The Stormers and Sharks meet at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, with kick-off at 16:00. The coastal derby is one of the headline fixtures of URC Round 3, and both teams have several Springboks in their line-ups.
Attack Meets Defence
The Sharks are the second-highest scoring side in the competition with 67 points. They face the tournament’s best defence in the Stormers, who have conceded just 32 points, compared with 44 for the Durbanites. The visitors have Springboks returning who made an immediate impact last weekend, and they are chasing a third successive win. To get it, they will need to be accurate against John Dobson’s well-organised defensive line.
What’s at Stake
A Stormers win would give them a boost in closing the gap to the Sharks on the URC log. A bonus-point victory could even see them leapfrog the visitors.
The Recent Record
The Stormers lost only twice at home last season, and one of those defeats was against the Sharks. The Durbanites won both meetings between the sides last year, so JP Pietersen’s team arrive with real belief. The Stormers will be wary of that.
Springboks Return for the Stormers
The home side welcome back several Springboks: Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Paul de Villiers, Wilco Louw and Deon Fourie. That adds plenty of firepower and experience to their starting group.
Follow the Action
Follow our live scoring and updates as the Stormers and Sharks go head to head in Cape Town.
