Cape Town - In finals rugby, every opportunity counts.
Well, it’s not like there is ever a game where teams wouldn’t want to make the most of the chances that may come their way, but when it comes to the season finale, it’s even more important, although you don’t need to tell that to the Stormers or the Bulls ...
The two sides will meet in the United Rugby Championship (URC) final at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 7.30pm) after defeating their Irish counterparts in semi-final action last weekend.
Only one performance stands between the SA Shield-winning Stormers and the URC trophy.
So, technical things aside, here are three factors that are going to be key in them lifting the trophy ...
Converting opportunities
In their narrow, last-gasp, 17-15 win over Ulster, Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok didn’t have the best day off the kicking tee and had missed all his attempts on the day, except for the conversion after Warrick Gelant scored in the corner to lock the scores at 15-all after receiving a skip pass from Libbok.
While Libbok’s efforts with the boot are probably the most obvious examples of points left out there, it will come down to much more than that this weekend.
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Be it a shot at goal going wide, or getting all the way into the 22 only to knock the ball on centimetres from the whitewash, or rushing that final pass, converting opportunities is going to be as important as creating them against the Bulls.
The worst situation to be in after the game is the ‘if only’ one ...
Owning the big moments
While Libbok is the paragon of ‘nerves of steel’ after that last-minute conversion, especially after what went down in his individual game prior to that, the Stormers, as a collective, did extremely well in those final 10 minutes to not fold under the relentless pressure from Ulster, which wasn’t made any easier to handle by Scottish referee Mike Adamson.
ALSO READ: Regardless of what happens in the URC final, the Stormers can feel like champions
Considering the magnitude of the encounter they are hosting this weekend, the quality of the opposition, and the spice of the classic North-South derby added to that, big moments are guaranteed, and the Stormers’ composure and execution in those instances are going to be crucial.
Handling the weather
It has been a huge talking point building up to the game, and given how it has been coming down in Cape Town, it’s no surprise.
In an ideal situation, the skies would be clear for the ‘dream final’, but looking at the forecast, that’s not going to be the case this weekend.
Either way, the underfoot conditions are certainly going to have a say in the game, whether that’s how to approach the match or how they handle errors that could arise from the slippery leather.
@WynonaLouw