Stormers captain Ruan Nel and his teammates intend to improve their efficiency during the clash with Edinburgh on Friday evening, as part of the second round of the United Rugby Championship (URC).
The Stormers team will strive for a more decisive style of play when meeting Edinburgh at Hive Stadium on Friday. The goal is another URC victory, which will bring bonus points. After defeating Connacht in the opening match of the campaign, the team plans to continue playing with improved performance, aiming to maintain an unbeaten streak.
However, the game takes place at a stadium where they have not previously won in the URC, foreshadowing a tense match. Last Friday in Galway, Stormers defeated the hosts 29-15, but a large number of missed attacking opportunities almost cost them the win. Therefore, in Edinburgh, the team will focus on converting all scoring chances when they are within reach.
This will be critically important if the South African team wants to secure its first victory over the hosts at the well-known difficult Hive Stadium. They will have to face not only the 15 players of the Scottish club but also a highly motivated home crowd.
Nevertheless, Stormers is an experienced team, and the return of Springbok captain Siya Kolisi should inspire the players even more. Young player Yakin Ahmed, who plays winger, is also ready to activate the guests' attack. In the opening match in Galway, the defensive line was forced to give way to the forwards.
Rugby Director John Dobson noted: 'We know that Edinburgh is a difficult place to play, and we have some experience, including Siya, Ntuthuko (Mchunu) and Stefan (Ungerer), as well as Yakin Ahmed and Vandile Mlaba, who are very interesting young players.' He added: 'All 23 players will need to make great efforts to achieve results before we return to Cape Town for the decisive period of our season.'
After their first victory over Ulster last week, Edinburgh will be determined to maintain their winning streak against Stormers, but head coach Sean Everitt is aware of this challenge. They have more than 15 players on the injury list, but the return home will give the team strength.
Sean Everitt stated: 'We are incredibly happy to return to play in front of our fans; it feels like a long time since we had competitive rugby at home, and we, as a squad and staff, cannot wait to get on the field.' He continued: 'We know that Stormers present a different challenge, with the physical strength and directness of their forwards, as well as strong kicking play from their backline, but this is a challenge we are ready to face openly.'
