit back quickly with Damian Willemse recovering the restart to score their first try. The Sharks maintained their momentum with a cross-kick to Jaco Williams, who scored another try, followed by a penalty to stretch their lead to 17-5.
The DHL Stormers made a commendable effort to assert dominance, and a quick tap penalty from captain Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu set up Willemse for his second try, closing the gap to 17-12 at halftime.
However, the second half saw the Sharks score early following a series of penalties leading to a yellow card and a subsequent maul try. Despite the Stormers camping in opposition territory for much of the half, they struggled to find the finishing touch. The Sharks capitalized on this by adding another penalty, pushing their lead to a more comfortable 30-12.
In a valiant effort, the DHL Stormers did earn a penalty try that brought the score to 30-19, and they pressed hard for another try that could earn them two bonus points, but time ran out before they could complete the comeback.
The scoring summary featured two tries from Willemse and a penalty try for the DHL Stormers, with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu providing a conversion. The Sharks responded with tries from Jenkins, Williams, Phepsi Buthelezi, and Janse van Rensburg, along with conversions and penalties by Curwin Hendrikse.
The result serves as a reminder of the competitive nature of the Vodacom URC, and despite the loss, the DHL Stormers displayed resilience and are sure to regroup ahead of their next match.