'This isn't the end' - Cardiff plot Stormers upset

The United Rugby Championship (URC) might rank Cardiff as huge outsiders at Stormers on Saturday but boss Corniel van Zyl has declared "we don't see this as the end".

The URC published a predictor on Wednesday that rated the Blue and Blacks' quarter-final chances in Cape Town at 32%.

Only Lions, who travel to Leinster, were ranked lower at 22%.

Cardiff have been in the top eight all season and added Stormers to their list of Arms Park victims a fortnight ago to finish sixth and secure a play-off berth.

After missing out by a point last season, the Welsh side will enjoy a first taste of URC quarter-final action but have not travelled 6,000 miles to make up the numbers.

"I don't want to sound arrogant or that I am getting ahead of myself, but we have also looked at what it would look like next week," said head coach Van Zyl, whose side would either travel to Leinster or host Lions.

"We don't see this as the end and we are looking forward. It will take a massive effort and I know people will be writing us off, but we will have a good crack at it and see what happens."

Stormers director of rugby John Dobson is among those questioning the strength of Cardiff's play-off chances, declaring his satisfaction at the prospect of facing Van Zyl's side.

However, former Wales internationals Alex Cuthbert, Jonathan Davies and Liam Williams told the Scrum V podcast Cardiff will have been given extra motivation by Dobson's statement that the Welsh side were the "easiest" of the possible quarter-final opponents.

It has been a steady process for Cardiff to get to this stage.

In the summer of 2023, former head coach Matt Sherratt started his first pre-season with just eight players while training sessions were held at a leisure centre squash court in the north of the city.

They have grown gradually and even the departure of Sherratt on the eve of the 2025-26 season for a job with Wales did not throw the club off course.

Van Zyl stepped up from forwards coach and Cardiff won 11 of 18 URC games, failing to claim a match point just once.

In a season dominated by off-field uncertainty in Wales – with Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) plans to drop from four professional men's clubs to three – Van Zyl's squad have kept producing the goods.

"We haven't just crept into these play-offs, let's be straight," said Wales wing Josh Adams. "We finished sixth and didn't drop out of the top eight all season.

"We spoke at the beginning of the season about always being a team that wants to push forward, grow, adapt and try different things.

"We have done that, which only works if everybody in the building buys into that.

"We have finished sixth with all the uncertainty in Welsh rugby over the past 12 months – or longer – and how we have kept our focus and been disciplined in what we want to achieve has been excellent."

Cardiff have only won once outside Wales this season - at Zebre in November - but are boosted by the return of Adams and influential lock Josh McNally.

They come into the starting line-up along with props Rhys Barratt and Keiron Assiratti while the coaches opt for six forwards on the bench.

Van Zyl said Wales flanker Alex Mann and wing Mason Grady were up for selection after missing the last three games of the regular season with injury but neither features.

"What we expect from the Stormers is the same. I know Cardiff Arms Park versus DHL Stadium is a big difference but we won't use the travel as an excuse," said the head coach.

"Ultimately it will come down to the 80 minutes and how well we put our game on the pitch and fight for the jersey.

"It was backs to the wall and we managed to find a way to win in Cardiff. We will try to repeat that."

Stormers make three changes to the starting line-up that lost in Cardiff with captain Ruhan Nel and Dan du Plessis partnered in midfield while Seabelo Senatla returns on the wing.

Both full-back Damian Willemse and wing Leolin Zas are fit to start despite a collision in training.

Stormers: Willemse; Senatla, Nel (capt), du Plessis, Zas; Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Khan; Mchunu, Venter, Fouche, Smith, van Heerden, de Villiers, Dixon, Roos.

Replacements: Kotze, Matongo, Porthen, Moerat, Ackerman, Theunissen, Ungerer, Matthee.

Cardiff: Winnett; Beetham, B Thomas, Jennings, Adams; I Lloyd, Mulder; Barratt, Belcher (capt), Assiratti, McNally, Thornton, Botham, D Thomas, Basham.

Replacements: D Hughes, Southworth, Sebastian, Nott, Lawrence, E Lloyd, Bevan, Bowen.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland)

Assistants: Andrew Brace & Andrew Cole (Ireland)

TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland)