Roar Guru
A seven-point win over the Cheetahs at Newlands put the Stormers back in with a chance at the Super Rugby finals early on Sunday morning (AEST).
Final score
Stormers 31
Cheetahs 24
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This late Saturday night game sees the Stormers playing the Cheetahs from DHL Newlands in Capetown. Join The Roar from 11pm (AEST) for all the live action.
A classic South African derby is in store this evening, and we should see an exciting match unfold between old foes.
The Stormers need to pull their socks up after a couple of weeks of mediocre results. Any further poor performances may put their playoff hopes at risk, with them now sitting outside a playoff spot on the competition ladder.
The Cheetahs are out of the running for the finals, however they will not lack for motivation against their local rivals, and with Springbok spots up for grabs, there is plenty to play for today.
The Stormers’ major issue in their attack, which has been flat – they really need their Springbok second five Damian de Allende to lead the way in this aspect. One thing for certain is the Cheetahs love to play with width, and the Stormers can’t allow them too much freedom, particularly from broken play.
There are plenty of good match ups to look forward tonight, in particular the battle of the second rows with the Stormers’ Eben Eztebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit lining up against Lodewyk de Jager and Francois Uys for the Cheetahs. The Stormers pair have been in terrific form this season and are likely Springbok starters, while de Jager will also be in the squad, so a good rivalry with the June internationals around the corner.
Another match-up to keep an eye on is between speedsters Leolin Zas for the Stormers and Sergeal Petersen for the Cheetahs. There are some serious wheels out wide, and one can only hope we can see a few head to heads.
Prediction
Stormers by 12. Forward pack should get this done for the home side.
Join us as we cover all the action live, here on The Roar.