Two unbeaten sides. Five wins each. A single point separating them on the log. It doesn’t get any tighter, tougher, or tastier than this.
The Stormers travel to Limerick chasing bragging rights and gunning for top spot in the United Rugby Championship (URC) when they face Munster at Thomond Park.
And into this cauldron steps Dylan Maart, the on-loan Griquas wing making his Stormers debut on one of the most intimidating stages in world rugby. He lines up in a back-three with the calm, seasoned operators Warrick Gelant and Leolin Zas, while midfield sculptors Wandisile Simelane and Ruhan Nel patrol the trenches.
Dylan Maart will be making his Stormers debut on the wing against Munster at Thomond Park.
At the coalface, skipper Salmaan Moerat commands the tight five, with Connor Evans beside him and heavy-duty reinforcements Adré Smith and JD Schickerling locked and loaded for second-half impact.
In the front row, Neethling Fouché returns from injury, and Oli Kebble pulls on a Stormers jersey for the first time since 2017. This is a reunion that should add real scrumming bite to an already impressive Stormers scrum.
But this clash is about far more than personnel.
A Meeting of Juggernauts
This is, without debate, the match of the weekend in the URC. Miss any fixture, just not this one.
Both teams arrive on five-game winning streaks, and the Stormers carry the best defensive record in the competition, having conceded just four tries in five matches.
It’s a fort wall built with granite, sweat and Johan Cruyff philosophy:
“If you score, you might win; if they don’t score you can’t lose.”
The Cape side has taken that maxim and hammered it into their defensive DNA.
Munster, meanwhile, welcome back a full cohort of Irish internationals a wave of World Cup and Six Nations firepower. Yet Stormers director John Dobson remains steadfast.
“We have had the benefit of good preparation at home and we know it will take a big effort to win our first match at Thomond Park,” Dobson said.
“We need to be on our game for the full 80 minutes against a good Munster side and hopefully we will be able to rise to the challenge to continue our winning start to the season.”
Munster know exactly what to expect too. Their forwards coach Alex Codling told the Irish Mirror that the Stormers’ DNA mirrors Springbok rugby.
“In terms of a massive scrum, a big maul, a transition kicking game and really trying to go hard on those pressure points. South African rugby rides high at the moment. We expect an extremely physical game,” he said.
Stormers’ Road Form Adds Spice
The Stormers arrive with fresh confidence after securing three away wins in a row against Scarlets, Zebre and Benetton. It’s their first such traveling trio of victories in URC history.
But history cuts both ways.
Their only previous win in Ireland was a gritty 16–12 scrap against Connacht in May 2024. And Munster have won four of their five previous clashes with the Capetonians.
So this is a collision of form vs history, steel vs stamina, Irish muscle vs Cape resilience.
A match with the crackle and tension of a Test match. A match designed for heroes, heartbreakers and headline-makers.
Kick-off: 19:30 SAST.
DHL Stormers: 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Dylan Maart, 13 Wandisile Simelane, 12 Ruhan Nel, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Marcel Theunissen, 6 Paul de Villiers, 5 Connor Evans, 4 Salmaan Moerat (captain), 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: 16 JJ Kotzé, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Adré Smith, 20 JD Schickerling, 21 Ruan Ackermann, 22 Dewaldt Duvenage, 23 Clinton Swart.
How the Stormers win this at Fortress Thomond?
What it will take to silence Limerick’s roar.
1. Win the Air Battle
Thomond Park nights often become arm-wrestles in the sky. With Munster’s kicking game designed to squeeze territory, the Stormers must field high bombs as cleanly as a slip fielder catching a tracer bullet.
Warrick Gelant, Leolin Zas, and debutant Dylan Maart will need to be cool-headed firefighters under the aerial heat.
2. Dominate the Gainline
Munster thrive when they’re marching forward. If the Stormers can stop the red tide with Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen smashing tackles like human jackhammers, the home side will be forced into predictable patterns.
3. Outrun the Red Wall
The Stormers’ superpower is transition. A single turnover can become a 50-metre strike if Simelane, Nel, and the back three link like chain lightning. Munster’s defence is organised but not the quickest to fold back on sudden width.
4. Play With Patience
Against Irish teams, impatience is poison. Munster feed off loose kicks, sloppy exits, and needless penalties. The Stormers must play like chess grandmasters — hold shape, pick moments, and strike only when the board tilts their way.
5. Bench Impact Must Be Nuclear
With Ackermann, Schickerling, Smith, and Kebble lined up for second-half deployment, the Stormers’ “finishers” could become the sledgehammer that cracks the Munster shell late on.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS
Dylan Maart – The Brave New Wing
Thrown into the deep end of Thomond Park on debut, Maart arrives with pace to burn and fearlessness in traffic. Expect him to chase kicks like a hunting dog and attack space with sharp outside angles. If he settles early, he could be the story of the night.
Salmaan Moerat – The Iron Captain
Back in action this weekend as we face Munster in a table-topping @Vodacom #URC clash in Limerick.
📢 Team announcement https://t.co/2qUcYq91tb
📺 Watch it live on @SuperSportTV #MUNvSTO #inittogether pic.twitter.com/HS8GtNTUWb— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) November 28, 2025
Back in his element, Moerat will be the steel beam holding the Stormers’ structure together. His leadership in the line-out, discipline at ruck time and emotional temperature will be essential in the boiling cauldron of Limerick.
Wandisile Simelane – The X-Factor Explorer
Simelane’s footwork can turn defenders into lampposts. If he finds half a seam, he can bend Munster’s defensive map. His combination with Ruhan Nel could be the ignition of the Stormers’ strike plays.
Evan Roos – The Collison King
Everything about this match screams Roos. Imposing, confrontational and relentless, he is the Stormers’ battering ram and emotional heartbeat. If he wins his duels, the visitors win the momentum.
Ruan Ackermann – The Late Hammer
A heavyweight weapon off the bench, Ackermann could swing the final quarter with his ball-carrying and breakdown heat. His reunion with South African rugby adds an intriguing subplot.
TACTICAL PREVIEW: Where the Game Will Be Won
1. The Breakdown – The Real Battlefield
Munster are masters of the “dark arts”: slowing ball, nudging bodies, contesting aggressively.
The Stormers must match the Irish fire with accuracy, not emotion – quick cleans, two-man seals, and smart decisions from Roos, De Villiers, and Theunissen will determine the speed of the attack.
2. Set-Piece Chess Match
Munster pride themselves on line-out pressure and scrum penalties that flip momentum.
With Moerat, Evans, and hooker Venter calling the shots, retaining ball under siege will be crucial.
Kebble’s return also arms the Stormers with a late-game scrumming weapon.
3. Kick-and-Chase Duels
The URC often becomes a tactical aerial shootout — and Munster love turning scraps into gold.
The Stormers’ back three must not only secure possession but counter-attack with intent, forcing Munster to think twice about kicking long.
4. The Tempo Trick
If the Stormers slow to Munster’s rhythm, they will be drowned in structured pressure.
If they accelerate into width and movement — the “Cape Town DNA” — they unlock chaos where their best players thrive.
5. Mental Durability at Thomond
Thomond Park is a cathedral of hostility. Momentum can swing in a heartbeat … often with the crowd as the 16th man.
The Stormers must withstand the inevitable red storm periods without leaking tries.
Survive 10 bad minutes… and you earn 10 good ones.
