Sevens star Nel takes on SA’s ‘best’ back, Simelane

Former BlitzBok star and Stormers centre Ruhan Nel said he was excited about going up against South Africa’s “best” backline player in 2020, Wandisile Simelane, this weekend.

The teams meet in their final Preparation Series fixture at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

“Wandi is a very talented youngster and he was deservedly voted Backline Player of the Year recently,” said Nel. “It’s always a nice challenge to play against him.”

Lions rookie Wandisile Simelane will get a chance to test himself against former Sevens star Ruhan Nel this weekend. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images

Nel stressed the Stormers would be looking to address a few matters against the Lions, chief among them to play at a high tempo for the full 80 minutes. They let good leads slip against the Cheetahs and Bulls.

“There have been some soft moments in some of our games recently, and we’ve let teams come back when we shouldn’t have,” said Nel. “It’s something we are trying to rectify.”

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A return to the Cape Town Stadium again this week brings back good memories for Nel, even though the Stormers lost their first Preparation Series match at their new home, against the Cheetahs.

“Cape Town Stadium will always be a special place for the Sevens guys,” said Nel. “It’s the only place during the World Sevens Series that we get to play in front of our friends and family.”

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