Both teams are packed with quality players so an exciting URC derby is on the cards.
John Dobson is hoping for a better result from his Stormers team this weekend than what he got last season against the Sharks. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
A deep desire to make up for last season’s biggest “low point” will drive the Stormers when they take on the Sharks in a local United Rugby Championship derby at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (kickoff at 4pm).
The Cape Town-based side suffered back-to-back home and away defeats to the Sharks last season in what coach John Dobson called the “low point of the season” and believes this will ensure his players are up to the challenge on Saturday.
In January this year, in the midpoint of the 2025/26 season, the Stormers went down 19-30 at home to the Sharks and a week later they suffered a 24-36 loss in Durban.
Speaking ahead of this Saturday’s match, Dobson said he and his players hadn’t forgotten those defeats.
“That was the low point of our season last year … on consecutive weekends,” said Dobson.
“It’s one of the reasons why we’ve picked our strongest available team for this match. We’re showing respect to the Sharks and the derby and because of what happened last season.”
Dobson has included a number of Springbok players in his side for the match against a Sharks team that is flying high on confidence.
JP Pietersen’s men are two-from-two, having beaten Ospreys and Leinster in Durban, and will also be a team full of quality players, including a number of Bok stars.
Dobson pointed to Ethan Hooker, Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche as being key figures for the Sharks, with the high ball, scrums and lineouts all set to be crucial areas of the match.
The Stormers though will look to Damian Willemse, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cobus Reinach, Wilco Louw and Paul de Villiers and Siya Kolisi to lead the way.
Dobson said it was a no-brainer to select both Kolisi and De Villiers for the match, though both are regular No 6s. Kolisi will wear the No 7 on his back this weekend.
“Siya has his own way of playing at six … the way he counter-rucks and his stopping power and we all know he’s a good carrier,” said Dobson.
“But I wanted an out-and-out fetcher for this game and couldn’t leave Paul out. Siya will be comfortable at seven.”
The Sharks’ Nche said this week he enjoyed taking on his fellow Bok team-mates, which he’ll do in the scrums against Louw on Saturday, but he won’t be the only one looking to make his mark on the game.
With so many Bok players on show, expect this match to be packed with action and men keen to get one over their national team-mates.
