Having been challenged far more than expected against Dragons, the Stormers will be hoping for a more dominant URC display against Edinburgh at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
To Win
Stormers | Draw | Edinburgh
Handicap
Stormers | Edinburgh
Match context
While many were predicting a handsome victory for the Stormers in their home tie with Dragons a week ago, the reality was far from it. The Newport club, sitting second from bottom on the competition log, instead produced a valiant effort to go down by just eight points and nearly deny the Capetonians a bonus point.
This week, John Dobson’s side will be gunning for a far more emphatic performance against an Edinburgh outfit that has been well off the pace this term and currently languishes in 13th, a massive 12-points off the top eight. For a club with such a wealth of quality at its disposal, that picture just doesn’t sit right and the men from the Scottish capital have some serious questions to ask of themselves as they scrap to finish as high up the ladder as possible.
Last week’s 54-17 defeat to the Lions in Johannesburg certainty hasn’t helped their cause, but they have subsequently had Six Nations internationals Grant Gilchrist, Darcy Graham, and Pierre Schoeman bolster their injury-hit squad ahead of this clash in the Mother City. Considering they’ve beaten the Stormers just once in five times of trying, they’ll need as much ammo as possible.
In many ways, the Stormers’ challenging round 13 tie should do them a world of good going into the competition’s business end, with any lingering complacency surely having now been snuffed out. Not that that has ever really been an issue for this group of players, but the close-fought nature of that last outing may just have served to hone their focus and keep the franchise on their toes.
Currently placed second overall, it’s imperative they keep pace with leaders Glasgow Warriors – who are currently four points better off – ahead of their blockbuster meeting in Cape Town at the end of April.
Players to watch
Dan du Plessis (Stormers)
The hard-running Stormers centre made a long-awaited return from injury against Dragons and will look to use this weekend’s clash to shake off even more self-proclaimed rust as he makes his way back to full fitness. Likely to link up again with Ruhan Nel in their tried and tested midfield combination, expect to see more of du Plessis with ball in hand after his busy defensive shift last week.
After speaking midweek about having played age grade rugby with Edinburgh winger Duhan van der Merwe, it will be interesting to see whether the two ever come into conflict on the pitch this weekend.
Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh)
Edinburgh’s top tackler against the Lions with 15 hits in total, Bradbury will again be tasked with leading from the front in the face of what will be another daunting challenge for his team. With Stormers attacking threats all over the park, as well as dynamic loose forwards like Marcel Theunissen and Evan Roos to account for, Edinburgh’s club captain should have his hands full again.
His defensive influence in and around the breakdown should have a big bearing on how well his team are able to keep pace with the hosts.
Tactical overview
Du Plessis made mention in a press conference this week of the Stormers’ inability to make the most of their chances, and that they have to be more clinical going forward if they hope to add to their sole URC title this season. They will have more opportunities to improve in this regard on Saturday, and it will be interesting to see whether they are able to score more tries against an Edinburgh side that shipped eight against the Lions.
The Stormers’ fast pace and organisation on both sides of the ball means Edinburgh must be sharp in all facets, and though the visitors will be pleased at not having to contend with the altitude factor this week, they must still realise that they could again be under the pump for large portions of the contest in Cape Town.
After failing to assert scoreboard control last week, the Stormers should channel that frustration into a far more convincing display against Edinburgh. It may be a case of wrong place, wrong time for the tourists.
Prediction
The Stormers to clear the handicap and lock in a comprehensive win over Edinburgh.
