Speedster Leolin Zas continues his impressive start for Vodacom URC as he looks forward to his first game for the DHL Stormers at DHL Stadium this weekend.
After a three-match tour of Europe, the Stormers will be eager to get back playing in front of their home fans on Saturday when they take on Irish side Munster in the fifth round of the URC.
Despite the early setback, there is no feeling of panic within the Stormers camp and Zas, one of the team’s more experienced players, remains optimistic about the way forward.
The left winger opened his account against the Ospreys in 2024-25 before scoring two tries to help the Stormers to a bonus-point win over Gevre Parma at the Stadio Sergio Llanfranci two weeks ago.
Zas played a key role as the Stormers cruised to their first URC title in 2021-22. He topped the charts with 11 tries during the regular season and was one of five Stormers players included in the league’s Dream Team.
Ahead of Saturday’s encounter, the Flyers believe the Capetonians are well placed to turn things around.
“We’ve been here before. “Over the last two seasons we have bounced back from losing four games in a row last season and only winning once on tour in our first season,” he said.
The Stormers’ resilience has been a feature of recent campaigns and Zas credits the coaching staff for instilling confidence and giving players the freedom to play their natural games.
Crash Course: Stormers vs Munster
“The coaches deserve a lot of credit. “Even though the tour didn’t go as we wanted and we know why, we still have the freedom to express ourselves on the pitch,” he explained.
“We know what to do. The good thing is that it’s in our system and we can control it.”
As the team prepares to take on Munster, Zas stressed that a poor start to the season is no cause for concern. The 28-year-old draws on the Stormers’ past turbulent experiences overseas before securing victory in Cape Town.
“This is the third game this season. We just need to be patient. “It will come,” he said. “As I said, we’ve been in this position before.
“If the ball starts to stick to us, we’ll get back on top of it.”
He also stressed the importance of reconnecting with loved ones and mentally resetting ahead of Saturday’s clash in Cape Town.
“It was nice to be able to meet and hug my family. “It’s good to sleep in your own bed at least once.” Zas emphasized the value of recharging after a difficult trip.
Saturday’s clash with Munster presents a huge challenge as the Stormers look for their first win against the Red Army in Limerick.
This was a repeat of the thrilling 2022-23 URC final between teams in the shadow of Table Mountain, with the Irish visitors narrowly beating the Stormers in an exhibition at the Cape Town Stadium.
“The guys are very calm. We are not living in the past. What happened happened,” Zas said.
“We are only focusing on Saturday. “It was a tough loss against Edinburgh, but we are ready for this game.”
Photo: Roberto Bregani/Gallo Images
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