30 October 2026
The DHL Stormers have locked their sights on Ulster Rugby, balancing heavy squad rotation against an opposition desperate to break their United Rugby Championship duck.
Despite the Belfast side arriving in Cape Town winless after two draws and two defeats, the hosts are preparing for a brutal 80-minute dogfight at the DHL Stadium on Saturday.
Director of Rugby John Dobson has made 10 changes to his starting side, prioritising strategic rotation ahead of the international break. Dobson noted that the massive overhaul requires immediate tactical cohesion on the park.
“There are many changes, but every player coming in, bar the vastly experienced Bongi Mbonambi, has already played an important role for us this season,” Dobson said.
The Cape side aims to protect their home record and reward the local crowd before the URC pauses.
“It will take a big effort to end this phase of the season with a fourth straight win at home, and everyone is determined to give our fans another win at DHL Stadium. After this match we go into a four-week break, so you can expect to see them leave it all out there on Saturday,” he said.
Skipper Ruhan Nel cautioned his team against writing off Ulster, pointing out that the visitors finish strongly despite missing eight Irish internationals.
“If you look at how Ulster have been playing over the past few weeks, they’re behind, but then they come back strongly in those last few minutes,” Nel said.
“They’ve had two draws and almost pipped the Bulls. Some of the guys they’ve flown over are pushing for places in that starting side, and we’re under no illusions as to how strong this Ulster side is.”
Nel highlighted past struggles against the Irish side to emphasise the physical challenge awaiting the squad on the weekend.
“It’s a massive clash for us, and we’ve never easily beaten Ulster. They’ve given us a few hidings when we’ve visited them, and we had that draw last season. So we know what’s waiting for us,” Nel added.