The Stormers have never managed to clip the Ospreys’ wings in the United Rugby Championship, but John Dobson’s side will be desperate to rewrite that script when the two teams collide at DHL Stadium on Friday night.
Fresh from a thunderous 35-0 demolition of defending champions Leinster, the Capetonians know history offers no comfort: two defeats and a draw in their last three meetings with the Welsh side.
“We saw how well Ospreys played in Pretoria and we know our record in the last three games against them is a draw and two losses,” warned Dobson.
“So, there’s not much of a recipe for complacency. The feeling is one of desperation to back up last week because you don’t want last week to be a fluke – because that is who we are.”
For Dobson this clash can be seen as a litmus test before a daunting four-match European tour.
“If we were to say we get through this five-match spell with four out of five, we’d be in a pretty nice position.
“But if something were to go wrong [against the Ospreys], then we realise we have to win every game on the road to get that goal … if that’s our goal. So it’s very, very important from that point of view.”
Centurion celebration
He made his DHL Stormers debut back in 2009 and on Friday night @dewaldtduvenage will bring up his 💯 #inittogether #dewies pic.twitter.com/bL75OEMFCp
— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 2, 2025
Friday night will also be a moment of personal triumph as veteran scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage earns his 100th cap for the Stormers.
The wily No 9, who debuted back in 2009, joins Brok Harris and Deon Fourie in the centurion club, having also packed nearly 200 professional appearances abroad for Perpignan and Benetton.
“Dewaldt comes from the generation of players that gave us the likes of Brok Harris and Deon Fourie, and it is fitting that he joins them as a Stormers centurion,” Dobson said.
“He has always been very tactically astute and there are few others as committed to the cause.”
Duvenage replaces Stef Ungerer, who shifts to the bench, while utility forward Connor Evans slots into the No 7 jersey ahead of Springbok Ben-Jason Dixon. Marcel Theunissen also comes in for Paul de Villiers.
Lock Adré Smith will run out for his 50th Stormers appearance, another milestone in a squad intent on showing their steel.
Meanwhile, props Ali Vermaak and Sazi Sandi are named among the replacements for their first action of the season.
“While we were happy with the result last week, we know that there can be no complacency heading into this match against an Ospreys side that have proven tough customers for us in the past,” Dobson stressed.
The Stormers know they must strike hard and early to exorcise their Ospreys ghost. Victory would not only break the hoodoo but also give them a flying start before Europe beckons.
Our team for the @Vodacom #URC Round Two clash with Ospreys at DHL Stadium on Friday night. See you there!
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/DFXXRIRx6l
🎟️ Tickets here https://t.co/KSlJ2J7pHc
📺 Live on @SuperSportTV #STOvOSP #inittogether pic.twitter.com/qAWhV1IySp— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) October 2, 2025
STORMERS
15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (c), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Connor Evans, 6 Marcel Theunissen, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Bench: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Ali Vermaak, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Ben-Jason Dixon, 21 Paul de Villiers, 22 Stefan Ungerer, 23 Clinton Swart.
