The Stormers coaches want to see their players improve their finishing when they find themselves within striking range of their opponents' try line in future matches.
Ahead of facing the Bulls in a crucial North vs South derby on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld, the Cape side knows a better performance when it comes to their conversion rate could be key to getting the victory.
A missed kick at goal at the death saw them go down 33-32 earlier in Cape Town against their old foe, but they are set on putting in a better performance this weekend.
It was a tough loss, a game they know they could've won, but according to forwards coach Rito Hlungwani they will have no scars as they head to Pretoria to try and turn things around.
"Sport is very interesting, if you dwell too much on a loss, it carries over to the next week. The same for a victory," Hlungwani said.
"The mindset (this week) for us is 'what is the next job'. What (do) we want to achieve from the next game. Our mindset is very clear. We want to be better, rather than (focus on) what has happened before.
"We always want to learn from our mistakes and things that have happened previously. But also how we can do the next job to the best of our abilities."
Hlungwani confirmed they do not expect Damian Willemse or Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu back just yet as they haven't been released to the coaches yet. The duo is still in rehabilitation, but could return when the Cape outfit goes on tour in a couple of weeks.
School rugby memories are fresher for some than others, but we all have those games that will live with us forever. Who was the best schools star you ever saw?#iamastormer @Vodacom #URC #OriginRound pic.twitter.com/gMPyeGRKur
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) February 24, 2025
For now, the Stormers must work with the players at their disposal and could more or less field the same squad that played against the Bulls in Cape Town and the Lions in Johannesburg. They will be looking to snap a three-match losing streak in the URC to get their campaign back on track.
"We had a good week off and the boys got a bit of extra rest, but we also trained really hard, in preparation for this tough game that awaits us. Everyone will be available except those two (Damian and Sacha). They will hopefully be back in the next week or two."
Hlungwani added that they expect another strong showing from the Bulls at scrum time. It was a facet of the game that the Loftus side dominated at the DHL Stadium. But the Stormers will have front-line scrummagers tighthead Neethling Fouche and loosehad Ali Vermaak back.
Another #VURC derby win for the Vodacom Bulls this weekend 📊 pic.twitter.com/n6DU05B2ZP
— SuperSport Rugby (@SSRugby) February 24, 2025
"We are not the only team that ended up on the wrong side of their scrum. But we have worked hard on our set piece and look to be much better than last time. Neethling and Ali will make a huge difference for us.
"We have high standards for ourselves and the guys playing this weekend will chase them and be as competitive as they can be regarding our scrums."
The duo missed the last North-South clash after a training ground accident and had to be withdrawn days before the kickoff.