The Stormers will be aiming to maintain their try-scoring form against Ulster at Cape Town Stadium in the fifth round of the URC on Saturday.
To Win
Stormers | Draw | Ulster
Handicap
Stormers | Ulster
Match context
John Dobson’s troops were a tad Jekyll and Hyde against Scarlets on the weekend.
They’ve scored the second-most tries in the tournament with 19 after crossing the whitewash eight times in that 52-40 win over the Llanelli club. On the one hand, their willingness to attack continues to set them apart from some of their competitors and makes them one of the best teams to watch in the competition.
On the other, their defensive aptitude has a tendency to be middle of the road at times.
There were plenty of hearts in mouths in the 65th-minute for example when Scarlets leveled the score at 40-apiece after the Capetonians conceded four tries in a rotten 20-minute spell. For context, they’d been 33-14 up at halftime.
Thankfully, up stepped Yaqeen Ahmed to bag a brace of tries and save the day, and while a mounting injury list certainly didn’t help their cause, they can’t afford to be conceding 40-points at home.
Ulster have hardly set the competition alight so far, sitting 13th and one of only three other clubs yet to record a win, but they showed some proper grit and determination at Loftus Versfeld a week ago.
While they ultimately went down 34-26, they clawed their way back from 21-0 at a stage to be within five points with just over 10-minutes remaining. Curwin Bosch’s late penalty denied them a second bonus point, but that performance suggests there is more to Richie Murphy’s charges than we’ve seen this season.
Could they come out of nowhere to assume the role of giant killers in Cape Town?
Players to watch
Haassiem Pead (Stormers)
Man of the Match against Scarlets, the gifted young scrumhalf, who paid out of his own pocket to help facilitate his recent move from the Lions, certainly seems to have made the right call if that performance is anything to go by. In tandem with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Pead put on an immense display from the base against Scarlets, scoring a try and looking likely to put plenty of pressure on Bok veteran Cobus Reinach for the starting No 9 jersey this term.
Whether he starts this weekend or is utilised off the bench, he’ll be one to keep an eye on in the Mother City.
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster)
Another player who was on fire in round four, Ireland international McCloskey gave the Bulls’ defence plenty to think about at Loftus Versfeld, gaining 67-metres with ball in hand and being rewarded with a try for his efforts. Ulster will again need the 34-year-old to come up with a big performance if they want to make more dents in the Stormers’ sometimes shaky defensive system.
Given the potency of the Stormers’ attack and the form of their halfbacks, the 193cm, 117kg McCloskey’s physicality will also be needed to shore up things defensively to put as much doubt into the hosts’ minds as possible.
Tactical overview
There’s no escaping the injury problems plaguing the Stormers this week, with Dobson going so far as to call his hooker situation a “crisis” after knocks to Deon Fourie, André-Hugo Venter and Lukhanyo Vokozela have potentially left the club without three of their dart throwers for the arrival of Ulster. JJ Kotze, the last remaining No 2 in the squad, is suspended, while eighthman Hacjivah Dayimani is also unavailable for selection.
The Capetonians will simply have to persevere and will look to some of the more positive aspects of their latest showing, their lineout variations for example, for inspiration. The hosts executed some exceptionally clever set piece tactics against Scarlets, scoring tries off throws through both of their starting props as well as Deon Fourie, and more of the same will be the order of the day against the Northern Irish outfit.
Considering how well Ulster fought back against the Bulls, another period of defensive capitulation from the Stormers could be the opportunity they need to cause an upset, but if Sacha and Pead are as hot on attack again as they were last week, it might not matter.
Prediction
The Stormers to clear the handicap at home and deny Ulster a win in the Republic.
