As Steven Kitshoff prepares for what could be his final appearance in Cape Town, the DHL Stormers are ready to do everything they can to make their captain’s last ride a successful one.
The Stormers will host the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship quarter-finals on Saturday, when Kitshoff could make his final bow at Cape Town Stadium.
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The veteran loosehead will join Ulster at the end of the season, bringing an end to his 12-year Stormers career.
Ironically, the Stormers will need Ulster to lose their Irish derby quarter-final against Connacht in order to stand a chance of continuing Kitshoff’s final ride in Cape Town.
Speaking ahead of the playoffs, playmaker Damian Willemse said that Kitshoff’s farewell will give the Stormers an extra bit of motivation, going into the big north-south clash against their old rivals.
“Everyone is well aware that it might be Steven’s last match at Cape Town Stadium,” said Willemse.
“And he is a big player at the franchise and (we) respect him a lot. We obviously want to do it for him. But where this team is heading and what we, as a group want, is to put in a huge performance.
“It’s going to make us proud, the coaches, the union, and everyone that supports us. First things first is to get the win and we will definitely celebrate it.
“If it happens that results do not go our way and we don’t get to play another game with Steven at Cape Town Stadium, so be it. But for us as a group, we are focused to get our stuff right and be in the best position to win the quarter-final.”
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The Stormers go into Saturday’s quarter-final on a hot-streak of five successive wins against the Vodacom Bulls, but Willemse insists that the winning streak will only be history when the teams take to the field.
“Everyone is going to talk about our winning streak, but every one of those games has been close until the 70th minute,” he said.
“We have been lucky enough to get a try here and there. This is always a tough game. It’s not going to be easy. It will be tough and physical, a classic north-south derby. The Bulls are a quality side and are capable of beating us at home. We are expecting them to bring it.”
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