Ruhan Nel has warned the Stormers against complacency in Sunday’s clash with the Dragons following their win over the Vodacom Bulls.
Speaking on Thursday, the Stormers captain said the Welsh club is a quality outfit that would punish any drop-off in standards or intensity in their Vodacom URC clash at Cape Town Stadium.
“I think the biggest danger is complacency,” Nel said. “You can easily fall into the trap of thinking if you’ve beaten the Bulls, you should beat a team like the Dragons comfortably. That’s when the small details start slipping, and it becomes a snowball effect.
“It’s subtle. You don’t always notice it straight away, but suddenly you’ve moved quite far off the mark,” he warned of how quickly things can slip.
“Against the Bulls, our desperation and hunger were like at the start of the season. We can’t lose that.”
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Nel said the Stormers weren’t underestimating the Dragons, despite their position of 14th on the log.
“They’re probably one of the strongest defensive sides since the start of the year. They’ve got big ball-carriers, guys who love to tackle and a smart kicking game. They’re not a team you can take lightly.”
The midfielder also reflected on his return from long-term injury, having played a full 80 minutes at altitude against the Bulls on his comeback.
“I was just really happy to be back on the field, especially in a big derby like that. I was nervous going into the week because you don’t want to let the team down.
“To get through 80 minutes at Loftus and get the win, after a long rehab, makes all the hard work feel worth it.”
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Nel will partner another returnee from long-term injury in Dan du Plessis to re-establish a midfield axis which goes back to their Super Rugby days.
“We’ve played together for years, so there’s a real understanding there,” Nel said. “You read each other’s body language and you’re in sync, especially defensively. It’s very exciting to have him back.”
The duo are now the centre pairing with the second most starts for the Stormers, behind De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert in the early to mid-2000s.
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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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