Stormers captain Ruhan Nel said his team will not make excuses after a 17-13 loss to Edinburgh in the United Rugby Championship (URC) on Friday.
Nel said the players accept the criticism from fans. He said they now want to put things right when they face the Sharks at home.
“We can probably look or find a million excuses as to why the result went the way that it went, but in saying that, we’re not going to do that,” Nel said in a video from Edinburgh.
The match was played at Hive Stadium in the Scottish capital. The Stormers played into a strong wind in the first half.
They defended very well in those conditions. Edinburgh led by only 3-0 at halftime, which left the Cape side in a good spot, IOL reported.
But the visitors could not use the wind to their advantage after the break. They missed chances and made a growing number of mistakes at the lineout.
Poor choices on attack also hurt them. The defeat meant the Stormers again failed to claim their first win over Edinburgh away from home.
Nel said the blame sits with the players. “We had our opportunities, we just weren’t good enough in certain moments of the game. So, it starts and ends with us, that we just have to be better,” he said.
“We’ll never be happy with a performance like that or losing in a Stormers jersey,” Nel added.
He also spoke directly to supporters who were upset by the result. “Trust me, guys, we understand the frustration. We are equally as frustrated, but please know that we are really working hard,” he said.
The Stormers have little time to recover. The Sharks visit DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday.
It will be the home side’s first game in Cape Town this season. The Stormers lost both of their URC matches against the Sharks last season.
Nel said the squad would use the week to fix their mistakes as quickly as they can.
“It’s a massive fixture coming up this weekend, obviously the return to DHL Stadium against the Sharks,” he said.
Nel thanked fans for their comments after the loss. “Thank you for the critique, it just shows that you guys are emotionally invested in this journey with us,” he said.
“We appreciate every single one of you and we are really excited to get back home and start playing in front of our faithful supporters,” Nel said.
The match against the Sharks will also be the first time the Stormers wear their new “Men in Black” jersey.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.