By Michael Vlismas.
They are two teams from different countries, different hemispheres, and very different backgrounds. But the DHL Stormers and Connacht are a lot more alike than would at first appear. It’s a shared desire that binds them. A desire to play for something greater than a trophy. And it will drive both teams to give it their all in Saturday’s Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final in Cape Town.
The DHL Stormers have spoken of their desire to get Cape Town smiling again and to play for their fans. Their journey to this point has been well-documented as they overcame tremendous challenges with a union in financial and political turmoil to make history as the first Vodacom United Rugby Championship winners. And now they have the chance to go on and successfully defend their title as the lone South African team in the semis.
But first they will come up against a Connacht team with exactly the same mindset. A team that knows what it means to be underdogs. And a team that also has its fans at the core of what they do on the field.
“It’s a special place to grow up, but it’s a tough place to grow up,” says Connacht’s long-serving backline player Tiernan O’Halloran, who came through the Connacht system as a 16-year-old and knows the psyche of this team well.
“The weather is one thing. It’s not the easiest place to play, and it’s not the easiest place to train,” he adds of a region that is the smallest of the Irish provinces with the smallest budget of the Irish teams, and where the weather is like playing against a 16th man on the field and where it may even hail during a match.
And then there’s the history of this far-flung place on the western coast of Ireland. From battles between Kings and High Kings in the early 1100s and raids by Vikings, to the devastation of the Great Irish Famine, O’Halloran says all of it in some way has forged the culture of Connacht rugby.
“It goes back a long time in history as a place where you have to fight for everything and earn everything. You’re given nothing. That’s been instilled in Connacht rugby – that you absolutely fight for everything that we have. We don’t have state-of-the-art facilities, but we try our best with what we have and we don’t take anything for granted. When our backs are against the wall, we stick together and we have that ethos in our team.
“Connacht rugby is about community. It’s instilled in every player that we represent the people of Connacht as best as we can. It’s a place that isn’t the easiest upbringing, so we try to represent our people as best we can. Everything we do is for our community and our families.”
Connacht’s South African forwards coach Dewald Senekal has seen first-hand the unique spirit of this team.
“There’s a lot of pride in this team. A lot of these players were seen as extras elsewhere and they’ve been given a home at Connacht and are really cared for. The club itself has had to fight for its place in Irish rugby for many years. These are hardened people who know how to survive and keep fighting. There is a toughness to them and a passion, but also a kindness. As players they may not be the biggest men in the world, but they play much bigger than their stature because of their pride and their passion for the game of rugby.”
It clearly echoes with exactly what John Dobson and his DHL Stormers have tried to do for their Cape Town community, and with a team that was 88-1 in betting odds at the start of the inaugural Vodacom United Rugby Championship. A team that embraced the idea of being “absurd heroes” in this rugby drama.
Clearly, these are two teams that love the battle against all odds.
“It’s going to be a big physical battle against South African guys that are traditionally bigger. We’re looking forward to that,” says O’Halloran.
The stage is set for a battle between these Kings and High Kings of rugby for their place in Vodacom United Rugby Championship history.