It may sound a bit bizarre given what has happened in the past, but it may well be that playing Ulster in their penultimate Vodacom URC regular season game in Belfast rather than Cape Town might be helpful to the DHL Stormers.
There have been times this season when an apparent desire to entertain their home crowd has taken the Stormers off plan. Their home loss to the Hollywoodbets Sharks a good example, while there was also an element of that mixed in with the emotion following the passing of popular team manager Chippie Solomons at play when they lost to Connacht at DHL Stadium more recently.
They were also fortunate to edge their home game against the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions on a day when there was too much flash and not enough of the grind that had seen the Stormers to five successive wins on overseas soil through October to the start of December. Grind is what director of rugby John Dobson wants against Ulster at Ravenshill, and he and skipper for the night Deon Fourie expect that to happen.
“What’s worked for us in the northern hemisphere is that grind (we showed in earlier games),” said Dobson in the team announcement press conference.
“We can stay in the opposition’s faces, stay in touch, and eventually our sort of poison of what we’re doing at set-piece and in other areas of the games hopefully starts to take its toll on the opposition.”
Indeed, the one thing that the Stormers might be missing now that they had on their previous URC visits to the northern hemisphere is the depth at lock they had back then, with Salmaan Moerat and JD Schickerling both on the injured list, but otherwise the Stormers have the forwards to do what Dobson says. In other words, suffocating the opposition like a python would constrict its prey.
LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR
It didn’t happen last time the Stormers were in Ulster, a game where they took an impressive early 17-0 lead but then lost the plot and went down 38-34. It is a game that Fourie has kept in mind and is determined that the same mistakes of that night not be repeated.
“We had a great start and we have looked at that game again and saw what we did well and also what we did wrong,” said Fourie.
“But we have definitely evolved a lot as a team from last season to now,” he added.
We'll be in Belfast on Friday night as the @Vodacom #URC hits the final stretch. #ULSvSTO #inittogether pic.twitter.com/92IWxPAa4j
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 4, 2026
Dobson believes the lessons from that defeat have helped shape a more mature Stormers side and he is confident that fullback Warrick Gelant, who has been recalled to allow Springbok Damian Willemse to return to centre in the absence of the injured Ruhan Nel (calf), will put his pistol away and be less inclined to try the 50/50 plays that have often cost the Stormers.
“This is definitely not one for Warrick’s showreel. It’s about doing a similar job to what Damian did against Glasgow. He completely gets it,” said the Stormers coach.
Listening to Dobson speak, it is clear he feels the ease with which the team saw off Glasgow by sticking to their plan has facilitated a better understanding of what is required now that the business end of the season has arrived.
“I don’t think I’ve seen the team this aligned as to how we want to play this week,” he said.
FOURIE AND DE VILLIERS BRING OPTIONS
While Fourie will start the game at openside flank, the man who did so well against Glasgow, Paul de Villiers, is still part of the mix as a reserve. He is in the No 16 jersey designated normally to a back-up hooker, but it is Fourie who will move to hooker when De Villiers comes onto the field. Or will he? There are different options, but the key is that the Stormers should have two so-called fetchers on the field at the same time in the decisive late stages of the game.
“It gives us a lot of options later in the game. You could end up in a position where Deon’s at hooker and Paul’s on the field, something we’ve always thought of. They could both be on the flank as well. Every time Paul or Deon’s come off the bench, they’ve made a difference in the 20 or 30 minutes,” Dobson explained.
Fourie added that contending for URC silverware would depend on the Stormers sticking to plan.
“To be a championship team, you can’t have one good week and then go off-plan the next week. We need to build on what we did against Glasgow,” said the 2023 Springbok Rugby World Cup winner.
Dobson has explained the selection of Sazi Sandi back into the squad, with Neethling Fouche sitting out, as a need to give players game time ahead of the playoffs. The same applies to flyhalf Jurie Matthee.
“We need to increase Jurie’s minutes because he’s a very good player and you never know if you may need him deeper in the competition. Sazi also needed the opportunity because these guys need to be ready as we get to the sharp end of the competition.”
It’s crunch time alright 😮💨🥊#BKTURC | #RaceToTheEight pic.twitter.com/PXkMzRhxFV
— BKT United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial) May 6, 2026
KOK AND TROKKIE IN OPPOSITION TEAM
Meanwhile, Ulster have injury problems but have otherwise called up their strongest team for the clash, with former Western Province and Sharks wing and Blitzbok star Werner Kok in the team, as is another former Stormers player, Juarno ‘Trokkie’ Augustus. The hosts have been boosted by the return to fitness of some front row players, among them the Australian, Angus Bell.
Teams
Ulster: Michael Lowry, Werner Kok, Ethan McIlroy, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward, Jack Murphy, Nathan Doak, Juarno Augustus, Nick Timoney, Cormac Izuchukwu, Charlie Irvine, Iain Henderson (captain), Tom O’Toole, James McCormick, Angus Bell. Replacements: Bench: Tom Stewart, Eric O’Sullivan, Scott Wilson, Harry Sheridan, Bryn Ward, Conor McKee, Jake Flannery, Wilhelm de Klerk.
DHL Stormers: Warrick Gelant, Wandisile Simelane, Dan du Plessis, Damian Willemse, Leolin Zas, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Imad Khan, Evan Roos, Ben-Jason Dixon, Deon Fourie (captain), Ruben van Heerden, Adré Smith, Sazi Sandi, André-Hugo Venter, Ntuthuko Mchunu. Replacements: Paul de Villiers, Oli Kebble, Zachary Porthen, Connor Evans, Hacjivah Dayimani, Keke Morabe, Stefan Ungerer, Jurie Matthee.