URC 2025/26 · Round 14
Stormers
Dragons
DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Championship Standings
The Stormers are 5th on 36 points from just 10 games — the best win rate in the league at 80% — and have two games in hand on the top four. A bonus-point win here could catapult them into the playoff places. The Dragons sit 14th on 20 points from 12, with just 3 wins all season. The gulf in class is enormous.
| Pos | Team | P | W | L | PD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Glasgow Warriors | 12 | 9 | 3 | +150 | 45 |
| 2 |  Leinster | 12 | 8 | 4 | +67 | 41 |
| 3 |  Cardiff | 12 | 8 | 4 | +35 | 40 |
| 4 |  Munster | 12 | 8 | 4 | +15 | 39 |
| 5 | Stormers | 10 | 8 | 2 | +113 | 36 |
| 6 |  Ulster | 11 | 7 | 4 | +83 | 36 |
| 7 |  Lions | 11 | 7 | 4 | −20 | 33 |
| 8 |  Bulls | 11 | 6 | 5 | +5 | 30 |
| 9 |  Ospreys | 12 | 5 | 5 | −13 | 29 |
| 10 |  Connacht | 11 | 4 | 7 | −21 | 25 |
| 11 |  Sharks | 10 | 4 | 5 | −36 | 24 |
| 12 |  Edinburgh | 11 | 4 | 7 | +6 | 23 |
| 13 |  Benetton | 12 | 4 | 7 | −65 | 23 |
| 14 | Dragons | 12 | 3 | 7 | −50 | 20 |
| 15 |  Scarlets | 11 | 3 | 7 | −71 | 16 |
| 16 |  Zebre | 11 | 2 | 9 | −154 | 12 |
Stormers
W3, L2The Stormers bounced back emphatically at Loftus — a 32–19 demolition of the Bulls ended a two-match losing streak and reasserted their credentials as genuine playoff contenders. The two consecutive SA derby losses to the Lions and Sharks were a wobble, not a collapse. At DHL Stadium they’ve been formidable — the 13–8 grind against the Bulls shows a side that can dominate at both ends.
Dragons
W1, L4The Dragons’ season has been defined by narrow defeats and occasional flickers of competence. Their only recent wins came against Zebre and Scarlets — the bottom two sides. When the opposition turns the screw, the Dragons fold. A trip to Cape Town is the last thing they need.
Head-to-Head at DHL Stadium
3 – 0 – 1
Stormers wins · Draws · Dragons wins (4 recent meetings)
Stormers (3)The Stormers dominate this fixture — three wins from the last four meetings, with the Dragons’ sole victory coming in Newport back in 2023. In Cape Town, the Stormers have won every meeting comfortably. The Dragons haven’t won in South Africa since 2017.
Recent Results
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | URC | Stormers 38–14 Dragons |
| 2024 | URC | Dragons 24–19 Stormers |
| 2024 | URC | Stormers 41–10 Dragons |
| 2023 | URC | Dragons 22–31 Stormers |
Average score in the last 6 meetings: Stormers 32 – Dragons 18 in the last four meetings. The Stormers have outscored the Dragons by an average of 14 points.
Extended Form
Stormers9W, 4L
Wins: Bulls (32–19, away), Bulls (13–8), Lions (34–27), Munster (27–21, away), Leinster (35–0), La Rochelle (42–21, ERCC away), Bayonne (26–17, ERCC), Leicester (39–26, ERCC), Scarlets (29–10). Losses: Lions (10–24, away), Sharks (24–36, away), Harlequins (10–61, ERCC away), Benetton (16–31, away).
The Stormers’ home record is immaculate — they haven’t lost at DHL Stadium in the URC this season. The 35–0 annihilation of Leinster was a statement of intent, and European wins over La Rochelle and Leicester showed they can handle top-tier opposition. At home, they average over 30 points per game. The Dragons are walking into a fortress.
Dragons3W, 9L
Wins: Zebre (28–17), Scarlets (21–18), Ospreys (19–15). Losses: Connacht (19–31), Benetton (22–25), Edinburgh (15–24), Glasgow (10–45), Leinster (7–52), Munster (12–38), Ulster (14–29), Lions (8–34, ERCC), Bulls (10–41, ERCC).
The Dragons’ away record is grim — three wins from twelve on the road. The 52–7 humiliation at Leinster and 45–10 thrashing at Glasgow exposed a side completely out of its depth against quality opposition. Travelling to Cape Town to face a Stormers team with playoff aspirations is about as tough an assignment as Welsh rugby can offer.
Stormers XV
Lineups have not been announced. The Stormers are expected to welcome back key Springbok personnel. Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu should start at fly-half, with Damian Willemse and Ruhan Nel in the centres. Warrick Gelant at fullback adds counter-attacking threat.
Dragons XV
Lineups have not been announced. The Dragons will field a side built around their Welsh internationals returning from Six Nations duty, but they lack the depth and physicality to compete with the Stormers at DHL Stadium.
Key Matchups
This is a clean sweep for the Stormers across every area of the pitch. The scrum is anchored by Springbok-calibre props; Schickerling and Smith dominate the lineout; Dixon and Theunissen bring physicality and dynamism to the backrow. The halfback battle is no contest: Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a generational talent operating behind a dominant pack. Willemse and Nel in the centres are the best pairing in SA rugby. Even the back three is outgunned by Gelant’s brilliance and Hartzenberg’s finishing.
Match Forecast
This is as close to a guaranteed result as the URC offers. The Stormers are 5th with games in hand and a perfect home record — they’ve averaged 30+ points at DHL Stadium and conceded fewer than 15. The Dragons are 14th, have won just three matches all season, and have been dismantled by every quality side they’ve faced on the road: 52–7 at Leinster, 45–10 at Glasgow, 38–12 at Munster. Cape Town will be no different.
The Dragons’ only hope is to compete at the breakdown and slow the Stormers’ tempo — their Welsh international backrow of Basham, Moriarty and Wainwright is their strongest unit. But the Stormers’ set piece will generate front-foot ball all afternoon, Feinberg-Mngomezulu will carve open a porous defence, and Hartzenberg and Gelant will feast on the scraps.
Stormers to run riot at DHL Stadium — expect a bonus-point win by 20+ points against a Dragons side hopelessly outmatched.