Highvelders triumph over Cape rivals – Vodacom Super Rugby Round 15 Review
- Jaguares make it six in a row with home victory over Durbanites
The Emirates Lions edged the DHL Stormers 26-23 in a closely fought Vodacom Super Rugby match in Cape Town on Saturday evening to consolidate their top spot on the South African Conference table. The Vodacom Bulls and the Cell C Sharks were both beaten in their respective Round 15 fixtures.
The Jaguares, meanwhile, continued with their impressive form when they gained their sixth straight win in a 29-13 over the Cell C Sharks on Friday evening in Buenos Aires. In Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage and lost 38-28 to the visiting Brumbies.
After another round of exciting action, the Emirates Lions are still leading the South African Conference. They now have 40 points from 14 matches and eight wins. The Jaguares have played one game less and have gathered 34 points from their eight wins so far. The Argentine side is followed by the Cell C Sharks on 28 points, the DHL Stormers (25) and the Vodacom Stormers (24).
Brief match summaries
The only local derby saw the DHL Stormers hosting the Emirates Lions, with the Johannesburg side gaining a hard fought 26-23 win. Franco Mostert’s Highveld side outscored their southern rivals by four tries to two. Nic Groom, Corne Fourie (2) and Madosh Tambwe scored for the Highvelders, while the Cape side’s two tries were scored by Dewaldt Duvenage and Raymond Rhule.
Playing at home in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls succumbed to a 38-28 loss to the Brumbies on Saturday afternoon. The men from Pretoria were unable to convert their second half lead into a win against the Australian side who finished the game with 14 men.
The Brumbies secured the win through tries from Kyle Godwin, Lachlan McCaffrey, Folau Fainga’a, Tom Banks and Andrew Muirhead. Handré Pollard, Johnny Kotze and Roelof Smit dotted down for the home side.
The Cell C Sharks’ playoff hopes suffered a blow when they lost 29-13 to the Jaguares on Friday in Buenos Aires. The in-form Argentine side gained their sixth win in a row to consolidate second spot on the South African conference log, while the Durban outfit remains third.
The Durbanites made a slow start and found themselves 17-0 down as the Jaguares scored two quick tries through left wing Ramiro Moyano. They hit back with their only first half-try when skipper Ruan Botha burst over to reduce the halftime deficit to 17-7. Although flyhalf Robert du Preez kept them within touching distance, it was the Jaguares who secured the bonus-point win when Moyano went over for his hat-trick right at the end.
DHL Stormers (17) 23, Emirates Lions (7) 26
DHL Stormers: Tries: Dewaldt Duvenage, Raymond Rhule; Conversions: Jean-Luc du Plessis (2); Penalties: Du Plessis (3).
Emirates Lions: Tries: Nic Groom, Corne Fourie (2), Madosh Tambwe; Conversions: Elton Jantjies (3).
Vodacom Bulls (14) 28, Brumbies (10) 38
Vodacom Bulls: Tries: Handré Pollard, Roelof Smit, Johnny Kotze; Conversions: Pollard (2); Penalties: Pollard (3).
Brumbies Tries: Kyle Godwin, Lachlan McCaffrey, Folau Fainga’a, Tom Banks, Andrew Muirhead; Conversions: Christian Lealiifano (3), Wharenui Hawera (2); Penalty: Lealiifano.
Jaguares (17) 29, Sharks (7) 13
Jaguares: Tries: Ramiro Moyano (3), Bautista Delguy; Conversions: Nicolas Sanchez (3); Penalty: Sanchez.
Cell C Sharks: Try: Ruan Botha; Conversion: Robert du Preez; Penalties: Robert du Preez (2).
Other Round 15 results of the weekend:
Friday, May 25
Crusaders 24, Hurricanes 13
Rebels 40, Sunwolves 13
Saturday, May 26
Chiefs 39, Waratahs 27
Reds 15, Highlanders 18
Bye: Blues
The updated conference logs after Round 15:
South African Conference
| Pos | Teams | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | PTS |
| 1 | Emirates Lions | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 457 | 392 | 65 | 68 | 50 | 40 |
| 2 | Jaguares | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 340 | 341 | -1 | 42 | 45 | 34 |
| 3 | Cell C Sharks | 13 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 370 | 381 | -11 | 43 | 50 | 28 |
| 4 | DHL Stormers | 14 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 349 | 382 | -33 | 41 | 52 | 25 |
| 5 | Vodacom Bulls | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 349 | 388 | -39 | 47 | 49 | 24 |
New Zealand Conference
| Pos | Teams | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | PTS |
| 1 | Crusaders | 13 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 409 | 236 | 173 | 60 | 30 | 50 |
| 2 | Hurricanes | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 382 | 237 | 145 | 52 | 28 | 45 |
| 3 | Chiefs | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 346 | 269 | 77 | 44 | 33 | 37 |
| 4 | Highlanders | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 320 | 304 | 16 | 42 | 40 | 36 |
| 5 | Blues | 12 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 288 | 377 | -89 | 38 | 47 | 17 |
Australian Conference
| Pos | Teams | P | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | PTS |
| 1 | Waratahs | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 366 | 313 | 53 | 46 | 41 | 31 |
| 2 | Rebels | 12 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 334 | 340 | -6 | 46 | 45 | 30 |
| 3 | Brumbies | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 269 | 324 | -55 | 36 | 39 | 20 |
| 4 | Reds | 12 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 247 | 360 | -113 | 29 | 48 | 19 |
| 5 | Sunwolves | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 279 | 461 | -182 | 32 | 69 | 10 |
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