Ben-Jason Dixon of Stormers and Seabelo Senatla of Stormers congratulate Clayton Blommetjies of Stormers for scoring a try during the United Rugby Championship 2022/23 match between Stormers and Sharks held at Cape Town Stadium Even if the Stormers do lose to Leinster this coming Friday, one or two points from that game can still keep the daylight between the current URC champions and Ulster on the log of the competition. Picture: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
Cape Town - Two bonus-point wins from their final three round-robin matches should be enough for the Stormers to qualify for a home semifinal in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
Even if they do lose to Leinster this coming Friday, one or two points from that game can still keep the daylight between the current URC champions and Ulster on the log of the competition.
The Stormers occupy second place, while Ulster is breathing down their neck five points behind.
Failing to pick up any points in Dublin though, could see Ulster leapfrog the Stormers by the end of the weekend if Ulster beat the Bulls who they meet in Belfast on Saturday evening.
The Stormers will surely be fully behind the Bulls come Saturday to cause an upset in Ireland in the same unexpected way they did last season when they beat Leinster on their way to the final.
Ulster, on their part, will be hoping for a favour from their countrymen to keep the Stormers from getting any log points from their clash on Friday.
The big unknown that Stormers coach John Dobson and his team will face in Ireland in the build-up to the match, is which Leinster team will pitch on Friday.
With Ireland winning the Six Nations it could mean that Leo Cullen, Leinster coach, could play a second-string side. They are way ahead on the URC log and unbeaten so far, so it could be a risk letting all his stars loose so quickly after they claimed the Grand Slam.
They had 13 players in the successful Irish national team and Cullen could be tempted to rest them for one more week.
But what could sway his mind is the fact that a weakened Leinster lost to the Stormers last season in Cape Town and that is something they'd want to avoid this time around.
They could also be without inspirational flyhalf Johnny Sexton, who led Ireland to their Grand Slam, after he picked up a groin injury against England. He went for a scan on Monday and could sit out on Friday.
Fellow internationals Hugo Keenan and Garry Ringrose will also follow return-to-play protocols with Leinster after picking up head knocks.
ALSO READ: Clayton Blommetjies blooming with Stormers and Western Province
Keenan was injured against England this past weekend, while Ringrose missed the final Six Nations match after sustaining a head knock two weeks ago against Scotland.
So Leinster could be without three key players plus a host of others on the injury list.
Dobson picked his strongest available squad for this match even though his Springbok players last played competitive rugby in January.
They'll be thrown in the deep end even if Cullen decides to rest his top performers, but it could be the perfect opportunity for the defending champions to topple Leinster in the two team's first-ever meeting in Ireland.
@Leighton_K
IOL Sport