Frustrated Stormers turn attention to Cardiff after Ulster URC stalemate

Missed opportunities are what the Stormers are rueing, and they left Belfast frustrated after failing to secure five points in their 38-38 United Rugby Championship (URC) draw against Ulster in the penultimate round of the tournament.

Now, with the race for top spot entering its final stretch, they have little time to dwell on what might have been as attention quickly turns to Friday evening’s decisive final round-robin clash against Cardiff in Wales.

The three points bagged at the Affidea Stadium assured them of a home quarter-final. There are still hopes of topping the URC log with a victory and the Glasgow Warriors falling to Ulster in Ireland on Friday, but that should not be the team’s immediate focus.

They have their fate in their own hands, and a win will secure them a Top 2 finish this season. With that comes a home play-off at least until the semi-finals.

Glasgow leapfrogged them after their bonus-point win over Cardiff, and that should give the Stormers confidence heading into the clash in the Welsh capital. Their hosts will be fighting for survival to make the play-offs and will be desperate. But the Cape side will be equally eager to address the shortcomings from Belfast and seal a potential first-place finish.

“It’s probably a mixture of frustration that we didn’t get five points, because I thought at times our dominance was pretty imperious,” Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said.

“There were four glaring things; the two pick-and-go penalties we conceded - one of which was a 14-point swing. We probably would’ve scored when Evan (Roos) knocked on before that, and when Immy (Imad Khan) knocked as he was played. That is without the general sort of what-ifs.

“Some of our mistakes were frustrating. The most disappointing thing was probably our contestable game in the swirling wind. We worked so hard on becoming so good, and we lost one or two scraps. Ulster were slightly better than us, and it’s not how it has been the last while.

“The conditions were not easy.”

Dobson also rued the set-pieces that did not go their way. There were hardly any solid scrums, and it’s a weapon the Stormers could not use, while the home side also nullified their rolling maul.

He added that they had to find other ways to build momentum, and that was pleasing as they managed to score four tries and a late penalty try that salvaged a draw.

Their discipline and conversion of scoring chances are probably what need the most attention heading into the Cardiff clash. Once again, too many penalties placed them under immense pressure in Belfast, and Dobson wants to see improvement in Wales.

“We won’t go through another game without having a scrum on our ball, that is an area to improve, some of our setups on our contestable kicking too. Some poor individual errors, without pointing fingers, also cost us. Take that out, and we probably would’ve won.”

The Stormers can also do the Lions a favour by beating Cardiff on Friday evening. If they secure the victory, not only will they lock in a top-two spot, but they will also keep the Lions in the play-offs.