Stormers captain Ruhan Nel is raring to go ahead of their URC quarter-final against Cardiff.
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The Stormers have received a massive psychological and tactical boost ahead of their United Rugby Championship quarter-final against Cardiff next weekend, with midfield linchpin Ruhan Nel declaring himself fit and ready for the high-stakes play-off rounds.
The veteran outside centre has completed a gruelling rehabilitation process and is timing his return perfectly for the business end of the season. Nel integrated seamlessly back into the squad over the last few weeks of the regular season following a calf injury, but he wasn’t risked in their final round-robin match against Cardiff on the synthetic 4G pitch.
However, he is firmly in line to start next weekend in the Stormers’ immediate rematch against the Welsh outfit. He will bring much-needed defensive stability to the Cape side’s midfield, which has been chopped and changed over the last few months because of a relentless injury crisis.
“Training has been really good,” Nel confirmed this week. “I trained the whole week with the boys in Cardiff. Training is a bit of a controlled environment, so if something pops up the medical staff can pull you in.
"In the game you don’t have control over injuries — especially with a 6–2 bench split, an early injury can really cause some disruption. I’m feeling really good, training has been really good and I’m picking up the load. So I’m really excited to get going.”
While John Dobson’s charges secured a crucial home knockout fixture at the DHL Stadium, the defeat against Cardiff saw them fall short of the top-two finish that would have guaranteed a potential home semi-final. While this remains a sensitive subject for Nel and the Stormers, the focus has shifted entirely to beating Cardiff next weekend and advancing to the last four.
“This is what we have been working for the whole season,” Nel said. “We would obviously love to have a home semi-final and final, but the quarter-final is obviously the first step to try and win the trophy.
"We are excited for it, but, trust me, it was disappointing not to get the home semi. A home playoff in front of our own supporters is always special.”
The quarter-final line-up presents a unique challenge, throwing the Stormers into an immediate rematch with the Welsh outfit just a fortnight after their final round-robin clash.
There is definitely revenge on the Stormers’ minds, with Dobson also alluding to the fact that they are excited to have another crack at Cardiff so soon after losing in Wales.
Besides holding crucial home advantage, they will also be playing on a familiar grass playing surface at the DHL Stadium, having looked completely all at sea on the synthetic pitch in Cardiff.
“It’s unusual to play a team in the final round-robin match and then get them again two weeks later in the quarter-finals,” Nel said.
“So it’s good, we can learn from our mistakes. We can implement things that we didn’t get a chance to do. It’s not a 4G pitch we’ll be playing on, and we will be a lot more comfortable on the grass.”