URC Semifinal: Leinster v Stormers - Teams and Prediction

PREVIEW: It’s common knowledge that the Stormers are heading into their United Rugby Championship semifinal as overwhelming underdogs. However, captain Ruhan Nel wanted to remind everyone that “play-off rugby is a funny thing”.

The Capetonians are in Dublin preparing to take on the defending champions Leinster at the Aviva Stadium, and judging by Friday’s team announcements, the Stormers will have to deliver a colossal performance to get out on top.

Leinster head coach Leo Cullen has revealed a matchday squad littered with Test stars, while the Stormers have been hit hard by injuries in recent weeks.

John Dobson’s side will enter the match without key players like Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Seabelo Senatla, Deon Fourie, JD Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden, but it seems that has made them more determined to try and prove everyone wrong.

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Wing brilliance unleashed 🔥

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“They’ve probably got more Irish caps than we have URC caps between us, so for me it comes down to the day,” said Nel.

“Play-off rugby is a funny thing. We’ve seen it in the last couple of years, where we’ve got a home Final in the first season after results that shouldn’t have gone our way, so anything can happen.

“It’s literally about the team pitching up on the day.

“We are under no illusion that they are way more experienced than us. If you are going to run on that field, thinking to yourself, ‘Here is a million Irish caps in front of you’, then you are overthinking it.

“At the end of the day, it’s 15 against 15, and it’s the team with the most points on the board.

“That’s the mentality we have been driving throughout the whole week. We are not here to take part; we are here to compete and pick up a win.”

In terms of selection, Director of Rugby Dobson also had a lot of thinking to do, especially when it came to Senatla’s replacement on the wing.

Wandisile Simelane has been given the No.14 jersey, but there was also the option of moving Damian Willemse from fullback to that position to deal with the kicking game.

“It could still happen during the game. He [Willemse] is so good in the air, and it’s going to be a massive part of his game,” said Dobson.

“It’s also a massive part of our attacking game now.

“He was brilliant last week [against Cardiff]. That was probably a world-class performance at No.15, so that made it a bit trickier.

“I think Warrick [Gelant], by his own admission, hasn’t been in the best of form, and also the team doesn’t enjoy the noise when you see a guy like him getting slated and killed out there.

“Given how he [Willemse] played last week, we can still do it [make a change] if we feel Wandi is struggling.”

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Dobson added: “We are asking a lot of Wandi – It’s a very specialist thing.

“The kicking game has just evolved so fast this calendar year. What used to be the battle for the ball in the air is now the battle to get the ball on the ground and how you play off that.

“It’s a very dynamic and evolving situation, and that’s where Damain would’ve been so useful. But he is in that second layer now, so if we win the scraps, he is well-positioned to attack from No.15.”

Despite the Stormers’ long injury list, Leinster’s senior coach Jacques Nienaber said there is no way his side will underestimate the Capetonians.

“We know they’re a quality side,” said Nienaber.

“They have lots of international experience and lots of international-quality players there, so we have to make sure that we get over our details in our preparation for them.”

*See the teams and prediction below!

Prediction

Rugby365: Leinster by 15 points.

Teams:

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Jimmy O’Brien, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jamie Osborne, 11 James Lowe, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Max Deegan, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Ronan Kelleher, 1 Andrew Porter.
Replacements: 16 Gus McCarthy, 17 Alex Usanov, 18 Rabah Slimani, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Harry Byrne, 23 Garry Ringrose.

Stormers: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Wandisile Simelane, 13 Ruhan Nel (captain), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Imad Khan, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Vernon Matongo, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Salmaan Moerat, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Warrick Gelant.

Date: Saturday, June 6
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 17.30 IST (18.30 SAST; 16.30 GMT)
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
Assistant referees: Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Adam Jones (Scotland)
TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland)

For a place in the Grand Final… ✨

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