Leighton Koopman
The Stormers have a more realistic chance of winning the United Rugby Championship (URC) a second time after they were knocked out of the European Champions Cup on Saturday.
All their efforts and attention can now be pumped into the final stages of the URC when the Ospreys travel to Cape Town next weekend.
After falling to double champions La Rochelle in the DHL Stadium by the narrowest of margins, losing 21-22, the Cape side can shift their attention to breaking into the top four of the URC and staying there for a home play-off match up until the semi-final if they end second.
They currently sit in fifth place on the points table, four points behind defending champions Munster in fifth, with five matches left.
Three of those are tricky home games against Ospreys (20 April), Leinster (27 April), and a South African derby against the Lions (1 June). In between these, they must still travel to Wales and Ireland, where the Dragons (10 May) and Connacht (18 May) await. But thanks to the team being knocked out they will have a break from rugby this weekend, which gives their injured time to recoup before next weekend's clash.
Captain Salmaan Moerat, loose-forwards Hacjivah Dayimani and Ben-Jason Dixon all picked up concussions but will be ready to take on the Welsh club. Knee injuries to speedster Leolin Zas and flanker Deon Fourie will see them sit out. Fourie will likely not return to play this season.
A fresh injury in the side is that of influential lock Ruben van Heerden. He is also set to miss the Ospreys clash but should return when Leinster comes to Cape Town, most likely with an academy side as they've done so in previous years late in the season.
“Were it not for the five injuries, and we made it through, we could've sent a pack good enough to compete against Leinster and be ready for Ospreys,” Stormers head coach John Dobson said.
“But to take five forwards out, that is six now with a light injury, and then come back, that would've cost us the Ospreys game.
“Last year we had that fantastic unbeaten 21-run of unbeaten games. We went to Exeter in exactly the same situation for a (Champions Cup) quarter-final. We took a smack there and brought the same team back, and Munster was already in Cape Town. It is tough.”
Munster went on to break the Stormers' unbeaten run at home and found a way to win in Cape Town. A few weeks later in 2023, they returned to Cape Town and beat the Stormers again to claim the title and prevent the inaugural champions from going back-to-back in the competition.