Stormers' 'Mr Reliable' hits the ground running

STAT ATTACK: Stormers centre Ruhan Nel produced some impressive stats in his first United Rugby Championship outing of the season last weekend.

After a spell on the sidelines with a neck injury, Nel made a try-scoring return against the Dragons at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

In what was a vivid expression of the Stormers’ ability to entertain, Nel was on hand to finish off a sensational try in the 22nd minute, which started with wing Tristan Leyds snatching a contestable kick out of the air with one hand.

In total, Nel gained 67 metres from 11 carries, along with making two linebreaks and three offloads.

Those stats served as a reminder of why he was the Stormers’ ‘Mr Reliable’ last season.

#ICYMI: The Stormers are in for a very hostile reception in their debut Champions Cup fixture against Clermont on Saturday. 👇#ChampionsCup #Stormers #Clermont https://t.co/zlNTcee33y

— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) December 8, 2022

The 31-year-old was a key part of last season’s championship run, starting 19 games and playing a total of 1339 minutes, the second-most of any player in the competition.

Having started his career at the Lions in 2013, Nel made his name with the Springbok Sevens.

During the five years he spent with the BlitzBoks between 2014 and 2018, Nel made 147 appearances and won back-to-back Sevens Series titles in 2017 and 2018.

During an impressive debut season for Western Province in the 2018 Currie Cup, Nel was called up to the Springbok squad.

He has since established himself as a vital cog in the Stormers’ backline and is one of the defensive leaders within the squad.

The Stormers are currently in France where they will take on Clermont in their Champions Cup opener on Saturday.

Source: @THESTORMERS