DHL Stormers vs Ulster Preview
The United Rugby Championship continues this weekend, with the DHL Stormers hosting Ulster on Saturday. The DHL Stadium holds the contest, and kick-off is at 5:15 PM GMT. Eight European Champions Cup spots are still up for grabs, and both sides will want to qualify.
The Stormers are fifth in the league table, one point above Ulster in seventh. The Ulstermen have won three out of their last five URC games but lost their latest contest against the Sharks by 10 points. Their opponents are playing the better rugby, winning four out of their previous five championship matches. The Stormers beat Edinburgh by 22 points in their latest outing. But which team will take a step towards the European Champions Cup this weekend?
DHL Stormers vs Ulster Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Ulster has played the DHL Stormers three times since 2022. The contests are usually tight, with both sides evenly matched. The Stormers have won twice, but the Ulstermen won the latest clash. Ulster’s most recent victory was one-sided, and the Northern Irishmen never looked in danger.
The first half of the contest was one-way traffic. Ulster took the lead after 13 minutes, thanks to Nathan Doak. That was Doak’s only try of the half, but he also got three conversion goals. Ben Moxham got Ulster’s second try in the 20th minute. The Ulstermen took a commanding 21-point lead when Nick Timoney secured the third score. The Stormers had a mountain to climb in the second half, with the South African team yet to score.
However, Jeffery Toomaga-Allen caused further damage to the Stormers, getting Ulster’s fourth try in the second half’s early stages. After another Doak conversion, the contest was practically over. Mike Lowry was the last player to score for the Northern Irishmen, but in the 76th minute, the Stormers finally got on the board. Andre-Hugo Venter got their only try of the game. Despite losing their last two meeting against the Stormers, Ulster won 35-5 in front of their home fans.
The Ulstermen have struggled this season across all competitions. The Northern Irish team has lost four out of their last five games, beating the Dragons in the URC by 23 points. However, they’ve suffered defeats against the Sharks, Ospreys, Harlequins, and Stade Toulousain in both the URC and European Rugby Champions Cup.
The Stormers performed much better in the Champions Cup, beating the likes of Stade Francais and the Sale Sharks. Their only defeat in their last five contests came against the Bulls, with the fellow South African side winning by 18 points. However, the Stormers won their latest URC clash, beating Edinburgh 43-21 and dominating the contest from start to finish.
7⃣ tries and 5⃣ points in the bag. See you all back here next week. #STOvEDI #iamastormer #dhldelivers @Vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/Q6069c5ud5
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) March 23, 2024
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the leading point scorer for the Stormers, getting 60 points across seven games. However, their biggest threat is Ruhan Nel, scoring four tries for his side in the URC. Tom Stewart is Ulster’s leading try scorer, with seven and Nathan Doak is the leading point scorer with 52. When looking at the defence, Nick Tomoney is Ulster’s enforcer, completing 142 tackles in the URC. But the Stormers have a more significant threat, with Ruben van Heerden making 151 tackles.
DHL Stormers vs Ulster Predictions
Correct Score Prediction: Ulster 29-22 DHL Stormers
Many rugby fans expect the DHL Stormers to breeze past Ulster, but we believe an upset is on the cards. The Stormers are huge favourites at 2/13, but we predict Ulster will beat them. The South African side has won four out of their last five games, and the Ulstermen are struggling this campaign. Ulster is in poor form but was victorious against the Stormers in their previous meeting. We predict they can repeat this performance and earn valuable points in the battle for the ERCC.
We expect the contest to be competitive, and just seven points will split the two teams. Our correct score prediction is a 29-22 win for the Northern Irish side. If you’re betting on Ulster, you’ll have to overcome adversity in the first half. We predict the Ulstermen will lose the first 40 but fight hard in the second half to win the contest. The last time Ulster lost the opening half and won was against the Lions in November 2023. Ulster was down by seven points in the first half but won 24-17.
