Stormers need Bulls North-South derby win in push for URC playoffs

It might not be do or die yet, but the Stormers would feel a lot more comfortable if they were to upset the odds and pick up a win over the Bulls in their North-South United Rugby Championship (URC) derby at Loftus on Saturday (kick-off 5pm).

The Stormers are 10^th on the URC log and following the game against the Bulls head on a two-game UK tour, before returning to SA for a home run down the back straight of the competitions pool phase.

Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson admitted that they still have some leeway over the next three games, if they manage to achieve the results they expect in their home run, which is essentially to win all four of those matches, which they believe would secure them a spot in the playoffs.

“We’ve done various permutations and calculations and we’re still in a position where we could decide where we finish. It probably won’t be in the top four,” explained Dobson at their team announcement press conference on Friday.

“We certainly need one (win) from the next three matches, assuming our home run goes as planned, ideally two, which puts a lot of pressure on tomorrow (against Bulls). And then tomorrows got the other elements, being a local derby.

“We’re under pressure in that respect. We haven’t got a great away record, so if we get that right, we take that monkey off the back and we’ll be very well positioned for a reasonably good finish.”

Poor travellers

The Stormers have been notoriously poor travellers in the URC and this season only have one win on the road so far, so even though they would back themselves against Welsh side Scarlets, who are currently eighth, and struggling Irish side Ulster, who are currently 14^th, they could very well slip up in both those matches.

“This time last year we were ninth on the log, now we’re 10th. We’re known for our home run-in charges, but we’d cause so much less stress if we got the wins on the road,” said Dobson.

“We have traditionally won the local ones, but the competition is much tougher now. The Lions are a good team, and the Bulls and Sharks have invested enormous amounts in their squads.

“If you say Scarlets and Ulster are coming up, we simply have to get wins there in these games, or else the Stormers are not going to get to where they want to as a club unless we break through this barrier.”

On a lesser not the Stormers are still in the running for the SA Shield, and a win over the Bulls would put them ahead of their Highveld rivals and in the pound seats, but would still then come down various other results with a couple of local derbies remaining.

“We knew the SA Shield would get tougher, and I said before the season it wasn’t going to be like it was for us in the first two years,” admitted Dobson.

“We’ve got some unwanted records. Our first URC loss to the Sharks in Durban, and the same at Ellis Park against the Lions.”