Dan du Plessis praises ‘tremendous’ captain Nel as Stormers hit stride in URC playoff push

Stormers inside centre Dan du Plessis says he is impressed by midfield partner and current captain Ruhan Nel, and how decisively he is leading the Stormers on the field.

In the matches Nel has taken on the leadership duties this season, the Cape side hasn’t lost a single game. While they remain unbeaten under his guidance, they have lost three matches to South African sides in the United Rugby Championship (URC) while he was out injured.

Since his return against the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld, they have gone on a two-match winning streak once again, and will look to extend that run when they face Edinburgh this Saturday in Cape Town (7pm kick-off).

It is not the only streak Nel will want to extend. The captain and Du Plessis are second when it comes to the most caps as a centre combination for the Stormers, and they have the record in their sights.

“He (Nel) keeps tapping me on the shoulder and telling me that we’re close to getting the most starts together,” du Plessis said, referring to the record held by De Wet Barry and Marius Joubert.

“I really enjoy playing with Ruhan, and I think he’s done tremendous work as captain. I always knew he was a good leader, but I don’t think I expected him to make as big an impact as he has.

“So, I’ve been really impressed with him in that regard. On the field as well, he’s a very good communicator, a strong ball carrier, and he helps me out a lot defensively. It’s always great playing alongside him.”

While their combination has been disrupted recently due to injuries, their partnership has stood the test of time since 2018, and the duo is keen to continue it. Although Nel has formed a strong partnership with Springbok Damian Willemse in the Stormers’ midfield in du Plessis’s absence, it appears the Cape side are eager to restore the longstanding pairing.

Willemse is running the show for the Boks at fullback, and the national side will appreciate the minutes he is getting in the No 15 jersey. Rookie Jonathan Roche has also announced himself as a strong inside centre option, but the URC-winning combination of Nel and du Plessis looks set to guide the Stormers to another playoff.

“If you play with somebody new in the midfield, you don’t quite have that relationship. There are a lot of things that I understand about what he (Ruhan) will do. Obviously, you can’t always predict what the guys are going to do, but from playing together for so long, there are things you can just pick up.

“He might fly out the back (when we are on defence), and then I’ve got to slot in behind him and help him out. So, we adapt to each other, and hopefully we can do it again this weekend.”

Edinburgh will head to DHL Stadium with several returning Scottish internationals, which will make the challenge more difficult for the second-placed Stormers. However, they should have enough firepower up front and in the backline to weather the challenge.

A victory will keep them in second place, while a four-try bonus point could see them take top spot should the Glasgow Warriors lose without collecting any points.