The Benetton captain also had the armband with the South African XV “They have an important enlarged triangle, a physical match awaits us”
The hour is approaching. The time is naturally that of the Benetton-Stormers kick off, the match that will open the United Rugby Championship of the Lions at 2 pm tomorrow. The first opponent is one of the four South Africans, the big news introduced this year in the former Pro 14. The thought that just against a South African, the Bulls, the Lions in June won the Rainbow Cup, does nothing but fuel expectations . There is a great desire, unlike last year, to get a good start right away, even if the tests against Sharks and Edinburgh were not the best. The match is presented by scrum-half Dewaltd Duvenage, captain of Treviso as he had been for the Stormers, with whom he played from 2009 to 2013 and in the 2017/2018 season.
«For me it will be special to play against my former team, they are a well balanced formation, with an excellent coaching staff and talented young people. I can’t wait to take the field ».
What did you get from the two friendlies with the English and the Scots?
“Clearly they were important tests, we will have to work more on our discipline and on the team organization in general, because with Edinburgh we are a bit lacking in these aspects and we will have to improve for the start of the championship”.
What game should we expect from the Stormers?
«They are a very fast team who prefer quality rugby, they have very fast players and play a lot with backs, they have an important wide triangle and are trained well. A physical match is also waiting for us, given the strong physicality of the South African teams ».
After more than two months of preparation, how are you approaching your URC debut?
“We will have to keep a more organized management of the game, we want to start the new competition on the right foot, looking for the victory at home, so this weekend we will have to be ready”.
You will start at home in front of your fans. A situation to be exploited.
«It will certainly be exciting to have the fans by our side again, because of Covid we have been missing them for a long time. I repeat, it is fantastic that our fans are there on Saturday and we will try to play a great match, especially for those who are very close to us and always support us, especially during the first matches of the season and it will be exciting to hear their support ».
The Stormers are a formation that in Super Rugby has collected important placings and that in the squad holds several elements of the Springboks such as Steven Kitshoff, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Frans Malherbe, Damian Willemse and Herschel Jantjies. Some of them are currently involved in the Rugby Championship, as well as green-and-white prop Thomas Gallo who is in the Argentina national team.
PRE-SALE Last hours. Online: Ticketone. At the Ghirada headquarters until today from 3 to 6 pm. Point of sale: Granziera tobacconists in via Montello and Jolly in piazza Trentin. At the stadium: tomorrow from 10. Access to the Monigo will be valid for 2,500 spectators.
Prices: They range from 30 euros for the orange sector 30 euros in presale (33 at the stadium), to two-three euros for under 12. –