Stormers riding high ahead of clash with beleaguered Toulon
· Citizen
It won’t be easy, but the Stormers are in a strong position to secure their first win against Toulon and reach the Champions Cup quarter-finals for just the second time.
The Cape side take on the beleaguered French giants, who are without a win in five matches and missing key players, in their round of 16 match at Stade Mayol on Saturday (kick-off 4pm).
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The Stormers, meanwhile, are in better form after three wins, although under-par performances against the Bulls, Dragons and Edinburgh accompanied these.
Director of rugby John Dobson said his team “lacked patience”, leaving much on the field during their 33-14 United Rugby Championship victory over Edinburgh last week.
They secured the bonus-point win only after three tries in the final quarter, retaking the lead and pulling away from Edinburgh after struggling in the first hour, even though they had more possession and territory.
Toulon haven’t won since January
Toulon, like Edinburgh, are also in poor form following two defeats to Pau and Clermont, a draw to Lyon and then two more losses to Stade Francais and Perpignan.
They last scraped a 30-27 win at home against Montpellier in January and languish in 11th place on the Top 14 table.
Toulon may miss locks Dave Ribbans, Brian Alainu’uese and Matthias Halagahu, loose forwards Lewis Ludlam and Esteban Abadie, and scrumhalf Baptiste Serin, for the last-16 match.
Dobson said the Stormers were not without their own injuries, but they still had more depth than in the past. He felt this would enable them to target their first-ever semifinal in the tournament.
He said they would “go full-out” in the Champions Cup, and that would start with a massive set-piece clash against one of the strongest scrumming sides in France.
Loose forward Dayimani raring to go
Stormers loose forward Hacjivah Dayimani said it was good to be back in France after spending almost two years with Racing 92. There, he was transitioned to the wing after an Achilles injury. He said this broadened his skill set but offered less game time.
Now back at the Stormers, and in his old role, Dayimani believed he had grown in his mentorship role as well, helping young players where he can.
The Stormers have played against Toulon only once, losing 24-14 in their Champions Cup group match at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha in December 2024.