Hacjivah Dayimani scored a brace of tries as the DHL Stormers bounced back from their loss to Edinburgh to post a commanding 39-22 win over local rivals, the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday.
Springbok flyhalf Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu put on a man of the match performance as the Stormers dominated the scrums and most facets of play with an exceptional forward performance to ensure they took all five points on offer from the game.
It's good to be home. Six tries and five log points. See you back here next weekend. #STOvSHA @Vodacom #URC #inittogether https://t.co/WnseV9mTGe
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 10, 2026
The Sharks were hampered by ill-discipline, with two yellow cards before halftime proving to be very costly, while losing Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Vusi Moyo early to injury as well didn’t help their cause.
To be fair, the Stormers also lost Evan Roos before the game to a hamstring niggle.
But the visitors could hardly quibble with the result as the Stormers made the most of their chances, and could have won by more, considering they had two tries chalked off as well.
The return of the Springboks was a key factor for the Stormers, and while Paul de Villiers and Siya Kolisi both had quiet games by their own standards, it was Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Damian Willemse and the scrum duo of Wilco Louw and Nthuthuko Mchunu who provided the momentum they needed to get on top.
STORMERS DOMINANT IN SCRUMS
The first five scrums were penalties - four of them against Bok Thomas du Toit - as referee Morne Ferreira judged that Mchunu got the better of his Bok team-mate.
That momentum, and fixing the Stormers lineout that cost them so dearly against Edinburgh, provided a platform for the Stormers to take charge, and Feinberg-Mngomezulu was playing grandmaster behind them to keep the team on the front foot.
While not everything came off for SFM, you could clearly see the confidence he brought back with him and that rubbed off on his team-mates.
The Sharks played in spurts, and considering the only times you saw their Bok wingers in Edwill van der Merwe and Ethan Hooker, were on defence, also tells a pretty damning story.
Their pack played well in moments, but lost the overall battle and while each of their loose trio picked up a try, and there was an inkling of a comeback in the second half, the performance confirmed what we saw against Leinster from them last week: Things are better in Durban but they still haven’t turned the corner yet.
They were a long way from the side that did the double against the Stormers last season, even though that was one of the few highlights of their year and while things do feel different in Durban this year, they still are missing that consistency that they desire.
DROP TACKLE CHANGED MOMENTUM
The key moment that broke the game open came just after the half hour mark when talented loose forward Matt Ramao performed a drop-knee tackle, earning himself a yellow after World Rugby reiterated this week that the tackle was outlawed.
He was followed shortly afterwards off the field by Manu Tshituka, who had a good game otherwise, but was adjudged to be the culprit as the Stormers scored their third try.
And looking at those tries, the Stormers will be happy that it was a combination of forwards and backs that did the damage.
There were no less than four lineout drive tries in the game, three to the Stormers, and a pushover try that Dayimani claimed as his own.
STORMERS MAUL WAS GOOD
But while the contest started even, it was the Stormers that took control early on, using their setpiece to get ahead early.
It was one of the first powerful driving mauls that led to Seabelo Senatla’s opening try and a rendition of Breyton Paulse’s flick flack in celebration in a throwback to the 99 Men in Black side.
Everybody loves a Seabelo Senatla celebration 🥳⚫️ 📺 Stream #VURC on DStv: https://t.co/0P0NNhnwKw https://t.co/TEWytu6eLU
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) October 10, 2026
The maul did the damage but it was some swift passing that got the ball to Senatla in space and allowed him to go over in the corner.
The Stormers weren’t going to have it all their own way though, at least not in the early stages, as the Durban side showed they can put some power in their lineout drive as well.
Jaden Hendrikse broke away and two phases later it was Tshituka who powered over the line to get them back on even stakes.
The sides swapped penalties before Ramao’s drop tackle tilted the momentum in the Stormers’ favour and down to 14 they couldn’t stop Dayimani from going over at the back of a lineout drive.
The Stormers employed the same tactic the next time they got into the 22, only for Andre-Hugo Venter to drive over this time.
And as the rest of the maul collapsed, Tshituka was off to join Ramao on the sidelines with the Sharks down to 13 and 22-8 behind at the break.
Things got worse early in the second half as the Stormers attacked again, and through sheer numbers Leolin Zas picked the ball up at the ruck and found nobody in front of him to score the bonus point try for the Stormers.
Irresistable running from Siya who is brought down just short, but Zas is there to dive over for the BP! ⛈️ 27-8 🦈 (42 mins) #STOvSHA @Vodacom #URC #inittogether https://t.co/e6ho4ob7xk
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 10, 2026
PUSHOVER TRY
The Sharks lost the ball on attack in the 47th minute, and it was booted downfield, resulting in a foot race between Senatla and Hooker, with the latter saving the visitors’ blushes with some good cover play.
However the resulting five metre scrum saw them have no answer, as the Stormers powered their way over for a pushover try, with Dayimani claiming it at the back.
There was a mini recovery from the Sharks, as the fightback led to Ramao going over from the back of a maul to give them some hope.
That was followed by Phepsi Buthelezi barging his way over from a five-metre tap penalty to take them within 12 points of their opponents.
But when the Stormers got their maul going again, and JJ Kotze went over at the back, that fightback was snuffed out and it never recovered.
The maul that just wouldn't stop! JJ Kotze goes over as the forwards claim another one. ⛈️ 39-22 🦈 (64 mins) #STOvSHA @Vodacom #URC #inittogether https://t.co/5UiIkarXD1
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 10, 2026
Dayimani was denied a hat-trick when the Stormers recovered an up and under in the Sharks 22, and it was recycled with him running through a gap in the midfield, but the TMO saw a knock from Willemse as the ball came down and he never got the accolade.
Still, the win was comprehensive enough for the Stormers to head to Europe next weekend confident that Edinburgh was a blip, and with their Boks back, that they can have a good crack at the Investec Champions’ Cup.
Scorers
DHL Stormers - tries: Seabelo Senatla, Hacjivah Dayimani (2), Andre-Hugo Venter, Leolin Zas, JJ Kotze. Conversions: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (3). Penalty: Feinberg-Mngomezulu.
Hollywoodbets Sharks - tries: Manu Tshituka, Matt Ramao, Phepsi Buthelezi. Conversions: Gianni Lombard (2). Penalty: Lombard.