Where: Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
When: Saturday, December 30
History
John Dobson has his Stormers side rounding into good form just in time for this South African derby in the URC. The home team has won two in a row in all competitions and will fancy a victory here against their coastal rivals, given the Sharks have never bested the Stormers in URC play.
It has been a weird start to the season for both sides. Much of that can be put down to the number of first-string players that both were without, given the timing of the World Cup and the hangover after the Springboks claimed the trophy. Even so, the Sharks have way too much talent than their current position of 15th on the log would suggest, and at some point, they will start winning games.
Their one win and six defeats from seven games is disappointing, and the Sharks know they have to turn it on soon to chase down the playoff pack. They are currently 15 points off of a playoff spot, with that 8th place on the log belonging to the Stormers. They have four wins and four defeats from their eight games, while their +49 point difference is fifth best in the entire comp. This team is built on a solid, hard-working defense, with the Stormers conceding the fourth fewest points of the 16 URC teams.
Stormers
Dan du Plessis will be back in action for the Stormers this weekend as the Stormers shuffle their pack on the back of three weeks of Test match-level competition in the Champions Cup and URC. This will be his first run out of season after picking up a knock in pre-season, and the influential No. 12 has been missed.
The Stromers other change is at hooker, with Scarra Ntubeni set to make his 100th appearance for the side. That means that youngster Andre-Huge Venter will come off the bench.
Sharks
The Sharks are by far the more rested of the two teams heading into this derby. They have had two weeks of rest, during which time the Stormers have played against the hyper-physical La Rochelle in the Champions Cup and the Bulls in the URC.
Herschel Jantjies is fit enough to return to the bench ahead of Stefan Ungerer, and the 2019 World Cup winner will look to provide a spark off of the bench with his unique set of skills. Jantjies is always more dangerous late in games when he can exploit gaps around the ruck as forwards begin to tire.
This is as close to a full-strength team as the Sharks can put out, with the likes of Ox Nche, Lukhanyo Am, and the always-imposing Eben Etzebeth all ready to take on their World Cup-winning teammates.
Best Bets
The Sharks simply aren’t as bad as their log position would suggest. I like them to come out firing here and cover the 7.5 point spread. I don’t think they will win this, but it should set a platform for them to change their run of form against the Lions next time out.
