Ackermann welcomes his Springbok “lost sons” as Bulls target Champions Cup semi-finals

John Dobson, the Director of Rugby for the Stormers, emphasized the team's commitment to reaching the final or at least the semi-finals of the Champions Cup this season. He stated that the Stormers will play their best possible team, apart from any injuries, in their opening match against the Bristol Bears at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The Stormers aim to kick-start their campaign on the right note in what should be an exciting encounter.

South African teams have not made it past the quarterfinals in the Champions Cup, with the Stormers achieving this feat in the 2022-23 season and the Bulls doing so in 2023-24. However, the Cape side has been eliminated in the last 16 in two of their past three campaigns. Recognizing the importance of the competition, Dobson stated that the Stormers need to secure a semi-final or final position in order to properly respect the Champions Cup.

Dobson further expressed his desire for a South African team to make it to the semi-finals or final of the competition this season. He highlighted that without such a performance, the public in Cape Town would look poorly on the team's participation in the prestigious competition. The Stormers want to test themselves against the world's best teams and be part of the top table of world rugby, where they currently trail behind the URC in popularity.

The Stormers are acutely aware of the importance of securing a home knockout in the competition. Their only last 16 win was achieved at home, while they narrowly lost to Toulon in France last season. This season, they are well aware of the importance of bonus points, having fallen behind Harlequins by a single point in the pool last year due to a similar tally in wins.

The Champions Cup has recently altered its bonus point rule from scoring four tries to accumulating three tries more than the opposition, which the Stormers have taken note of. Captain Ruhan Nel explained that the team has been discussing this change and is prepared to focus on defense to achieve the necessary points.