Bulls storm Newlands

Stormers skipper Schalk Burger predicted during the week that something "had to give" against the Bulls at Newlands and his words proved prescient as the visitors bludgeoned out a win in front of a capacity home crowd.

The victory has kept alive the Bulls' Super Rugby defence after they secured their sixth straight win after starting the season with five losses in their first nine games. They appear to have timed their run to the play-offs perfectly.

The last five minutes were heart-stopping as the Stormers launched a length-of-the-field attack, having narrowed the deficit to three points after lock Andries Bekker's 78th-minute try.

When wing Bryan Habana burst through a hole and had a clear 40m run for the line it looked like the home team would steal an unlikely win after trailing by 10 points with three minutes to go. But Bjorn Basson hauled him down from behind.

Bulls flyhalf Morne Steyn contributed 14 points from four penalties and a conversion, while scrumhalf Francois Hougaard scored a 65th-minute try that proved the difference.

The Bulls now have 53 points, the Stormers 58 and the Sharks 53. It's all to play for next week in the race for playoff berths.

The Stormers will rue their loss because they couldn't control the ball for long periods. There was a time when north/south derbies were easy to predict. The Bulls would arrive at Newlands, give the ball to their big boys, dominate the collisions and win comfortably.

The script has changed considerably in the past 18 months and the Cape side now match the Bulls in physicality. And that change seemed to rattle the Bulls in the first half of this bruising and error-strewn encounter.

One after the other the Bulls launched their strike runners at the Stormers. Pierre Spies, Danie Rossouw and Gary Botha charged valiantly into hooped jerseys. In the past they would have gone forward by feet, if not metres. Yesterday, they were driven back time and again by the most ruthless defence in the competition.

The intensity of the tackling was a little heavier than in other games as the Stormers attempted to underline their growing championship credentials against the side that have set the standard in recent years.

The Bulls defence was equally brutal as Stormers runners hit a wall seemingly constructed from pure testosterone. It was macho stuff and made compelling viewing.

Stormers flyhalf Kurt Coleman was the man under most pressure going into the match. With only two previous starts he was a natural target. In the first minute, he fielded a poor clearance from Morne Steyn and kicked the ball directly to touch under no pressure.

Although he landed one penalty, he threw some wayward passes and looked ruffled early in the second half. Coach Allister Coetzee withdrew him after 47 minutes for Dewaldt Duvenage.

Handling errors plagued the Stormers in the opening quarter. They coughed up six balls, which allowed the Bulls to keep them under pressure.

But pressure didn't initially amount to points and after 20 minutes a lone Steyn penalty was all the visitors had to show for the edge they enjoyed.

However, as the game progressed the Stormers creaked under the strain and Steyn belted two more penalties before Hougaard pierced the defence for the defining score with 15 minutes remaining.

SCORERS

Stormers 16 - Try: Andries Bekker. Conversion: Dewaldt Duvenage. Penalties: Kurt Coleman, Duvenage (2).

Bulls 19 - Try: Francois Hougaard. Conversion: Morne Steyn. Penalties: Steyn (4).