The DHL Stormers and Munster lock horns for the second time this season when the teams do battle for the @Vodacom #URC title in Cape Town on Saturday.
Overall Vodacom URC record: Played 2, Munster won 2.
TEAM: Valued veterans get Stormers recall
When they last met:
TEAM: Munster bench returning RG
Did you know?
– Manie Libbok was the top points-scorer in the semi-finals, scoring 23 of the Stormers’ 43 points. He was also the only player to score two tries in the last round and has assisted more tries with kicks than any other player (five).
– Hacjivah Dayimani made just three carries at the weekend. However, he also made 24 metres in contact, two try assists, and two clean breaks.
– The Stormers have averaged the fewest carries per 80 minutes in the URC this season, just 89.7. However, their try-scoring rate in the opposition 22 is a league-high 41%.
– Gavin Coombes and Mike Haley made more carries than any other players in the semi-finals, 20 apiece. Coombes has made the most carries in the league this season, a total of 231
– Against Leinster, Shane Daly made more offloads than any other player in the round – five in total. Teammate Tadgh Beirne won the joint-most turnovers (three = Josh van der Flier).
– Munster have made an average of 131 carries per 80 minutes this season – more than any other team. They have scored the second-fewest first phase tries (20).
– The Stormers and Munster have averaged more offloads per 80 minutes than any other teams: 11.4 and 10.75 respectively.
– After two meetings, the Stormers are yet to beat Munster in the URC. Their most recent league loss was against Munster in Round 17.
– Munster’s victory over Leinster last weekend ended a five-match losing streak in the fixture. They haven’t lost in the league in four matches.
– The Stormers are going for back-to-back triumphs – the only other side to successfully defend the title was Leinster (2013/2014 and 2018-2021).
– Munster became the first team to beat Stormers in their own backyard since the Lions won at DHL Stadium in December 2021 when victorious in Round 17.
– You have to go back to July 2017 for the last time the Stormers suffered a playoff defeat – against the Chiefs at Newlands in the quarter-final of Super Rugby.
– This is Munster’s ninth appearance in a URC final. They have won three times (2003, 2009 and 2011) but have been defeated in their last three finals (2015, 2017 and 2021).
– The Munstermen lost their opening four away games in the championship this campaign but are unbeaten on the road since.
Photo: Carl Fourie/Gallo Images