The Stormers are gearing up to unleash a seasoned Springbok in their climactic clash against Benetton this Saturday in Treviso. Perched at the summit of the Vodacom URC leaderboard with a flawless record of four wins in as many games, the Stormers are strutting through the season as one of the only two teams yet to taste defeat. With two of those victories secured on enemy turf, John Dobson's squad is buzzing to wrap up their tour with a win that screams 'top dog'.
The squad’s spirits have soared even higher with the arrival of Bok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who's just joined the team in northern Italy after taking some downtime post a rugged Test season. Forward coach Rito Hlungwani couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, remarking on the boost Reinach brings.
“Yes, he’s here. No team will ever complain when you add that kind of experience, so it’s quite helpful for us and nice to have him around,”
Hlungwani expressed. He added, “He’s still learning a couple of things that we do differently, but a player of his calibre picks up information quickly. We’re very happy to have him here.”
Reinach, a 35-year-old World Cup winner, has hopped over to the Stormers after a stint with Montpellier in France. His entry into the lineup could be the secret sauce the Stormers need as they hunt down their first-ever victory on Benetton’s turf. The last two face-offs at Benetton resulted in nail-biting losses for the Stormers — 20-17 in 2023 and 22-18 in 2021 — and Hlungwani made it clear that the team is itching to flip the script.
“The test this week for us is Benetton,”
he declared. “That’s the team we really want to beat. We’ve never beaten them on their home ground, so after this game we’ll be sitting in a position where we can look at the tour and assess all the little details of how we can do things differently next time.”
With Reinach’s savvy and the team’s current form, Saturday’s showdown in Treviso might just be where the Stormers turn their past frustrations into a breakthrough triumph.
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The Stormers are gearing up to unleash a seasoned Springbok in their climactic clash against Benetton this Saturday in Treviso. Perched at the summit of the Vodacom URC leaderboard with a flawless record of four wins in as many games, the Stormers are strutting through the season as one of the only two teams yet to taste defeat. With two of those victories secured on enemy turf, John Dobson's squad is buzzing to wrap up their tour with a win that screams 'top dog'.
The squad’s spirits have soared even higher with the arrival of Bok scrumhalf Cobus Reinach, who's just joined the team in northern Italy after taking some downtime post a rugged Test season. Forward coach Rito Hlungwani couldn’t hide his enthusiasm, remarking on the boost Reinach brings.
“Yes, he’s here. No team will ever complain when you add that kind of experience, so it’s quite helpful for us and nice to have him around,”
Hlungwani expressed. He added, “He’s still learning a couple of things that we do differently, but a player of his calibre picks up information quickly. We’re very happy to have him here.”Reinach, a 35-year-old World Cup winner, has hopped over to the Stormers after a stint with Montpellier in France. His entry into the lineup could be the secret sauce the Stormers need as they hunt down their first-ever victory on Benetton’s turf. The last two face-offs at Benetton resulted in nail-biting losses for the Stormers — 20-17 in 2023 and 22-18 in 2021 — and Hlungwani made it clear that the team is itching to flip the script.
“The test this week for us is Benetton,”
he declared. “That’s the team we really want to beat. We’ve never beaten them on their home ground, so after this game we’ll be sitting in a position where we can look at the tour and assess all the little details of how we can do things differently next time.”With Reinach’s savvy and the team’s current form, Saturday’s showdown in Treviso might just be where the Stormers turn their past frustrations into a breakthrough triumph.