November 1, 2026

Adnaan Mohamed

The Chef serves up a Stormers feast as Ulster are left battered

Yaqeen Ahmed bags 13 points as five-try Stormers turn up the heat to extend their perfect home record with a 33-7 demolition of Ulster.

The DHL Stormers eventually found their attacking appetite and served up a five-try feast to leave Ulster licking their wounds after a convincing 33-7 United Rugby Championship (URC) round five victory at DHL Stadium on Saturday.

A crowd of 18,605 spectators basked in the Cape sunshine beneath Table Mountain as John Dobson’s charges secured their fourth consecutive home bonus-point victory, heading into a month-long break with their rugby engines firing on all cylinders.

The Stormers arrived on the back of victories over the Sharks (39-22), Bristol Bears (49-12) and Scarlets (52-40), and their latest triumph reinforced their growing reputation as a formidable force on home turf.

Ulster, missing eight Ireland internationals, remain without a URC victory this season.

The visitors initially weathered the Cape storm as handling errors and missed opportunities blunted the hosts’ attacking ambitions.

Twenty-year-old flyhalf Yaqeen Ahmed twice breached the defensive line, showcasing the attacking flair that earned him a call-up to the Springboks’ Nations Championship squad earlier in the week. His final passes lacked the required precision, allowing Ulster to escape.

The Irish side drew first blood in the 19th minute when captain David McCann crashed over following sustained pressure. Jack Murphy converted to give the visitors a 7-0 advantage.

Ulster’s discipline soon became their Achilles heel when tighthead prop Keynan Knox received a yellow card for repeated infringements. The Stormers capitalised on their numerical advantage, unleashing their powerful forward artillery.

Lock JD Schickerling finished a dominant scrum and driving-maul assault in the 33rd minute, with Ahmed converting to level the scores.

Moments before half-time, openside Paul de Villiers demonstrated the value of relentless pursuit. He charged down a clearance, gathered the loose ball and powered over for the Stormers’ second try. Ahmed missed the conversion as the hosts took a 12-7 lead into the break.

The @Vodacom #URC Man of the Match at DHL Stadium today, Paul de Villiers. #inittogether pic.twitter.com/tYDR5dBBk8

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 31, 2026

The Cape side emerged with renewed purpose after half-time. Ahmed produced a delightful pass to release the rampaging Evan Roos, who accelerated away to score. The flyhalf added the extras to make it 19-7.

Ahmed then produced a moment of magic with a perfectly weighted cross-kick that landed in the hands of captain Ruhan Nel, who finished in the corner to secure the bonus point.

The young flyhalf saved his own finishing flourish for the 77th minute, crossing the whitewash before converting his try to complete a personal haul of 13 points.

The Stormers’ attacking machinery was now purring, with their forwards laying the platform and their backs providing the finishing fireworks.

Bongi Mbonambi’s anticipated return from the bench was scuppered by a late withdrawal before kick-off, with debutant Altus Rabe stepping into the breach. A late injury to Jonathan Roche also saw Markus Muller move into the No 12 jersey after his inclusion in the Springboks’ 37-man squad for the second leg of the Nations Championship.

For Ulster, the Cape sunshine proved anything but welcoming. Their season remains a marathon with plenty of climbing still ahead.