The Stormers’ seventh win in a row against the Bulls was colossal in meaning, but the big winners in Cape Town were South African rugby and the Vodacom URC, writes MARK KEOHANE.
Just over 40 000 fans turned up to Cape Town Stadium to watch John Dobson’s Stormers claim an unprecedented seventh successive win in the URC against Jake White’s Vodacom Bulls.
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An epic derby encounter went down to the wire as just six points separated the two teams in the end, and, writing on his blog keo.co.za, Keohane hailed the impact of the North-South derby on the URC.
“More than 42 000 tickets were sold for a rugby match on the 23rd of December on a day the temperatures were in excess of 25 degrees. Just a shade over 40 000 made it to the ground, braving the traffic and lasting what would have been a long pre-drinks in Cape Town,” Keohane writes.
“The match delivered, for the tournament and, in result, for the hosts.
“Ironically, the 26-20 win by the Stormers is consistent with the average winning score in their previous six league match wins against the Bulls. These wins are never big in numbers but they are colossal in meaning.
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“It seems inconceivable that John Dobson’s Stormers have done Jake White’s Bulls seven times in succession in two years, five of them at the DHL Stadium.
“But that is the reality of the situation and Dobson’s Stormers must be applauded for what is a significant and magnificent feat to down such a power Bulls squad, coached by the 2007 World Cup-winning coach in White.
“The dominance over the Bulls is huge, mentally for what the Stormers are building with their brand of rugby, dedication to the people of Western Province and also their guts and desire to play for each other.”
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