Stormers aim to be SA’s first team to feature in Champions Cup semis
· Citizen
The Stormers are aiming to at least reach the Champions Cup semifinals and become the first South African team to reach that stage, as they prepare to face Toulon in their last 16 encounter in France this weekend.
No South African team has made it past the quarterfinals of the competition, with the Stormers and Sharks having reached that stage in the 2022-23 season, before both were dumped out by Exeter Chiefs and Toulouse respectively, while the Bulls made it to the last eight in the 2023-24 campaign but lost to Northampton Saints.
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‘We want to go as far as we can’
Stormers boss John Dobson believes his team have finally built enough depth to be able to have a proper crack at the Champions Cup.
“We want to respect this competition and we want to go as far as we can. No South African team has made a semifinal, so that’s something we’re very aware of,” said Dobson after the Stormers’ URC win over Edinburgh at the weekend.
“A couple of years ago, we probably wouldn’t have had the capacity (to challenge on two fronts). Now, despite the injuries, I feel like we’ve got a bit more depth and the ability to go full-out for this.”
Beating Toulon though is easier said than done.
Set-piece crucial
“It’s a really good Toulon team. They’ve got a strong scrum and they’re very fast. That caught us when we played them before, just how quick they are across the park. But what an experience for us. It’ll be a part of our growth. We’ll give it a full go.”
The Stormers’ only previous encounter against the French giants was last season when they went down to them 24-14 in a “home” clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha.
“Our set-piece will be crucial. We pride ourselves on our scrum, but they’re one of the best in France. I don’t think we’re going to grind them down with that size of pack,” explained Dobson.
“They win every scrum battle. I think they’re number two in France. We are going to have to spin and win. The contestable kicking game could also be an area we can use. But we’re going to have to get into that transition to play with a bit of freedom.”