The Stormers are in fine form, having started their season with six straight wins, and will want to make that seven in the Champions Cup against Bayonne.
The Stormers are charging into the Champions Cup competition in sublime form, after their brilliant start to the United Rugby Championship (URC) was highlighted with a come-from-behind win over Irish giants Munster at Thomond Park in Limerick over the weekend.
Both the Stormers and Munster went into the game as the top two teams on the URC log, level on points, but the Irish side were boosted by the return of their internationals, while the Cape side had to make do without their star players.
And it looked like home ground advantage and having a full-strength team would be the difference, after Munster took a 21-6 lead into halftime, only for the Stormers to hit back with 21 unanswered points, and keep the hosts scoreless in the second half, securing an impressive 27-21 win.
The Stormers are thus now clear at the top of the URC table as the only unbeaten team in the competition, and can take the momentum gained from their six straight wins into the Champions Cup.
They face French opposition in the opening two rounds, kicking things off against Bayonnais Aviron in Bayonne on Friday night, before heading back to South Africa to take on La Rochelle in Gqeberha.
Four away wins
With four of the Stormers wins this season having come on the road, and after their fantastic win over Munster in Ireland, they will be confident of starting the Champions Cup with a win in France.
Director of Rugby John Dobson highlighted the fight shown by his team in coming back against Munster, and the depth they have built, despite them being able to call upon their Springbok stars again, that gives them the belief that they can continue their impressive run.
“What gives us hope is how this team has fight, and the quality of depth we’re building. I could name a lot of guys who didn’t play (against Munster), let alone our Springboks,” said Dobson.
“It feels like we’re building something in terms of our squad size to last and compete properly. The project is growing in shape and we wanted cohesion. And what is nice is that there are no injury concerns (after the match), and we can win on the road.”
If the Stormers can continue their winning start to the season and get a good win over Bayonne, it will set them up perfectly for a crack at La Rochelle at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
The Stormers have made playing Gqeberha a regular fixture on their schedule over the last few seasons, and last year they lost to Toulon in the city in the competition, so this time around they will be targeting a win over the French giants.
