Two home semis for SA

While Victor Matfield and the rest of the Bulls' Galacticos had their feet up yesterday, the men who were tasked to fill their boots barely measured up.

The Stormers breezed into the semifinals of the Super14 with a convincing win over their arch rivals but the make-up of the visiting team hardly provided a reliable gauge of the Stormers' championship credentials.

The Stormers did with aplomb what was required of them, while the Bulls were disjointed and barely recognisable from the side that marched up the points table with so much purpose in this campaign.

The Stormers were more determined and more focused, while perhaps more in need of honing their skills before the knockout stage.

They had to exorcise the demons that tormented them in Durban last week and as a remedial tool, this match served its purpose.

Their raw intensity and precision up front was back, as was ruthlessness in attack. Their defence, when it was called on yesterday, stood up to the test.

While reacquainting themselves with these virtues, the Stormers banished the self-doubt and edginess that blighted their performance a week ago.

The Bulls, having already set their gaze on Orlando Stadium, came to Newlands with a side robbed of much of the champion qualities they have exuded over the last few years.

They were only really able to take pot shots at the Stormers and just how Bakkies Botha would wear the mantle of captain became evident when he crashed, shoulder first, into a ruck in the opening minute.

That cost the Bulls three points and the die was cast.

If the Bulls had their eyes on the horizon, Peter Grant could have passed as a member of the Flat Earth Society when he looked way into the distance as the ball flew through his hands from a Dewald Duvenhage pass in the 10th minute.

It fell to Juan de Jongh to try and mop up the mess, but the Bulls had arrived in numbers and the Stormers were punished for holding on. Jacques-Louis Potgieter raised the flags, perhaps also serving a reminder that the Stormers had better stick to their A-game.

Ultimately, there were no such fears, although the Stormers botched a try-scoring opportunity in the 20th minute when Adriaan Fondse ran straight, when a well timed pass to his left would have yielded the desired result. Two minutes later Bryan Habana tried to grubber when support begged for the ball on the outside.

Those were pointers to the Stormers dominance rather than their shortcomings and Habana made amends.

When the Bulls laid their hands on the ball, they generally probed in midfield, but this is an area the Stormers have sewn up this season.

With the Bulls unable to make meaningful breaches, they suffered further indignity by falling foul of the law at the rucks.

The Stormers used the width of the field in probing for holes, and why wouldn't they with the predatory skills of Habana at their disposal?

Just how Habana would shape against the former teammates was a topic of much conjecture in the build-up and the Springbok flyer did not disappoint his new fan base.

His two tries in the first half helped assert the home team's authority, but it wasn't just on the periphery where the Stormers were making inroads.

Their pack has rumbled with hostile intent for most of the campaign and again Schalk Burger and company had the better of the collisions.

Duane Vermeulen delivered a powerhouse performance at No8 while the legend of Andries Bekker seems to grow by each passing week.

So immense was his contribution that the Stormers' brains trust withdrew him from service in the 50th minute, saving him for larger, more pressing battles, perhaps.

Scorers:

Stormers 38 - Tries: Bryan Habana (2), Andries Bekker, Jaque Fourie. Conversions: Peter Grant (3). Penalties: Grant (4).

Bulls 10 - Try: Ruan Snyman. Conversion: Jacques-Louis Potgieter. Penalty: Potgieter.