State of the URC: Bulls, Stormers flex muscles

The Bulls and Stormers secured dominant United Rugby Championship derby victories in round three, bolstered by their returning Springboks. In Pretoria, Cameron Hanekom scored twice as the Bulls delivered a nine-try, 57-15 thrashing of the Lions. In Cape Town, Hacjivah Dayimani claimed a brace to help lead the Stormers to a 39-22 victory over the Sharks before a home crowd of 42,368 fans.

Both bonus-point wins moved the Bulls and Stormers to third and fourth place on the URC log with 11 points each. The Sharks dropped to fifth place while the Lions slipped to seventh. Edinburgh and Glasgow Warriors lead the standings following three consecutive wins each. The competition now pauses for European cup action before resuming on October 23.