The Stormers are gearing up for another season of rugby, and their newly-appointed captain, Ruhan Nel, is determined to lead the team to new heights. With a fresh jersey and a renewed focus, the Stormers are ready to tackle the challenges ahead and bring home some silverware.
Nel, an experienced centre, believes the team has learned valuable lessons from last season's semifinal defeat to Leinster. He emphasizes the importance of being more clinical in crucial moments, a key takeaway from their painful loss.
"Looking back on the season, I’ve never seen a Stormers team that’s been one or two on the log during the entire regular season," Nel said. "Unfortunately, we fell short in that semifinal. But small moments in that line-out could have changed the outcome. Two minutes can make or break a season."
The Stormers' biggest lesson from last season was the importance of being more clinical in crucial moments. Nel acknowledges that they often got held up over the line, making reckless decisions or soft moments that cost them valuable points.
"I chatted about it last season as well," Nel said. "There are so many times we actually got held up over the line. You do all the hard work to get into the 22, and then it’s one reckless decision or one soft moment that actually pins you back in your own 22, where you should have come up with five points there. So, it’s about being a little bit more clinical."
The Stormers' new captain is confident that the squad has set high expectations after their impressive campaign last season. They aim to replicate their strong start and potentially finish the season with a final and the URC trophy.
"We did set some very high expectations for ourselves," Nel said. "To see if we can replicate last season’s start and finish off the season potentially with a final and bring that URC trophy back home. So, I think more exciting times ahead than actually feeling the pressure."
The Stormers showed glimpses of their potential when they faced the All Blacks during the Greatest Rivalry Series on August 7. Despite a 21-38 defeat, they impressed with their physicality, set-piece dominance, and ability to put the visitors under pressure.
Nel believes the performance provided plenty of positives despite the result. He acknowledges that the All Blacks were finding their feet for the first game on tour and that their style of play is vastly different from what they faced against the Stormers.
"I don’t think you are supposed to be in the All Black side with two weeks or three weeks of preparation," Nel said. "Look, we gave it a good crack. But in the same breath, these guys were also just finding their feet for the first game on tour. I think it’s a vastly different style they’re playing now. They look at the Test match likely towards what they were playing against us. But obviously, there’s a lot of positives."
With a new captain, a fresh jersey, and another demanding URC campaign on the horizon, the Stormers have made their intentions clear: last season’s semifinal heartbreak is not the destination – it is the motivation to take the next step and chase the trophy.
