Sparks set to fly in tense URC final
Sparks will fly when livewire Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies and Munster’s Conor Murray come face-to-face in a confrontation for supremacy in the United Rugby Championship final in Cape Town on Saturday.
With intense battles set to unfold in various positions across the field, the duel between the talented No 9s will provide fascinating viewing for the capacity 55,000 crowd at the Cape Town Stadium (kickoff 6.30pm).
The Stormers can expect fierce opposition from an Irish side that will not take a backward step in what will be a cauldron of emotion and noise.
“It’s going to be a nice challenge and really exciting facing Conor,” Jantjies said.
“He has played more than a hundred games for his country (Ireland).
“Conor is an experienced guy and is definitely someone I am looking forward to facing again.”
Murray has completed his return-to-play protocols after missing the semifinal against Leinster because of a concussion.
“I have tried to improve the whole time during my career,” Jantjies said.
“It’s never like I wake up in the morning and decide I want to have a bad season.
“I try my best every time I go out on the training field and I try to take every opportunity that comes my way.
“Sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t.
“I feel I am in a good space and am enjoying my rugby.
“I am playing with a great bunch of guys, so for me it’s really enjoyable and I am enjoying the competitiveness inside the squad.
“Every single day we try to challenge each other to get better.
“Like coach John Dobson always says, and we said it in training earlier as well, there is no Monday left for us this season.
“So we can’t come back and say maybe we should have done this, or we could have done that.
“This is it, that’s why it’s called a final.
“It’s the big one; we have one chance. It’s a big game, so the focus is on getting it right.”
Stormers prop Frans Malherbe says cool heads will be needed in the heat of battle against a fired-up Munster side.
“The emotion will definitely build until Saturday,” Malherbe said.
“It’s a given and unarguable, but experience helps to calm me and focus on the plans.
“If you’re 100 per cent sure of your plans, it gives you peace of mind and confidence towards the end of the week when the emotions pick up predictably.”
Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani said his team were facing a huge battle.
“We respect Munster and they are the only team that we haven’t beaten in the URC,” he said.
“They’re coming here with a strong team, so it’s a team we respect highly.”
Former Munster star CJ Stander says he is looking forward to an enthralling final.
“When I saw that list of players getting on to the plane, it was good to see, especially guys like Conor Murray, RG Snyman and Malakai Fekitoa,” he said.
“It brings a boost to the squad. You see the energy that Munster have got in the last few weeks from beating the Stormers in Cape Town and then going to Dublin and beating Leinster.
“It’s going to be a cracking final, I’m looking forward to it.
“Hopefully it will be a bit wet then Munster will have the upper hand, but we’ll see.”