The Stormers are pushing to finish atop the United Rugby Championship standings.
Image: BackpagePix
In several ways, the Stormers’ encounter with Cardiff on the eve of the URC quarter-finals will be season-defining for the Capetonians.
It is not just about the quest for a victory on Friday night that would cement their second place on the points table, but also about eliminating self-doubt after a clumsy performance last week in drawing with Ulster, while also kick-starting momentum towards the playoffs.
The Stormers are currently the second-best team in the URC, according to the points table, yet you often don’t know what you are going to get from them week by week. They have a habit of shooting themselves in the foot, as happened in Belfast last week when they blew a golden chance to top the standings, above Glasgow.
And the Stormers simply have to be better if they are to overcome one of the toughest challenges in the URC — winning at the Cardiff Arms Park.
The historic venue is the spiritual home of Welsh rugby. The legendary Wales teams of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s created monumental history at the Arms Park, and the current Cardiff team feeds off the charm of the stadium — they have lost just one game there this season, and won eight.
It is also the last home game for Welsh legend Leigh Halfpenny, who is retiring at the end of this season. Add in the fact that seventh-placed Cardiff are playing for a place in the quarter-finals, and it adds up to a stern test of character for the visitors.
Speaking of history, the Stormers need to create some of their own — they have never won at the Arms Park.
Teams
Cardiff: 15 Cam Winnett, 14 Jacob Beetham, 13 Ben Thomas, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Tom Bowen, 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Johan Mulder, 8 Taine Basham, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 James Botham, 5 Rory Thornton, 4 George Nott, 3 Javan Sebastian, 2 Liam Belcher, 1 Danny Southworth Replacements: 16 Daf Hughes, 17 Rhys Barratt, 18 Keiron Assiratti, 19 Alun Lawrence, 20 Evan Lloyd, 21 Ellis Bevan, 22 Stef Emanuel, 23 Leigh Halfpenny
Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Ruben van Heerden, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché (captain), 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Marcel Theunissen, 21 Keke Morabe, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Jurie Matthee
Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland) Assistant Referees: Ben Connor (Wales), Lucas Yendle (Wales) TMO: Olly Hodges (Ireland)
Kick-off: 8.45pm on Friday.