Unpredictable Stormers are 'living it up'

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Ruhan Nel says the Stormers won't shy away from "firing shots" in a high stakes Investec Champions Cup clash at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

He backs the team's unpredictability and X-factor players to shine when they host English outfit Sale Sharks. With two consecutive Vodacom URC derby wins under their belt, Nel believes the Stormers have the momentum to keep their EPCR campaign alive.

“Obviously, because we lost our first two games in the Champions Cup, that puts us under pressure to win the last two pool matches,” the veteran centre told the media on Wednesday. 

“We have gathered some good momentum in the two South African derbies we played over the festive period, and we are focused on building on those performances.”

While acknowledging the physical threat posed by Sale's powerful pack, Nel remains confident in the Stormers' dynamic approach spearheaded by the likes of Manie Libbok and Warrick Gelant. 

“What makes us really good, and it has been like that in the past, is that it’s not so much about execution, but the unpredictability factor that we have,” Nel said. 

WATCH: Stylish Stormers blow away Sharks

“You want guys like Sacha [Feinberg-Mngomezulu], Manie, and Warrick to live it up. For us, it is about going out there and firing shots.”

The 2021-22 URC title winner emphasised that their style revolves around constantly creating opportunities, even if the first few attempts don't yield results. 

“If you shoot 50 shots and hit the target 15 times, the scoreboard will look good. For us, it’s about living our lives. If it doesn’t work, we’ll just try again,” he added.

Facing a Sale team featuring former Stormers Rob du Preez and Ernst van Rhyn, Nel is expecting a fierce battle. “They have won one and lost one, so they will be coming here to get another win to put themselves in a good position to make the knock-out phase of the competition,” he said. 

“With the likes of the Du Preez brothers and the Curry brothers in their squad, along with Ernst van Rhyn who we know very well, we can expect a big physical test from them.”

“We won the URC with Ernst, and we won the Currie Cup with Rob in 2017," Nel added. "Then Rob went on to win it with his brothers against us the following year.

“It is always nice to play against some South African boys here… it will definitely be a physical encounter and a nice challenge for us.”

Photo: Khulani Media

The post Unpredictable Stormers are 'living it up' appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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