The Stormers will be out to set things straight when they host Irish powerhouse Leinster in the United Rugby Championship this weekend.
The former URC champions uncharacteristically lost at home to Ospreys last weekend, putting in jeopardy their hopes of qualifying for this season’s play-offs.
Leinster were themselves on the wrong side of a hiding by the Lions at Ellis Park, in the process failing to stretch their lead over Glasgow Warriors at the top of the URC table.
Stormers’ Ruben van Heerden acknowledged that the Irish side would be hurting after the loss to the Lions, but their only focus was getting back to winning ways.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we bounce back as a team, and as a forward pack this week,” the lock told the Stormers’ in-house website.
“We have certain standards that we’ve set for ourselves and last week we slipped up. It sounds cliché but the only way to get over losing is by winning,” said van Heerden.
“I think the measure of a man is not what he does when he is winning but rather what he does when his back is against the wall, and our backs are against the wall and we have to fight now. And what an opportunity we have against Leinster this weekend.
“My advice to the guys is to not try and do anything fancy but play the rugby that the Stormers are known for, and do the things that we do well, stay in the system and execute.
“We have to play to our strengths and if we do that with a bit of attitude and intensity, things will go well for us.”
Van Heerden went on to add: “Leinster will be hurting after their loss against the Lions. They are going to want to rectify things that they got wrong, but so will we. We want to make things right,” he explained.
With the end of the regular season fast approaching, any loss could be disastrous for the Stormers, who have had to look over their shoulder in recent weeks.
The Lions, Ulster, Connacht, Edinburgh and Ospreys will all be hoping the team from Cape Town will drop some points to boost their own play-off aspirations.
IOL Sport