DHL Stormers vs Connacht Preview
The DHL Stormers and Connacht face off in a huge United Rugby Championship showdown at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, April 19th at 3:00 pm. Either side could jump into the playoff places with a victory.
Connacht have been inconsistent this season, and a loss in the European Challenge Cup quarter-final saw head coach Pete Wilkins hand in his resignation this week. The Stormers have won two of their last three and are bearing down on a place in the top eight. Can Connacht claim a win against all odds, or will the Stormers march into the playoff places on Saturday?
DHL Stormers vs Connacht Prediction
Score prediction: Stormers 35-15 Connacht
One of our best rugby predictions this week is for the Stormers to send Connacht packing with little fuss on Saturday. Neither side has won more than they have lost in the URC this season, but Connacht are in turmoil heading into this game. They will have to cope without stars Bundee Aki and Mack Hansen and their head coach, Pete Wilkins, who resigned earlier this week. That is the perfect storm for the hosts, no pun intended. They will take full advantage of the visitors’ situation and the home setting to move a step closer to the knockout stages.
The Stormers will probably employ a forward-dominated strategy. They have a powerful pack, led by Evan Roos at Number 8. They will dominate in the set pieces and breakdowns. This approach will disrupt Connacht’s rhythm and provide a platform for their backs to exploit defensive lapses. Roos’ battle with Shamus Hurley-Langton will be exciting to watch. The South African brings raw power and line-breaking ability, while Hurley-Langton’s engine and ground game will be key to Connacht’s defensive effort. Whoever dominates the gain line will tilt the game in their side’s favour.
Manie Libbok’s kicking game, both from hand and the tee, gives them control in tight contests. When the game breaks open, they have strike runners across the length of the rugby pitch. From Damian Willemse to Suleiman Hartzenberg, the Stormers can hurt teams in transition and off turnover ball. Expect the Stormers to pin Connacht in their half, kick to the corners, and challenge the Irish province to exit under pressure. Once they enter the Connacht 22, their maul and offloading game are lethal.
Connacht’s chances hinge on a few things. They must disrupt the breakdown, keep the tempo high and deny the Stormers clean chances with the ball. Their best shot is to play fast and wide, using their mobility in the back row and the intelligent distribution of Jack Carty to pull the hosts out of shape. They’ll also need to win the aerial battle, something they managed to do well against Ulster. However, Bundee Aki’s absence is sure to be felt here. He is one of the best Irish rugby players, and his physical presence and leadership make Connacht tick.
This Stormers team is a level up in both physicality and tactical maturity. Connacht’s defence has looked vulnerable when stretched. The Westerners have the second-worst defensive record in the league. They’ll need to be near-perfect to hold out the Stormers’ dynamic backline. Connacht lost to the South African side in their three previous meetings, and this will be another uphill climb for the former champions.
Players To Watch
- Evan Roos (Number 8, Stormers): Evan Roos has been a standout for the Stormers this season. With his hard-running style and relentless energy, he’s often the catalyst for their momentum shifts. Expect him to rack up metres post-contact and offer defensive starch as well.
https://twitter.com/connachtrugby/status/1789343101267366064
- Jack Carty (Fly Half, Connacht): The veteran fly-half remains Connacht’s most important decision-maker. His game management, ability to find space behind defences, and calm head under pressure will all be critical in Cape Town. He will have to hold up the leadership burden in the absence of Bundee Aki.
DHL Stormers vs Connacht Betting Tips
- Full-Time Result – Stormers to win: The Stormers are overwhelming favourites in this game, worth 1/20 with our online betting site. A €10 wager on the South African side would return just €0.50. Usually, it would be worth betting on Connacht in a small wager on the off-chance they pull off the upset. However, even though they are worth 8/1, there is little chance of a managerless Connacht taking the win.
- Handicap – Stormers -17: The best way to back the Stormers is by betting on the handicap. They have beaten Connacht by 18 and 23 points in their previous two meetings at home, and the Irish side enters this game with a weaker team and no head coach. The Stormers can secure valuable bonus points here and will go in for the kill in their hunt for knockout rugby.
- Try Scorers – Leolin Zas: Leolin Zas has been one of the standout wingers in the URC this season. Only three players in the league have scored more tries than him, and he can dominate in this game. Connacht are one of the worst defensive teams in the league, and Zas will smell the blood in the water. Anyone betting on the URC should back Leolin Zas to score a try.
- Accumulators: There are several URC games taking place on April 19th, including Leinster vs Ulster and Lions vs Benetton. Both home teams enter as odds-on favourites. You can increase the odds by making combination bets on these games, including a trixie bet.
DHL Stormers vs Connacht Head-To-Head and Key Stats
These sides last met in the penultimate game of the regular season in May 2024. Connacht played host as the Stormers ran out victors in a tight and tense game at The Sportsground. Despite leading 7-3 at half-time thanks to a try from Caolin Blade, Connacht couldn’t hold off the South African side’s second-half surge.
Angelo Davids’ try and three penalties from player-of-the-match Manie Libbok sealed the Stormers’ first-ever win on Irish soil. Connacht briefly regained the lead through Jack Aungier’s try, but lacked the composure to close out the game. Missed opportunities and a costly scrum penalty allowed Libbok to seal victory for the visitors and effectively ended Connacht’s playoff hopes.
Connacht last played on April 12th, meeting Racing 92 in the European Challenge Cup. The Westerners were sent crashing out of the competition in an 83-point thriller. Racing 92 survived more than an hour with 14 men to claim a sensational 43-40 win. An extraordinary first half produced eight tries, including scores from Bundee Aki and two from Cian Prendergast for Connacht, giving the hosts a narrow 28-24 lead at the break. Racing responded through Diego Escobar, Nolann Le Garrec, and Josua Tuisova.
In a tighter second half, Le Garrec’s second try and two penalties pushed Racing ahead, despite Owen Farrell’s drop goal briefly narrowing the gap. Late tries from Ben Murphy and Cathal Forde brought Connacht close, but the French side held on. It was a gallant Connacht effort, but Racing’s resilience proved decisive in a pulsating European encounter.
The Stormers last played on March 28th when they travelled to face Ulster in Belfast. Ulster claimed a dramatic 38-34 victory over the Stormers. The Stormers let go of an early lead after Evan Roos and Ben Loader put them 14-0 ahead with converted tries. Ulster hit back through Baloucoune and Andy Warwick before Jack Murphy’s try, following a yellow card to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, levelled the scores at 17-17 by half-time.
The hosts surged ahead after the break, scoring three more tries through Jacob Stockdale, Zac Ward, and Stewart Moore, with Mike Lowry and Nathan Doak playing key roles. Despite a red card for Stormers captain Neethling Fouché, the visitors rallied. Roos grabbed a second to narrow the gap late on. However, Ulster held firm in the closing stages to seal a vital bonus-point win at Kingspan Stadium.
Stormers Key Stats
- 10th in the URC (One point outside playoff places)
- 182 offloads (1st in the league)
- 116 clean breaks (4th most in the league)
- 76% tackle success (2nd lowest in the league)
- 195 lineouts won (3rd most in the league)
- 94% of scrums won (4th most in the league)
Connacht Key Stats
- 13th in the URC (Three points outside playoff places)
- 369 points allowed (2nd worst defence in the league)
- 134 clean breaks (Most in the league)
- 6024 metres gained (Most in the league)
- 92% lineouts won (Best in the league)
- 64 scrums won/lost (Worst in the league)
