Leotlela double lifts Stormers XXIII past Bulls XV 50-26 in Currie Cup

Stormers XXIII beat Bulls XV 50-26 at Loftus on Friday night, with Joel Leotlela scoring twice in a seven-try performance. The victory earned the Stormers five log points and moved them to fifth place in the Currie Cup standings.

Leotlela’s first try came during a dominant opening half in which the visitors crossed the line five times. Markus Muller, Kyle Smith, Herman Lubbe and Mhleli Khuzwayo also scored before the interval, while Smith converted four of the tries to give the Stormers a 33-7 advantage at half-time.

Leotlela added his second shortly after the restart. The winger worked through several tackles near the corner after another period of sustained Stormers pressure, and Smith’s conversion extended the lead to 40-7.

The Bulls responded with three tries as they briefly threatened to close the gap. Demitre Erasmus finished a move created by a grubber from the flyhalf in the 54th minute, before replacement hooker Jon Hobson scored from a rolling maul eight minutes later. Keagan Johannes converted both efforts.

Smith’s long-range penalty in the 67th minute kept the Stormers comfortably ahead. The Bulls then reduced the margin to 43-26 when flank Kebotile Maake finished another rolling maul after Stormers centre Cornel Smit was sin-binned for cynical play at the breakdown. Johannes added the conversion.

Stormers XXIII regained control late on, with replacement loose forward Eric Basson scoring from a powerful maul in the 75th minute. Smith converted, completing a personal tally of six successful conversions and one penalty. The Bulls remain bottom without a win, while the Stormers must beat the Lions at Ellis Park in the final round next weekend to strengthen their semi-final prospects. Bulls XV finish their campaign against Sharks XV in Durban.