The roar that rolled around Cape Town Stadium on Friday night felt like a new season cracking open. In a meeting that will echo for weeks, the United Rugby Championship Stormers vs Leinster opener delivered a bruising 35-0 bonus point win for the 2021-22 champions, complete with a clean sheet, four tries, and a scrum that became a statement all on its own.
This was not just a result, it was an identity check, and the Stormers passed with flair and ferocity. They led only 6-0 at halftime, yet once the rust was stripped away, Leinster were squeezed, rattled and ultimately routed.
A set piece statement in Cape Town
The Stormers set their tone early, banking a slew of scrum penalties and a maul that carried menace all evening. Jurie Mathee nudged them ahead in the sixth minute off a dominant scrum, then had two long-range chances that sailed wide before adding a second penalty for a 6-0 break lead.
There were near misses that hinted at the oncoming storm. A Paul de Villiers finish off a rolling maul was chalked off for obstruction after a TMO consultation, and later Wandisile Simelane’s dash to the line was denied for a forward pass, reminders that the margin could have been wider at the interval.
Blitz second half and the moments that broke the game
Right after the restart, Mathee’s boot stretched the lead, then the first try arrived from sharp transition. A poor Leinster cross kick was pounced on by Seabelo Senatla, who surged into the 22 and released Stefan Ungerer for the converted score that pushed the Stormers into a 16-0 strut.
Leinster’s discipline frayed in the final quarter and the hosts feasted. Max Deegan was sin-binned for hands in the ruck inside the red zone, Tommy O’Brien followed three minutes later for a high tackle on Senatla, and the Stormers turned the screws with ruthless precision.
- Scrum ascendancy and Mathee’s early penalties built the platform,
- Senatla’s read on a loose kick set Ungerer free to open the try account,
- two yellow cards invited two maul tries for Evan Roos, then Mathee iced it with a late step and sprint to the corner.
Roos twice rode the power of a surging lineout drive to score, each time off the same corner routine, and with a two-man advantage the Stormers sealed the bonus point when Mathee dummied, stepped and raced clear in the 70th minute. It was a comprehensive flourish, the kind of finishing spree that turns a strong display into a signature win.
Leaders find their voice
Captain Ruhan Nel, wearing the armband in the absence of several regular leaders, framed the night as equal parts patience and pay-off. The first forty was pockmarked by errors from both teams, yet the Stormers stayed methodical and found their gear after the break.
“It was definitely mission accomplished. For the first game of the season we were expecting a bit of rust, and that showed in the first half. We had so many opportunities, and two tries that were disallowed,” said Nel.
Nel tipped his cap to the game management of Mathee and the relentless industry of Senatla, while throwing a challenge to the faithful. Stick behind us, was the message, because the work and the standard are rising together.
“We created so many opportunities and I am definitely walking off the field today, as well as many other guys, with a lot of positivity and a lot to look forward to over the rest of the season.”
Senatla the spark on the edge
Seabelo Senatla did not need a try to be decisive. He was named man of the match for a high-energy performance laced with aerial composure, sharp reads in the wider channels, and a defensive bite that turned phases into pressure.
“It’s exactly how we wanted to start. We haven’t had a start like this in a very long time, and we wanted to break that streak of bad starts that we have had,” said Senatla. “We were nice and clinical and I am glad they didn’t score at the end.”
Senatla spoke about demanding more from himself, building a holistic profile, and leaning into the details. The try assist for Ungerer was a snapshot of that evolution, reading the kick, attacking space, then executing with clarity when the moment opened.
Leinster search for answers
Leinster captain Luke McGrath cut a frustrated figure, acknowledging the gulf between intent and execution. The Irish side never found a handle on the contest, and as the penalties piled up their shape unraveled.
“It was far from what we expected. Never mind the result, but we are really disappointed with that performance. The Stormers put us under pressure early and it felt like we never got a grip on the game,” said McGrath.
With Leinster headed to Loftus to face the Bulls next, the review will be frank, because their discipline was not close to the required level. The Stormers forced that, yet there is iron to sharpen before the Pretoria test bites.
