Soweto loss still haunting Stormer

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Having beaten the Bulls twice this season, the Stormers are well aware of what to expect this Saturday says Deon Fourie.

The Stormers and Bulls will face each other on Saturday in the first URC Grand Finale in Cape Town.

The two South African sides met twice already this season - the Stormers recording a double over the Bulls (two narrow wins - 30-26 at Loftus Versfeld and 19-17 win at home).

"We know what to expect from the Bulls," Stormers stalwart Deon Fourie said when asked about the upcoming fixture against the old rival.

"The Bulls are a really good side and they showed that throughout the season and against Leinster on Friday [during the semifinal].

"The key is just about handling the pressure and focusing on what we have to do to win the game.

"For the last couple of months, we have focused on what we do and on Saturday we just have to continue with it."

The last time the Stormers and Bulls faced each other in a final was back in the  2010 Super Rugby Final, where the Bulls were triumph  25-17.

It was the Bulls' third Super Rugby title.

Reflecting on the 2010 Final played at the Orlando Stadium, Fourie admitted it is still in the back of his mind and could serve as extra motivation.

"It was 12 years ago, but it always gets stuck in my head," Fourie said, adding: "It might serve as a bit of motivation.

“In finals, it’s about taking advantage of the one or two chances you get. You have to do the basics well during the 80 minutes. If you make a mistake somewhere, you could lose by getting hit with a try.

“I think back to 2010 when Francois Hougaard went under our posts, after a pass from Fourie du Preez, where our defence system was not in place.

“It was a half a gap they took and that score forced us on the back foot - such small things can break you in the final.”

The rain factor

Thus far the Stormers have been the best South African side in the tournament, having claimed the South African Shield.

The Capetonians have become known for their expansive brand of rugby, with the likes of Damian Willemse, Manie Libbok, Seabelo Senatla and Leolin Zas causing major headaches to defences.

However, this weekend the wet weather conditions could be a major challenge for the hosts, who already have to deal with the loss of top try-scorer Zas.

But not one to cause any major worry, Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman played down the wet weather conditions, stating the side is well prepared.

“It’s quite wet until Wednesday and it looks like the rain will come in again on Saturday," Snyman said.

"We are fortunate enough that we have an opportunity to train in it this week and we are preparing for slippery conditions on Saturday.

“I don’t think it will change anything. We are still a team that will look for opportunities and, wherever we can find them, we will take them.

"We will have to adjust to the conditions and be clever around it, making sure we get our tactics right.”

Commenting on the absence of Zas, Snyman said: "We do have good backups for the injured Zas.

"Think guys like Zas and Seabelo did really well, so we really missed out on not giving players like Sergeal Petersen and Angelo Davids a run.

"However, when you look at their Currie Cup performances, especially the last couple of games, any one of them can be perfect for the URC team."

@rugby365com