Crunch time for the Stormers

The DHL Stormers are in a precarious position in the Investec Champions Cup ahead of the penultimate round of fixtures in the pool stages, but centre Ruhan Nel is optimistic that they can keep the campaign alive.

South African teams have endured a mixed run of fortunes in the EPCR competitions this season; the Hollywoodbets Sharks are the only side currently ranked in the top four in their Champions Cup pool, while the Vodacom Bulls are currently ranked fifth and the Stormers sixth.

In the Challenge Cup, The Emirates Lions are fourth and the Toyota Cheetahs are fifth in their respective pools.

The Stormers are in a must-win territory when they tackle the Sale Sharks at the DHL Stadium tomorrow to stay in playoff contention after two losses.

While Sale Sharks won once in the cup this season, it was a dominant result against Racing 92. Nel and his teammates will be relying on their home ground advantage, where they’ve won their last two URC games against the Lions and Sharks.

The 33-year-old is confident that the team have created good momentum in recent games and does not believe the expectation for wins in the last two Champions Cup clashes will subject them to more pressure. Written by Ray Mabawa