Ruhan Nel says the Stormers still have room to grow before Bristol test

Stormers captain Ruhan Nel says there is still plenty more to come from his side as they prepare to host Bristol Bears in Saturday’s Investec Champions Cup clash. That confidence comes after the Stormers opened their tournament build-up with an impressive six-try 39-22 win over the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship last weekend, but Nel made it clear that the performance was not the finished product.

According to SA Rugby Mag, Nel said the Stormers were pleased with the result, but he still sees space for sharper execution. In plain terms, the team got the job done well enough to create momentum, yet the captain believes the way they attack can still be tidier and more effective. He pointed to better accuracy and a stronger ability to spot and use attacking chances as areas where the team can improve.

That focus matters because Bristol are expected to bring a very different challenge. Nel described the visitors as a side that likes to play wide, move the ball quickly and use offloads to stretch a defence from one side of the field to the other. For the Stormers, that means the defensive line cannot get impatient or chase the game too early. The job, Nel said, is to stay calm and let the structure do the work.

Nel’s message is essentially about discipline. Against a team that wants fast ball and plenty of space out wide, he believes the Stormers should avoid forcing dramatic interventions or risky reads. Instead, they want to keep their shape and trust that the game will come to them on defence. That approach shows the Stormers are not just thinking about stopping attacks, but about controlling how those attacks unfold.

The captain also said defence is a strong point in the Stormers’ identity. He takes personal responsibility for that side of the game during matches, and he felt the system held up well against the Sharks, who used a lot of box kicks from lineouts and rucks. That game gave the Stormers a test of a more territorial, kicking-based pattern, but Bristol should bring a more open and running style.

That contrast is important. A team that kicks a lot asks one kind of question, while a team that attacks wide and keeps moving the ball asks another. Nel welcomed that different challenge, saying it is enjoyable to defend against sides that want to run. For the Stormers, the value of the Bristol clash is not only in the result, but in how well their system handles a fresh problem.

Nel’s overall view is that the Stormers do not need to panic about where they are right now. They are already showing intent, as seen in the Sharks result, but they are also aware that intent alone is not the same as full potential. With Bristol next up, the message from the captain is straightforward: the Stormers have more in the tank, and Saturday will be a useful measure of how much more they can bring.