Despite our prediction opposing the DHL Stormers, we still believe the South African team will score over 20 points. The Stormers have registered 20 or more points in their last five matches. The last time they failed to score at least 20 points was against the Sharks in December. One point separated the teams, but the Stormers won the contest 16-15. When looking at points wagers, betting on the Stormers to score over 20 points against Ulster is a superb choice.
We don’t expect a high-scoring contest between Ulster and the Stormers. However, Nathan Doak will probably be among the points. Doak has played 12 games for the Ulstermen in the URC but has only made the starting lineup five times. The scrum-half is the leading point scorer for Ulster and averages 4.3 points per game. We predict Doak will get over 3.5 points against the South Africans. Ruhan Nel is our selection for the Stormers, and we predict Nel will get over 0.5 tries. The centre is the leading try scorer for his team and has the 20th-most in the URC.
The IRFU and Ulster Rugby today confirm the departure of Jonny Petrie as CEO by mutual agreement.
Read more ⤵️https://t.co/1055tavQ2B pic.twitter.com/TaYnHkr0hc
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) March 25, 2024
DHL Stormers vs Ulster Betting Tips
When betting on the United Rugby Championship, the odds are usually low when wagering on a winner. However, we don’t believe the favourites will win this weekend. Wagering on Ulster at 4/1 is our pick, and we feel these are inviting odds for a team with a legitimate chance of winning. The Stormers have multiple injuries and lost against Ulster in their latest meeting. Betting on Ulster to win returns €25 from a €5 wager, whereas backing the Stormers returns just €0.77 profit from a €5 bet. Novibet also allows you to wager on draws, but these bets are high risk, and we don’t recommend it despite the enticing odds at 25/1.
The half-time/full-time markets offer great value when betting on rugby union events, and it’s an excellent choice in this contest. We predict the Stormers will win the first half but lose the game. We would select 1/2 on the half-time/full-time market. This wager comes with increased risk but returns a staggering €150 from a €10 bet.
Another way to take advantage of our half-time prediction is to use the winning margin market. We predict the Stormers will win the first half, but we can find more value when betting on the margin. Our pick is the Stormers to win the opening half by one to seven points. At 2/1 odds, a €5 bet returns €15. However, if you’re a new Novibet customer, you can use your welcome bonus on the Stormers to win by 15 or more. At 9/2, the return on this wager is much greater but comes with increased risk.
Novibet has live betting features you can use on URC games to find better value. We expect Ulster to win this weekend. However, inspecting the handicap markets once the contest has started is a great idea. Handicapping the Ulstermen allows you to add points to the Northern Irish side. Betting on Ulster +9.5 before the game offers just over double your money, but waiting until the action has started could increase your profits. You can also handicap the Stormers by taking points away from them, but we recommend sticking with Ulster on Saturday.
DHL Stormers Team News
The DHL Stormers head coach has his work cut out this weekend. After Lizo Gqoboka suffered an ankle injury against Edinburgh, John Dobson described his loosehead prop situation as a crisis. Dobson wants to sign a new loosehead as soon as possible, but he’ll probably have to wait until after the Ulster clash.
John Dobson revealed that the DHL Stormers are facing a "crisis" at loosehead prop after Lizo Gqoboka suffered an injury against Edinburgh https://t.co/6GXQIcPb37
— SA Rugby magazine (@SARugbymag) March 24, 2024
The South African side could be without five players this weekend. Gqoboka, Kwenzo Blose, Leon Lyons, Ali Vermaak, and Sti Sithole are all doubts. It will be a big test of the Stormers’ depth, and the injuries have come at a poor time, with Edinburgh, Ulster and the Emirates Lions just one point behind in the URC table.
Ulster Team News
Ulster is monitoring two players ahead of their clash with the DHL Stormers. The Ulster medical team will scan Billy Burns’ shoulder in Cape Town. Sean Reffell is also a worry for the Northern Irish team. The flanker will undergo an ankle scan in South Africa this week, but both players could miss the game this weekend.
The team also has issues off the field. Jonny Petrie has left the side by mutual agreement after taking the CEO role in 2019. Ulster is searching for an interim, but they probably won’t have a new CEO before the weekend.