Dobson’s scrum culture and a pack built for the long haul
Director of Rugby John Dobson did not hide his satisfaction with the forward response, and particularly the front row depth that has taken shape despite recent attrition. The Stormers have waved goodbye to Steven Kitshoff to retirement and have had Frans Malherbe managing neck and back issues, plus Brok Harris has moved from the grind to the coaching box.
What Friday revealed was the rise of a new cohort. Dobson highlighted Vernon Matongo, Oliver Reid and Zachary Porthen as emerging anchors, with Neethling Fouché providing experience and former Sharks loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu part of the roster, although injured for now. Wilco Louw is set to join next season after completing his Bulls contract, and should Malherbe return to full fitness, the scrum cupboard will be richly stocked.
“The scrum culture is so important. This time last year, we had guys like Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe, and now we have Olly Reid, Zach Porthen and Vernon Matongo,” said Dobson. “Leinster had 13 internationals and we were four internationals with 13 caps. It’s remarkable that we got that sort of depth in those youngsters.”
Dobson also praised assistant coach Rito Hlungwani for a refreshed maul blueprint that was sharp in pre-season and lethal here. Two tries came off those precise drives, a notable turnaround after the maul had stalled across recent campaigns.
Scoreboard and the shape of a shutout
The final ledger captured the breadth of contribution. Tries to Stefan Ungerer, Evan Roos twice, and Jurie Mathee, plus three Mathee conversions and three penalties, balanced graft with guile and put a bow on the bonus point.
It was not just the four tries, it was the zero against a team known for structure and resilience. That clean sheet, defended to the last phase, crystallized what the opening night meant to a group intent on reclaiming a place near the top of the United Rugby Championship table.
What the opening weekend told us
The league’s first round framed the Stormers’ win as the weekend’s headline. The Bulls also pocketed a bonus point after a second-half surge to beat Ospreys 53-40 in Pretoria, while the Sharks and Lions absorbed painful away defeats, 35-19 at Glasgow and 33-20 at Cardiff respectively.
For the Stormers, this felt like a marker in a season where a top-four push is a clear target. After two quarterfinal exits from eighth place, banking five points and throttling Leinster was the right note to strike at the first time of asking.
Reinforcements arrive and Ospreys challenge awaits
The good news did not stop at the final whistle. Three key forwards, Scotland international Oli Kebble, tighthead Sazi Sandi and Springbok Deon Fourie, have recovered sufficiently to be in the selection frame for Ospreys at DHL Stadium on Friday night.
Hlungwani confirmed that more reinforcements are lined up for the three-match overseas tour next week. One of those is Ntuthuko Mchunu, the former Sharks loosehead who has impressed the coaching group, although Vernon Matongo is pushing hard to keep the number 1 jersey on merit.
Fourie’s return also opens tactical flexibility. Dobson is expected to use him as a loose forward and at hooker during the season, a dual role he filled with South Africa at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and one that allows Paul de Villiers to continue his rapid ascent while keeping both on the field when needed.
There are no fresh injury alarms from the Leinster game. Marcel Theunissen sustained a facial laceration, yet is expected to be ready, which means Dobson can blend returning experience with form players for a fixture that has become spiky in recent years.
Ospreys have beaten the Stormers in Cape Town two seasons ago and again on opening day last season, and they were combative in patches at Loftus before fading. With no new fitness setbacks and a trio of senior forwards back in the mix, the Stormers can attack that challenge with real depth on the bench.
How the Stormers won the pressure game
Three pillars stood out. The scrum fed momentum, the maul cashed it in, and the decision-making at key junctures kept the hosts on the front foot even when chances went begging in the first half.
Mathee’s composure underscored it, from the opening penalty to the late swerve for the fourth try. Ungerer’s support line and finish matched the tempo, while Roos brought that irresistible leg drive that turns clean ball into bruised shoulders and scoreboard movement.
The last word
Sometimes the first night of a season offers a whisper. This one shouted. A 35-0 whitewash of the defending champions, built on collective muscle memory and a renewed set piece edge, is the sort of performance that breathes belief into a campaign.
There will be sterner tests, and Leinster themselves will look very different later in the year. For now, the Stormers own the moment, their fans have a performance to savor, and Ospreys arrive to face a team that has found its voice, its rhythm, and its ruthless streak.
