United Rugby Championship

Stormers (12) 33

Tries: Schickerling, De Villiers, Roos, R Nel, Ahmed Cons: Ahmed 4

Ulster (7) 7

Tries: McCann Con: Murphy

Ulster’s search for an opening win in this season’s United Rugby Championship [URC] goes on as they fell to a 33-7 defeat by the Stormers in Cape Town.

Richie Murphy’s side have now played five domestic fixtures which have produced three defeats and two draws.

Following last week’s defeat by the Bulls in Pretoria, Ulster went into this second game of the South Africa tour without their Ireland contingent, who reported back before November’s Nations Championship fixtures.

It left them with some gaps to plug, but they would perform admirably for much of this contest as David McCann powered over for the opening score.

However, quickfire tries before the break gave the hosts the lead and a third from Evan Roos minutes into the second period left them in a hole they never really looked like getting out of.

It is a fourth win from five URC fixtures for the Stormers, but far from a perfect display with plenty of unforced errors, yet they produced more than enough to prevail.

Ulster will now have to wait until they visit Cardiff on 5 December for their next opportunity to grab an opening league win.

In an error-strewn opening half, handling errors would halt Stormers’ momentum on a number of occasions and eventually see them punished midway through the opening half.

McCann pounced on a knock-on to get his side on the front foot and although the TMO ruled out a score for Matthew Devine from the subsequent attack, play came back for an offside in the build-up and it was McCann who bundled over with Murphy converting.

A knock-on at the line by Cormac Izuchukwu saw Ulster spurn a glorious opportunity to grab a second just minutes later as momentum flipped with Ulster conceding four-straight penalties – the last of those resulting in Keynan Knox sent to the bin.

Pressure would eventually tell as JD Schickerling powered over and Ahmed added the extras before Paul de Villiers charged down Murphy’s attempted clearance and took advantage to touch down to give Stormers a 12-7 advantage at the half.

Ulster were on the front foot early in the second period, but a blind pass by Devine was gleefully gathered by Roos, who put on the afterburners and galloped away for a converted score.

It left Murphy’s side with a mountain to climb in the Cape Town heat as they could not make their presence felt in the opposite 22, the game played mostly in their own half as both sides continued to make errors.

However, it would finally stick for the hosts as a perfectly-weighted crossfield kick by Ahmed was fielded by team captain Ruhan Nel, who touched down for the bonus point.

Izuchukwu was denied a consolation score when held up over the line which summed up Ulster’s day as the hosts finished with a flourish, Ahmed crossing for a fifth he would convert.

It put a seal on the win for the hosts, with Ulster now left with much to ponder as the first block of URC games comes to a conclusion.

While they continue to produce moments, Murphy’s side are yet to find a fully-rounded display to get their season fully on track.

Stormers: Willemse; Senatla, R Nel (capt), Muller, Zas; Ahmed, Reinach; Mchunu, Paulo, Louw, Smith, Schickerling, De Villiers, L Nel, Roos.

Replacements: Rabe, Matongo, Fouché, Norton, Evans, Mlaba, Pead, Simelane.

Ulster: McIlroy; Lowry, Hume, Carson, Ward; Murphy, Devine; O’Sullivan, Herring, Knox, Donnell, Snyman, Izuchukwu, McCann (capt), Augustus.

Replacements: Walker, McAllister, Wilson, Sheridan, Moloney, McKee, Flannery, Mullins.

Referee: Sam Grove-White