How the Stormers can change Champions Cup narrative

OPINION: The Stormers are well placed to make history in the Champions Cup and challenge the narrative about also-ran South African teams.

Expectations were tempered when the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers joined the Champions Cup tournament in 2022.

South African coaches and players with extensive experience of the European structures said that it would take several years for the local franchises to adjust to the unique demands of the competition.

And yet, few could have predicted how difficult the period of adjustment would be, or how the top South African teams would fail to realise the most modest of goals.

Three Champions Cup tournaments have come and gone, and no South African team has managed to progress beyond the quarterfinal stage.

Last season, the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers all failed to qualify for the playoffs.

While most of the media and fans have come to appreciate what top South African players are up against – in terms of the travel demands as well as a never-ending schedule that runs from July to June – the franchises’ approach to the competition and the quality of the performances has been largely underwhelming.

While nobody should expect a South African team to win the Champions Cup title at this stage, nobody should accept that the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers are also-ran teams.

It seems an obvious statement to make, and yet, the reaction from some coaches and administrators to criticism in recent years has been difficult to understand.

Are the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers not among the top 16 teams across Europe and South Africa?

Are the media and the public wrong to demand that these teams qualify for the playoffs of the biggest club tournament in the world?

Is it unfair to demand home victories during the pool phase?

Are we being too harsh?

Over the past few years, some of the franchises have twisted the argument to suggest that the media and public are demanding a Champions Cup title in spite of the significant logistical challenges.

But that is not the case.

Everyone knew that the shift to Europe would involve a lengthy period of adjustment, and all we have demanded is steady progress.

We have demanded home victories against teams that have travelled all the way from Europe – teams that are unfamiliar with the South African conditions or a summer contest.

Is two wins out of four over the course of a pool campaign too much to ask for?

Is it unfair to demand a competitive showing when these teams travel abroad? Or should we accept that 50-point defeats are now par for the course?

The Bulls and Sharks have their problems, and regardless of how and where they finish this season, questions should be asked regarding the management of both franchises.

How have the richest and most well-resourced teams in the country got it so badly wrong in the past season or so?

Coaches have been fired and players have left the respective teams, but the problems in Pretoria and Durban seem to run a lot deeper.

It’s no wonder Rassie Erasmus and the SA Rugby Mobi-Unit have been asked to assist.

Meanwhile, the Stormers have learned from the mistakes of the past two seasons, and are suddenly in a position to push for a home playoff in the United Rugby Championship as well as the Champions Cup.

Coach John Dobson recruited well in the off-season, and pushed forward with a more balanced game plan and squad management policy.

The upshot is that the Stormers have won 10 matches in a row.

It’s difficult to play catch-up at this stage of the Champions Cup.

The Bulls need to beat Bristol in Pretoria and Pau in France in successive weeks, but may need to split their squad in order to cope with the travel and player welfare demands during this period.

The Sharks face a similar challenge when heading to the north of England to battle Sale and then back to Durban to face Clermont.

And that’s before one considers the must-win URC fixtures that follow.

The Bulls (11th in the URC standings) have to beat Edinburgh in the Scottish capital, while the Sharks (14) have to down the Stormers in Durban.

By contrast, the Stormers have done a lot of the hard work already, and can afford to box clever in the coming weeks.

Harlequins – ranked eighth in the English Premiership – are there for the taking, but the Stormers may be content with one or two log points from the visit to London.

Even if Dobson sends a second-string side out at The Stoop, they should be competitive.

The final pool clash against Leicester Tigers in Cape Town will present the Stormers with a chance to nail down home advantage ahead of the Champions Cup Round of 16.

And if the Stormers realise that goal, they may mitigate their travel schedule in April and May – when teams playing in the URC and European playoffs tend to bounce between hemispheres on a regular basis.

Going by what we’ve seen in recent months, the Stormers are South Africa’s form team and could go where no South African team has gone before.

Forget the talk of titles – there’s reason to expect an improvement on last year’s quarterfinal finish in the URC, and reason to believe they will push for a Champions Cup semifinal place.

To summarise, there’s reason to expect concrete signs of progress.

If the Stormers go on to tick these boxes, the other leading teams should note how they have coped with the challenges of competing across two big tournaments.

The Stormers probably won’t win the Champions Cup this season, but they may change the narrative around South African teams in Europe and show why so many stakeholders in the Republic are right to demand more from the local teams.