Assistant coach Dewaldt Duvenage and scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer say the Stormers XXIII will chase Currie Cup glory from the outset against defending champs Griquas on Friday.
The Stormers will compete in rugby’s oldest domestic competition for the first time following a brand consolidation, with Tom Dawson-Squibb leading a coaching group that includes Duvenage, Helmut Lehmann, Sentle Lehoko and Pine Pienaar.
Duvenage said excitement has been building after five weeks of preparation for Friday’s night clash at Cape Town Stadium.
“I think the boys are buzzing to get out there. It’s been five or six weeks of hard training to get ready for the first game,” he added.
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“Obviously, a big challenge is ahead of us. Griquas are a pretty good team, as they’ve shown over the years.”
Having retained much of the U23 group while integrating new and senior players along with coaches, Duvenage believes the squad has built strong cohesion.
“The main thing is always the aspiration to play for the Stormers, and I think that’s probably the stepping stone to get to that goal,” he said.
“We’re going full-out to win this competition. There’s a lot of heritage in this competition, so that’s our goal. We always want to do the badge justice with our performance.”
Ungerer has also sensed renewed energy within the group. “A couple of fresh voices, fresh ideas … it gets players excited,” he said.
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“The guys have been working hard for five weeks now, so you can see there’s real energy and excitement to get the competition going.”
Ungerer said the blend of experienced campaigners and emerging talent has created healthy competition.
“I don’t think anyone’s place in the team is guaranteed, and we’re all out there fighting to get into that match XV or match 23.
“It’s just setting the example and the standards of what Stormers rugby is all about. We want to train well, we want to play well, we want to be competitive in whatever competition we represent the Stormers.”
A former Griquas man, the 32-year-old expects nothing less than a fierce contest from the men from Kimberley.
“They love upsetting a big union… We know we’ve got a proper game ahead of us on Friday and we’re excited for it.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Stormers XXIII buzzing for title race appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Assistant coach Dewaldt Duvenage and scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer say the Stormers XXIII will chase Currie Cup glory from the outset against defending champions Griquas on Friday.
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