Roar Guru
The NSW Waratahs have gotten their season started in the right kind of fashion, defeating the Stormers by seven points at home on Saturday night.
» Click here to read the full match report
Final score
Waratahs 34
Stormers 27
The Waratahs begin their 2018 Super Rugby campaign with a home match against the Stormers at Allianz Stadium. Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match from 7:45pm (AEDT).
While they did not play each other in 2017, previous encounters between these teams are generally tightly contested, with the Stormers holding a 10-9 record in 20 matches, with one draw.
After a disastrous 2017 season where they finished only ahead of the listless Rebels in the Australian conference, NSW will be looking to forget the past.
Their preparations have hit a major hurdle, with starting hooker Damien Fitzpatrick in serious doubt after suffering a knee injury during a warm-up match against the Rebels. This adds further headaches for coach Daryl Gibson, with halfback Nick Phipps already ruled out with a calf injury.
Meanwhile, after re-signing last year, Kurtley Beale will be trying his best to earn a Wallabies jersey for the World Cup next year. Talented and versatile –
he can fit into any spot in the backline – Beale is an integral part of the Tahs’ creative think-tank.
If Beale and Israel Folau have an impact this year, then their side will have plenty of points in them.
As for the Stormers, they are coming off a scrappy win against the Jaguares, where poor execution and impatient decision-making meant they were lucky to get away with the points.
But their backline is filled with world-class players, while impressive lock JD Schickerling and captain Siya Kolise make for a strong forward pack, too.
Damian Willemse showed his class last week, with some brilliant game management, setting up crucial tries and scoring one himself. If the speedy fly-half is allowed to control the pace of the match, expect Seabelo Senatla, Dillyn Leyds and Raymond Rhule to have a field day.
Prediction
Even though Waratahs have an impressive record at home, the Stormers will be too strong.
Stormers by 10.