‘It’s at their home now, so we need to be sharper’: Ulster facing daunting Stormers test

URC round five

Stormers v Ulster, DHL Stadium, kick-off 12.45pm Irish time

After nearly pulling off a shock result in Pretoria, and yet only leaving Loftus Versfeld with a try bonus point, Ulster now must find a means of channelling their growing frustration into one great heave before the November break.

The problem is that they need to manage this at the Stormers. They will have to do so without eight of their Ireland squad members, who after turning out at the Bulls have returned home to national camp. And in doing so, they will somehow have to put together a so far unseen performance of consistency in the URC to manufacture a first league win.

While being at sea level and away from Pretoria’s Highveld heat might certainly be more advantageous for Richie Murphy’s side – who have thus far lost two and drawn two in the URC – facing off against a Stormers selection with seven members of the current Springbok squad in their starting line-up looks rather daunting.

Though Ulster will certainly be relieved that Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu is not involved, the Stormers are still deploying the quality of Cobus Reinach and Damian Willemse as well as rising stars Yaqeen Ahmed and Markus Muller in addition to the power games brought by Paul de Villiers, Wilco Louw and non-Bok squad member Evan Roos.

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The much-changed hosts will be intent on avoiding last weekend’s fast and loose encounter with the Scarlets which ended up with the Stormers triumphing 52-40 in a crazy 14-try thriller.

It will be a special occasion for Ulster’s Juarno Augustus in returning to his hometown club and the 28-year-old, who has impressed in the last two games, is keen to do battle.

“For me, playing in South Africa is a challenge and I love it. I want to prove that I still can do it in the biggest games,” said the backrower who joined Ulster last season from Northampton Saints.

“It’s always nice to play against the team you grew up playing for. We played them last year [in Belfast] and we drew [38-all]. It’s at their home now, so we need to be sharper. From minute one until minute 80, we need to give our best, that’s what we’re going after.”

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Addressing Ulster’s lack of league wins, he said: “I think the small things kill our game when we have momentum. That’s fixable, we just need to get it right and then we’ll be good.”

Having lost so many to Andy Farrell, Ulster have had to deploy reinforcements to their squad with both Rob Herring and James Hume coming in to the team for their first involvements of the season.

Hume links up with the recalled Ben Carson in another new midfield combination, while Zac Ward comes in on the wing and Ethan McIlroy is selected at fullback.

Up front, Eric O’Sullivan starts at loosehead, Eli Snyman joins Ben Donnell at lock and Cormac Izuchukwu shifts to the back row where skipper David McCann switches to openside.

Ulster badly need a result, though this outcome looks likely to continue eluding them.

Stormers: D Willemse, S Senatla, R Nel (capt), M Muller, L Zas, Y Ahmed, C Reinach, N Mchunu, V Paulo, W Louw, A Smith, JD Schickerling, P de Villiers, L Nel, E Roos. Replacements: B Mbonambi, V Matongo, N Fouché, R Norton, C Evans, W Mlaba, H Pead, W Simelane.

Ulster: E McIlroy, M Lowry, J Hume, B Carson, Z Ward, J Murphy, M Devine; E O’Sullivan, R Herring, K Knox, B Donnell, E Snyman, C Izuchukwu, D McCann (capt), J Augustus. Replacements: H Walker, T McAllister, S Wilson, H Sheridan, M Moloney, C McKee, J Flannery, C Mullins.

Referee: S Grove-White (SRU)