RED ALERT

Zaahier Adams

Munster will not lie down and roll over for the Stormers to claim backto-back URC titles.

FORTRESS DHL Stadium has only been breached twice in two years in the United Rugby Championship. And being one of the teams to have lowered the Stormers flag this season, Munster are confident of repeating the act in the Grand Final on Saturday.

“We go to Cape Town with belief,” said Munster coach Graham Rowntree. “This group won’t give in and we have come through some fires in the last few weeks. We go to Cape Town and it will be our sixth away game on the bounce, and that’s when we are finding out about people.”

Munster have travelled a dark road to the showpiece at DHL Stadium. And it was in Cape Town where they turned their season around with a 26-24 victory over the Stormers last month to secure qualification for the URC playoffs.

A 22-all draw followed against the Sharks at Kings Park before Munster travelled to Scotland to beat Glasgow Warriors 14-5 at the Scotstoun Stadium ahead of their epic 16-15 semi-final victory over cross-town rivals Leinster at the Aviva Stadium.

“Our game is still growing. Peter (O’Mahony) spoke really well in the dressing room about the semifinal not being our final,” Rowntree said.

“I said to the group in the week that 25 days ago we were paranoid about European qualification but then we got to a semi-final, and now we are in a final.”

Munster will be boosted even further by the fact that they beat Leinster without senior players like Springbok lock RG Snyman, centre Malakai Fekitoa and scrumhalf Conor Murray.

All three were instrumental in the victory over the Stormers the last time out and are now back for the showdown in Cape Town after being withdrawn from the semi-final due to concussion protocols.

Inspirational captain O’Mahony and former Stormers lock Jean Kleyn also left the field during the semi-final but have made the trip over the equator to Cape Town.

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