Kavas firing on all cylinders
Six unanswered tries helped the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers outclass the DHL Stormers XXIII, 41-3, in Round Two of the Carling Currie Cup on Sunday 26 July at Boland Stadium in Wellington.
A hat-trick of tries for Jayden Bantom, while a try apiece for Domenic Smit, Xavier Mitchell, and Joshua Eras meant the home side retained their unbeaten status – five wins from five matches – in Wellington since Round One of the 2025 Currie Cup competition.
Sunday’s convincing bonus-point hammering of a youthful Stormers side also sees Boland leap into the second spot on the log with nine points – one behind the Toyota Cheetahs, who are the only other side to remain unbeaten after the first two rounds in this season’s competition.
The Kavaliers held a 13-3 half-time lead after making a fantastic start as fullback Domenic Smit crossed for the opening try in just the 2nd minute of the game.
A score that came from a well-worked backline move off a Boland lineout just outside of the Stormers XXIII 22-meter area as slick handling saw Smit cut through the visiting side’s defence to score close to the uprights.
Winger Bantom, however, fluffed his lines taking the conversion as the Kavaliers took a 5-0 lead.
A lead that would increase to 10-0 when the home side flyhalf Chris Smit found space down the left touchline before offloading to Bantom, who took the attack into the Stormers XXIII half. The visitors would, however, turn over possession and then turn it back over to the Kavaliers as more slick handling saw the right wing cross for the home side’s second score.
The Kavaliers continued to threaten, but handling errors at crucial stages robbed them of opportunities of making further inroads on the scoreboard. The Stormers XXIII also deserve credit for desperate defence, although the visitors missed a staggering number, 28, of tackles in the opening half.
The visiting team found some rhythm but had to settle for a penalty goal by flyhalf Dominic Malgas to cut Boland’s lead to seven after 19 minutes.
Stormers winger and former Junior Springbok Gino Cupido then thought he scored his side’s opening try a few minutes later. Only to be called back after replays showed he fumbled a high ball before regathering and pinning his ears back.
Boland reclaimed control of the contest but had to settle for three points as Bantom slotted a 36th-minute penalty goal.
In front of a festive crowd of 8103 rugby supporters, the home side did not let the setbacks on the attack break their endeavour as the Kavaliers scored their third try after the break.
Hooker Eras scored his try after gathering a fine offload from veteran lock Marlyn Williams; Bantom added the extras, 20-3.
Bantom would go on to score and convert his own try in the 55th minute as Boland pulled ahead, 27-3, and with that also securing the try-scoring bonus point.
The Kavaliers did not let off after securing the bonus point. Bantom showed a turn of pace to score his second try and convert it, as Boland went 34-3 up.
The winger from Jansenville in the Eastern Cape completed his hat-trick with three minutes left following an earlier try.
His third try came as a result of an attack that Boland started from a scrum deep in their own 22, with Bantom showing a clean pair of heels to sail across the whitewash.
The speedster converted both of these tries, taking the final score to 41-3.
SCORERS:
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers 41 (13)
Tries: Jayden Bantom (3), Domenic Smit, Xavier Mitchell, Joshua Eras
Cons: Bantom (4)
Pen: Bantom
DHL Stormers XXIII 3 (3)
Pen: Dominic Malgas
Sanlam Boland Kavaliers: 15 Domenic Smit, 14 Xavier Mitchell, 13 Lunathi Nxele, 12 Jurick Lewis, 11 Jayden Bantom, 10 Chris Smit, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Thurlow Marsh (c), 7 Khwezi Mafu, 6 Gift Dlamini, 5 Marlyn Williams, 4 Jeandré Leonard, 3 Dayan van der Westhuizen, 2 Joshua Eras, 1 Alistair Vermaak
Replacements: 16 Llewellyn Classen, 17 Mthokozisi Gumede, 18 Heiko Pohlmann, 19 Johnré Stopforth, 20 Taine Booysen, 21 Chriswill September, 22 Ashlon Davids, 23 David Brits
DHL Stormers XXIII: 15 Dylan Miller, 14 Gino Cupido, 13 Josh Boulle, 12 Cornel Smit, 11 Mfundo Ndhlovu, 10 Dominic Malgas, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Wandile Mlaba, 7 Divan Fuller, 6 Keke Morabe, 5 Gerbrandt Grobler, 4 Dylan de Leeuw, 3 Herman Lubbe, 2 Vernon Paulo, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 Mhleli Khuzwayo, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Gary Porter, 20 Luan Botha, 21 Xola Nyali, 22 Tiaan Fourie, 23 Kian Davis
Feature photo: Sanlam Boland Kavaliers players celebrating Jayden Bantom’s second try during the Round 2 Carling Currie Cup match against the DHL Stormers XXIII on Sunday, 26 July at the Boland Rugby Stadium. Wellington, Western Cape. Photo by Boland Rugby Media/Luigi Bennett.
