The Stormers can lean on history for inspiration when playing the star-studded international-fuelled Sharks in Durban in the United Rugby Championship.
Sharks coach John Plumtree did not hesitate to include every one of his available current Test Springboks for Saturday’s first of two URC coastal derbies between the two rivals.
Springboks Eben Etzebeth and Bongi Mbonambi are unavailable, but every other player who conquered Scotland, England and Wales, plus Scottish international Dylan Richardson, has been included in a 23 that would be the envy of most Test-playing nations.
The Stormers, by contrast, had just one recent tour Springbok available in Manie Libbok, who is among the substitutes.
Springbok props Steven Kitshoff and Frans Malherbe are crocked, so too Springbok lock Salmaan Moerat, Springbok loose-forwards Deon Fourie and Evan Roos and Springboks utility back Damian Willemse.
Back in 2022 the Stormers were a side under pressure after just one win in their opening five league matches, but they went to Durban as underdogs and stunned the imposing Test-laden Sharks.
The Stormers have been hit hardest with injuries to their frontline Springboks, but they are a franchise known for their resilience in the John Dobson coaching era and they are a bunch of players who have always managed to take the form book and rip it up in South African derbies, especially since the launch of the URC four seasons ago.
The Stormers are unbeaten against the Sharks in the URC, having won five and drawn once in six league matches. It is the 22-all draw, on January 29 2022, that is particularly significant to Saturday’s showdown.
Back in 2022 the Stormers were a side under pressure after just one win in their opening five league matches, but they went to Durban as underdogs and stunned the imposing Test-laden Sharks.
The Stormers fought back from 22-7 to draw 22-all against a Sharks starting XV that included Springboks in fullback Aphelele Fassi, wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Sbu Nkosi, centre Lukhanyo Am, scrumhalf Grant Williams and Jaden Hendrikse, loose-forwards Phepsi Buthelezi and Siya Kolisi, props Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit and hooker Mbonambi.
Lock Ruben van Heerden started for the Sharks in 2022 in that match, but he is now a Stormer and one of their best performing forwards since his arrival in Cape Town.
On Saturday, Fassi, Jaden Hendrikse, Williams, Mapimpi, Am, Kolisi, Buthelezi and Nche are again in the Sharks mix, with the additional firepower of Boks Andre Esterhuizen, Jordan Hendrikse, Vincent Koch, Trevor Nyakane, Jason Jenkins and Scotland’s Richardson.
It is one hell of a Sharks match 23, but South African derbies are also one hell of a leveller when it comes to results.
The Stormers, two wins from five in the URC, were impressive in beating Zebre in Italy and Munster in Cape Town and their own worst enemies in surrendering the advantage to defending champions Glasgow in Stellenbosch in their most recent league outing.
The Stellenbosch defeat would have been infuriating for the coaches a and supporters because of individual lapses and poor on-field decision-making in the final quarter, but what the Stormers players showed is the quality to take on and beat a virtual international match-day squad. Glasgow fielded 16 internationals against the Stormers in a match that was only decided in the final eight minutes.
The Sharks players know only too well how the Stormers lift for the South African derbies and there is enough attitude within this Stormers group to upset the bigger names wearing black on Saturday.
It should be a thrilling reminder of what makes the URC such a special competition and while the Champions Cup becomes front of mind on the weekends of December 7 and 14, it will again be the URC local derbies that complete the Stormers year in Cape Town on December 23 and 30.
Those December festival derbies have proved a winner for the Stormers in Cape Town, for the league and for the fans with the holiday crowd average in excess of 30,000 in the past two seasons.
For now Durban takes centre stage on Saturday, while the Bulls battle for precious league points against Connacht in Galway.
Everything, on paper, points to a Sharks win but South African derbies are not won on paper and this is a Stormers group that has been in training for the past month while the core of the Sharks run-on XV has been on tour with the Springboks.
I am expecting the Stormers to show greater cohesion and desperation and I am expecting them to win again, albeit by the narrowest of margins.
I am also expecting the Bulls to bank another crucial win on the road.
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