Stormers centre Ruhan Nel could easily have won the Man of the Match award in their 28-14 Champions Cup win over London Irish on the weekend.
It surprisingly went to Damian Willemse after Nel fumbled a touchdown in-goal with the last move of the game.
But the outside centre was simply in outstanding form throughout the 80 minutes, reading Irish’s defence like a recitation.
His pressure led to two interceptions - one ending in a try for himself and the other - when he charged down a cross kick - ending with wing Angelo Davids fumbling the ball with an open tryline.
Of reading the game at No.13, Nel tells the Stormers website: “The way we as a system defend, it often requires decisions that need to be made sometimes in the moment.
“It’s tricky because if you get it wrong teams find a lot of space out wide, but if we get it right, it’s the most beautiful thing to see. So it’s high risk for high reward.
“I take a lot of pride in wearing the No. 13 and the responsibility that comes with it…”
The Stormers lost to Clermont the last time they met in France, with the Capetonians going down 24-14 after leading 14-3 at the break.
Nel recalls: “The thing I remember most about the Clermont trip was experiencing the cold weather. “We woke up on game day and there was snow on the ground. We had a big discussion in the week after the Clermont defeat about our defence system. Everything starts at the point of contact. Once we no longer make dominant tackles, we become soft on the outside and we let ourselves down in both of those departments on that day. Soft moments in concentration brought them back into the contest.”
⚡️ Expect an extra spark in the air at DHL Stadium on Saturday with @ChampionsCup play-off places at stake.
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) January 18, 2023
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Fans can rest assured knowing there will be no “soft” moments on defence from Nel at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday as the Stormers chase at least one log point to secure their place in the tournament’s knockout stage.
dailyvoice@inl.co.za