Head coach Pete Wilkins has hinted that Connacht will look to beat the DHL Stormers at their own game in the Vodacom URC semi-final in Cape Town on Saturday.
Defending URC champions, the Stormers have home-ground advantage at Cape Town Stadium, but the Irish visitors are riding a wave of confidence after six consecutive wins i nthe league phase of the competition and a shock victory over Ulster in the quarter-finals.
Wilkins revealed in a Connacht media conference this week that his troops have a plan to get on the front foot against the title-holders, and are looking forward to the challenge.
“The Stormers are a strong team and have particularly good players. There is a great deal we must respect, but we also have clarity about the plan we must follow and that gives us self-confidence,” he said.
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The Capetonians are known for their tremendous hitting power at the back, but Wilkins believes this could work to Connacht’s advantage. “There are turnovers, counter attacks from kicks and other things that you can use to your advantage. We also like to play with the ball in hand and equally want to show what we’re capable of in that respect,” he said.
Despite Connacht’s impressive run of form, Wilkins acknowledged that they need to improve their scoring rate in the quarter area. “We did some things well against Ulster but averaged just 1.5 points for each visit to their quarter area. This is 50 percent where we want to be. It’s exciting because there are opportunities for growth.”
The Stormers have already defeated Connacht this season, in Stellenbosch, but Wilkins and his team are not fazed and are confident of causing an upset this weekend.
“The Stormers are a strong team and have particularly good players. They are defending champions and have home-field advantage,” he said.
“There is a great deal we must respect, but we also have clarity about the plan we must follow and that gives us self-confidence. We are looking forward to the weekend.”
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