Boland crush Stormers XXIII to extend perfect Currie Cup start

Boland underlined their Currie Cup title credentials with a ruthless 41-3 demolition of Stormers XXIII in Wellington on Sunday to maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign.

The home side, roared on by a passionate Boland crowd, seized control from the opening exchanges and never allowed the visitors to gain a foothold, running in six tries in a one-sided contest.

Stormers XXIII – effectively a youthful Western Province selection – arrived with confidence after their opening-round win over Griquas, but they were outplayed in every department and fell away badly as the match wore on.

Boland’s victory backed up their first-round success over the Bulls, leaving them as one of only two teams with a 100% record after two rounds, alongside log leaders the Cheetahs.

Clinical Boland overpower youthful visitors

Boland’s attacking threat was evident across the backline, with tries from Domenic Smit, Xavier Mitchell and Joshua Eras setting the platform for the win, while Jayden Bantom delivered a standout individual display.

Bantom crossed for a hat-trick of tries and also took on the goal-kicking duties, adding four conversions and a penalty to finish with a commanding personal haul.

Stormers XXIII, by contrast, could muster only a single penalty from Dominic Malgas and were repeatedly repelled by an organised and aggressive Boland defence whenever they ventured into the home 22.

The margin of victory reflected Boland’s dominance both with ball in hand and territorially, as they consistently forced errors from the visitors and capitalised on turnovers.

Perfect start keeps Boland in early title mix

After two rounds, the Cheetahs sit top of the Currie Cup standings, with Boland in second place as the only other side to have won both of their fixtures.

Boland will look to build further momentum when they host the Pumas next weekend, aiming to consolidate their position near the summit of the table.

For Stormers XXIII, there will be little time to dwell on the defeat. Much was expected of the young Western Province-backed group after their encouraging start against Griquas, but this heavy loss has underlined the step up in consistency required at Currie Cup level.

They now face a demanding assignment as they prepare to meet the Sharks at DHL Stadium next weekend, with coaches and players alike needing to “go back to the drawing board” to address the shortcomings exposed in Wellington.

Scorers

Boland: Tries: Domenic Smit, Xavier Mitchell, Joshua Eras, Jayden Bantom (3) Conversions: Jayden Bantom (4) Penalties: Jayden Bantom

Stormers XXIII: Penalties: Dominic Malgas