Stormers embrace criticism after Edinburgh URC loss, says Ruhan Nel

Captain Ruhan Nel says the Stormers have no intention of hiding behind excuses after their disappointing 17-13 defeat to Edinburgh in Scotland, insisting the players are embracing the criticism as they look to put things right against the Sharks.

The Cape side looked to have put themselves in an excellent position at Hive Stadium after a superb defensive effort against a strong wind in the first half, with the hosts leading just 3-0 at the break in their United Rugby Championship (URC) encounter in the Scottish capital.

However, the visitors failed to make the most of the conditions in their favour after halftime, with missed opportunities, mounting errors at lineout time and poor decision-making in attack ultimately costing them the chance to claim their first victory over their hosts away from home.

Nel acknowledged that the Stormers could find plenty of reasons for the result, but said the players were refusing to use them as excuses.

“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.

“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. We’ll never be happy with a performance like that or losing in a Stormers jersey.

“Trust me, guys, we understand the frustration. We are equally as frustrated, but please know that we are really working hard.”

The Stormers will have little time to dwell on the setback, with the Sharks arriving at DHL Stadium on Saturday. After last season’s double loss in the URC against their coastal rivals, the home team will have some making up to do, especially for their first game at home in the new season.

Nel said the squad would use the week to rectify their mistakes as quickly as possible, with the fixture also marking the first time the Stormers will wear their new ‘Men in Black’ jersey.

“It’s a massive fixture coming up this weekend, obviously the return to DHL Stadium against the Sharks. Thank you for the critique, it just shows that you guys are emotionally invested in this journey with us. 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.”