Leinster semifinal loss still haunts Stormers ahead of new season
SPOTLIGHT: Stormers captain Ruhan Nel insists last season’s semifinal heartbreak against Leinster will fuel his side’s 2026/27 United Rugby Championship (URC) title charge.
After a season of fluctuating fortunes, the Stormers bowed out in the last four, losing 11-20 to the eventual champions in Dublin.
That clash at Aviva Stadium was one of their best performances of the season, and if it weren’t for a handful of costly errors, John Dobson’s men were on course to stage a major upset.
The Stormers were well in the contest until the 69th minute, when a dangerous clean out by Ruan Ackermann left them with 14 players.
Leinster capitalised a minute later, with Jamison Gibson-Park running in for a try before Salmaan Moerat was shown a yellow card, ultimately cancelling out much of the hard work the Stormers had put in defensively.
“The Leinster loss is still fresh in our minds,” Nel admitted.
“There are a couple of games that are still fresh in our minds, but obviously the big one was the Leinster loss.
“Sacha obviously couldn’t play that game, but Jurie [Matthee] stepped up nicely.
“The lessons learned in that game were actually just seeing how we could operate in a hostile environment and go up against a full Irish team.
“Apart from the fact that we lost the semi, there was some real confidence that came from that game to be like ‘flip boys, we’re actually right there’.”
The Stormers will open their 26/27 campaign against another Irish side, Connacht, at the Dexcom Stadium in Galway.
Their last outing against the men in green ended in a 24-33 defeat in Round 15 of last year’s competition.
Nel said they’ll arrive in Galway, famously known as a hostile environment, eager to turn the tables.
“That is probably a very tough place to play,” he remarked.
“It’s at Connacht, and I do think they’ll tip a lot of teams there. If we can go over there and do a job, and really start the season off well, it will be good for us.
“That Connacht game last year at DHL Stadium is also fresh in our minds.
“It was a very tough week for us that week. We felt we were in that game; they got an intercept try, a try with a chip over the top, so very uncharacteristic tries from us there. We’re definitely looking to settle the score on their field.”
Nel will have a key leadership role to play in the new season among his centre pairing partners.
Wandisile Simelane, Jonathan Roche, Markus Muller, and the uncapped Josh Boulle have all been named in the 56-man squad alongside the skipper.
“Markus has been going really well; he does equally well at both 12 and 13.
“Josh Boulle has been a bit unlucky with that leg of his that’s still giving him a bit of problems, but he’s a very talented guy.
“We’ve got Jonny [Jonathan Roche] coming through as well, and Wandisile is also pushing. It’s great; everybody is helping everybody, especially the youngsters.
“For an older guy like me, you want the youngsters to be pushing; it’s keeping me on my toes.”
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