Stormers

Arguably the most important Springbok player at the moment, utility back Damian Willemse is constantly one of the Stormers’ most valuable weapons.

A win for the Bulls will see them strengthen their charge for a good playoff spot and put pressure on the Stormers, with John Dobson’s side lying 10th on the log with 18 points.

Bulls director of rugby Jake White is heading to Cape Town with more experienced troops for his team’s United Rugby Championship battle against the Stormers this weekend.

But Stormers assistant coach Norman Laker doesn’t believe that they are favourites and admits they are set to face a different team in Pretoria.

But the Stormers were also impacted by national players missing out at times, yet they still finished third.

Dobson admitted that there were a number of goals that the Stormers wanted to achieve on their European tour and they will still be striving to do that against Munster and in their last tour match.

If if weren’t for the scoreboard, you would be forgiven for thinking the visitors were playing chess and the Stormers checkers.

If the French side win, then the Stormers have a home semi-final.

If the Sharks beat the Stormers in Durban this weekend with a bonus point, then they could find themselves just seven points behind the South African Shield leaders with a game still in hand.

In the process, Damian Willemse rose to prominence in the No 10 jersey while fellow Stormers flyhalf Manie Libbok has made a serious bid to grab a spot in the matchday squad.

Munster beat red-hot favourites Stormers in South Africa on a 19-14 score line last month - and secured the Irish province's first piece of silverware in 12 years.

Munster have been the Stormers home and away in the past two seasons heading into Saturday’s final at DHL Stadium.

Munster, superior in the air, more proficient at the ruck, and the tactical application of the boot, stunted and ultimately shuddered the Stormers.

Nick Koster when he was a Stormers player in 2012.

One thing the Stormers will know for sure though is that Munster will come to Cape Town on a mission.

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.

Stormers centre Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu celebrates scoring a try against the Lions in their United Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon.

Stormers' Steven Kitshoff during their game against Leinster in March.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks have something that their next opponents, the DHL Stormers, don’t have — a two-week break before they face each other in an appetising coastal Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby in Cape Town on Old Year’s Eve.

The Stormers are missing Springbok stars Steven Kitshoff, Damian Willemse and Frans Malherbe for the game.