Cardiff Rugby will get a final shot at history and BKT United Rugby Championship play-off glory when they face the Stormers in Cape Town in the final round of the regular season.
Currently lying in ninth place, the Arms Park outfit are in no doubt how difficult the task is that lies ahead of them to qualify for the play-offs for the first time, but head coach Matt Sherratt believes his side are ready to give it their best shot.
“The good thing is that qualifying is still largely in our own hands, although this is a must win game. We’ve been thinking all along what it will take 50 points to reach the top eight and we are currently on 46,” said Sherratt.
“Before the Connacht game a few weeks ago we knew we were going to have to win on the road somewhere to qualify and it has now come down to this game. Even so, I don’t want what happens against the Stormers to define our season.
“It would be brilliant to get into the top eight for the first time under the new system, although with the history and potential of this club that’s where we should be. But we’ve doubled the number of wins this season to last, turned close run defeats into victories and picked up more try bonus-points than ever before.
“We know we will definitely have to be at our very best to win in Cape Town, but that’s what we’ve prepared to do and we will go in with confidence. There is a really good feeling in the group, and we all believe we can beat the Stormers – and that’s what we have to do.”
The Stormers, two-time finalists and champions in 2023, are currently in fifth place and are already guaranteed a quarter-final berth. They comfortably beat the Dragons 48-12 last weekend and they have only lost twice at home this season – by a point to the Bulls in Round 1 and 28-17 against reigning champions Glasgow Warriors in Round 6.
The Ospreys beat them at home, but Scarlets went down 29-17 in Round 13 at Parc y Scarlets. Now Cardiff need to turn them over to keep on track for the play-offs.
As the first game on over the final weekend the Blue & Blacks will at least get the chance to put pressure on the other teams chasing a top eight finish. That includes the Scarlets, who play the Sharks in Durban on Saturday night.
“The Stormers are a good team in good form, and they can be deadly in transition. The key message from me is to go out and win the game and not have to rely on other results to get through into the knock-out phase,” added Sherratt.
“The only pressure on us is to go out and perform to our best.”
Sherratt has made five changes from the side that was beaten by the Bulls in Pretoria last weekend. Josh McNally captains the team in the absence through injury of skipper Liam Belcher and Wales lock Teddy Williams packs down alongside him.
Danny Southworth starts in the front-row and Taulupe Faletau packs down at No 8. That means Alun Lawrence shiftsto the flank.
Behind the pack, Aled Davies and Callum Sheedy provide experience at half-back with the rest of the backs unchanged.
Cardiff Rugby: Cam Winnett; Josh Adams, Harri Millard, Ben Thomas, Gabe Hamer-Webb; Callum Sheedy, Aled Davies; Danny Southworth, Evan Lloyd, Kieron Assiratti, Josh McNally (captain), Teddy Williams), Alun Lawrence, Alex Mann, Taulupe Faletau.
Replacements: Dafydd Hughes, Corey Domachowski, Rhys Litterick, Rory Thornton, James Botham, Dan Thomas, Johan Mulder, Rory Jennings