Stormers skipper Steven Kitshoff is eyeing back-to-back titles with the Cape Town side as he enters his final few games for the club.
The Springbok is set to play what could be his last home game for the Stormers as he is moving to Ulster next season.
Kitshoff is a Stormers legend, having made the most appearances for the club as well as being the first captain to lead the Capetonians to an international title when they claimed the United Rugby Championship last season.
Now the champions head into the quarter-finals with their eyes firmly on defending the title. Their charge for the title in the post-season begins with a gruelling north-south derby against the Bulls this weekend.
Anything can happen
The experienced superstar is no stranger to knockout rugby and knows that anything can happen in a play-off match, and the Stormers need to be ready.
“We have a real opportunity and if we get through the quarter-finals, there’s possibly two away games we need to travel to Ireland,” said Kitshoff.
“Anything can happen in play-off games, it’s the team that’s most desperate on the day, the bounce of the ball, getting the ref’s calls in your favour.
“It will be a massive motivator and the team is as prepared as can be. We are really looking forward to getting three big victories and going back-to-back. That’s the goal, for the Stormers and myself personally, to win back-to-back trophies.”
A proud Capetonian
The clash against the Bulls is a replay of last season’s final and will be an intriguing battle. For Kitshoff it will likely be his swansong and the loosehead prop reflected on his time with the Stormers and Western Province.
“It is a huge game for me personally,” he added. “It might be my last game for a while at Cape Town Stadium and in a Stormers jersey – you never know what the future holds.
“One of the things I am going to miss most is the atmosphere that the faithful bring every weekend, the number of people that come and support the team on a Friday or Saturday afternoon.
Click Here: New Zealand Rugby Shop
“I will miss the team, playing in the blue and white hoops, the management, players, the support staff, everything that goes around DHL Western Province, the rich culture and town. I am definitely going to miss Cape Town, it has a special place in my heart.
“Playing for the Stormers is the best decision I could have ever made as a young rugby lad, and playing in the north-south derby in a playoff, it’s extremely personal.
“It’s games like these that you look forward to as a kid growing up. When you get to these moments, you live for them.
“I’m as energised as can be and looking forward to this weekend. I know there’s a lot of work to be done, especially those 80 minutes on the field, but I will give it everything and try to make the team as proud as possible in front of the faithful.”
Mental readiness is key
Kitshoff underlined the paramount importance of being mentally ready for these kinds of occasions.
“Mentally you have to be the sharpest,” he said. “The hard work has been done throughout the year. Getting yourself into a position where you are playing in a home quarterfinal takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice, trying to fix all the kinks in the game and build momentum.
“This weekend will be all about how well we can implement our plan and how well we can execute the things we do well as a team. It’s not about diving too deep on the small things, but trying to get as mentally prepared as possible.”