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The Stormers produced arguably the best performance of the fifth round in handing the Hurricanes one of their most comprehensive beatings in ages at Newlands, while the Bulls continued to do what they have done all season by racking up the points at Loftus.

The Bulls are really in the pound seats at present as they have a one point lead over the Stormers with a game in hand, but it is the points differential that tells you these are the two teams that have been the best so far.

The Stormers, with a positive points differential of 89, are way out in front in terms of points for and against, with the still unbeaten Bulls second with a differential of 60. That shows that these two teams have won most of their games with something to spare, with the only exception being the Stormers’ unfortunate loss to the Brumbies two weeks ago.

That the Bulls have hit 50 in three of their four games and yet lag behind the Stormers on points differential does however say something about the one aspect of their game they should be concerned about as both teams head towards the end of the initial home leg of their campaigns.

While the Bulls have been brilliant on attack and in translating pressure into points, they have also leaked more tries than they would have in the past. Although they have hit 50 consistently, they have also consistently conceded more than 30.

That may not mean anything now, and will remain irrelevant as long as they keep scoring more than the opposition. It could well be that the Bulls have taken a policy decision to go for broke in the quest for a four try bonus point in every match at Loftus in the knowledge that it is a venue where they have so much poise and swagger while opposition teams, apart from having to deal with the altitude factor, are often intimidated.

They are going to have to tighten up their game though when they head overseas, particularly when they come up against teams that give away less defensively than the Highlanders did this past weekend.

The Stormers remain the team with the best defensive record in the competition, and by some distance, and they do give the lie to the theory that this is a year where the law changes have dictated that you will inevitably concede more tries than in the past.

The Stormers gave away two late scores when their job had already been done against the Hurricanes, but it still leaves them with just four tries conceded in five matches – an average of less than one per game.

Where they have stepped up in the last two weeks, however, is in their attacking game, with this last match being their second in succession where they picked up the four try bonus. This time though they did not leave it late, and they were well on their way already at half-time, by which time they had already grabbed three tries.

Two of those tries came from members of the back three and the other came from a No8 after a freakishly long trademark driving maul – illustrating that this Stormers team definitely has more than just one way to win.

The same cannot be said for the Chiefs and the Hurricanes, both of whom have taken a significant step back over the past two weeks after doing much of the running early in the competition.

Against teams like the Stormers and the Crusaders, who are so strong defensively, teams who base all their strength around their runners and who lack either a good tactical kicking strategy or the sort of pack that the Stormers have now developed is going to run into trouble.

Some commented on how poor the Hurricanes were against the Stormers, but the truth is that you could probably have predicted it given the strength of the two teams. Once the Stormers went ahead, and the Hurricanes were committed to catch-up, they were never going to win, particularly against a side that is just making so few mistakes.

Apart from the Stormers, the other team outside of the top four from last season that is making a big early season statement is the Reds. The Queenslanders were always expected to beat the Western Force, who prop up the bottom of the table at present, but you wouldn’t have thought they would win as easily as they did in their match in Brisbane on Sunday.

They, like the Stormers, should be taken seriously as possible semifinalists.

Weekend results

Chiefs 19 Crusaders 26

Waratahs 73 Auto & General Lions 12

Brumbies 24 Sharks 22

Vodacom Bulls 50 Highlanders 35

Vodacom Stormers 37 Hurricanes 13

Reds 50 Western Force 10