The Boland Kavaliers continued their blistering Currie Cup momentum on Sunday, delivering a clinical 41–3 bonus-point victory over local rivals Stormers XXIII at a packed Boland Stadium in Wellington.
Coming off a statement win against the Bulls XV last weekend, the Kavaliers remained unbeaten in Round 2 thanks to a dominant performance spearheaded by wing star Jayden Bantom, who bagged a personal 26-point tally.
Bantom Masterclass Headlines Wellington Masterclass
Boland set the tone from the opening whistle, crossing the line twice in the first 10 minutes through Domenic Smit and Xavier Mitchell to establish an early 10–0 cushion.
The Stormers XXIII managed to notch their only points of the afternoon in the 19th minute via a Dominic Malgas penalty, but the Kavaliers took full control after the interval:
- Maul Power: Forward Joshua Eras powered over early in the second half off a driving maul platform to stretch the lead.
- Bantom’s Hat-Trick: Jayden Bantom took center stage, dotting down three second-half tries while adding four conversions and a penalty to cap off an individual masterclass.
Match Score: Boland Kavaliers 41 – 3 Stormers XXIII
Halftime Score: 13 – 3
Tries (Boland): Jayden Bantom (3), Domenic Smit, Xavier Mitchell, Joshua Eras
Currie Cup Round 2 Wrap & Standings
The Kavaliers’ victory caps off an action-packed Round 2 across the country:
- Cheetahs 43–21 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV: The Cheetahs secured maximum points in Bloemfontein on Friday to maintain top spot.
- Lions 52–29 Pumas: The Lions bounced back in Johannesburg with an 8-try display.
- Griquas 56–26 Bulls XV: Defending champions Griquas reignited their campaign in Kimberley.
Currie Cup Standings (After Round 2)
- Cheetahs – 10 pts
- Boland Kavaliers – 9 pts
- Lions – 7 pts
- Griquas – 6 pts
- Sharks XV – 5 pts
- Stormers XXIII – 4 pts
- Pumas – 3 pts
- Bulls XV – 1 pt
Round 3 Fixtures
- Fri, 31 July (19:00): Griquas vs Cheetahs (Kimberley)
- Sat, 1 August (15:00): Stormers XXIII vs Hollywoodbets Sharks XV (Cape Town Stadium)
- Sat, 1 August (17:05): Lions vs Bulls XV (Ellis Park, Johannesburg)
- Sun, 2 August (15:00): Boland Kavaliers vs Pumas (Boland Stadium, Wellington)
