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Cape Town - The Stormers will aim to reach the Super Rugby semi-finals for the third time in five years when they host the Brumbies at Newlands in the second Qualifier on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 17:05.
However, to do that the men from Cape Town will have buck their trend in playoff matches, where they have only managed to record one victory from six deciders.
On the contrary, the Brumbies’ experience of knock-out rugby far overshadow that of their hosts this weekend, while they can also boast the achievement of being the last team to cross the Indian Ocean and win a match in the Finals Series.
The Capetonians will also be looking for their first playoff victory since Super Rugby was expanded to 15 teams in 2011 - thus far they’ve played two and lost both, in 2011 against the Crusaders and in 2012 against the Sharks, both of them at Newlands.
The first Qualifier is an all-New Zealand affair when the Highlanders host the Chiefs in Dunedin on Saturday.
Kick-off is at 09:35 SA time.
Stormers v Brumbies stats and facts:
• When it comes to experience and the winning formula in Super Rugby playoffs, the Brumbies are superior to the Stormers in all facets.
• The Brumbies have played in a total of 16 playoffs (six finals, eight semi-finals and two qualifiers) and they have won six - both qualifiers (2013 and 2014); six semi-finals of which one, in 2013 against the Bulls, was in South Africa; and two finals (2001 and 2004).
• On the contrary, the Stormers have played in five semi-finals and one final, but have won only one of these six matches (their 2010 semi-final at Newlands against the Waratahs). They’ve played four semi-finals at home and lost three (1999, 2011 and 2012).
• The Stormers will take a lot of heart from their performances in Cape Town this year – they are unbeaten in their last five home games (W4 D1), and have won seven of their last eight when hosting Australian sides.
• The Capetonians have also won three of their last four meetings with the Brumbies – and the last time the team from ACT could win at Newlands was in 2010 (19-17), thanks to a late converted try by George Smith and a missed conversion in injury time by Joe Pietersen.
• Duane Vermeulen, who has been ruled out by injury this week, and Juan de Jongh are the only players in the current Stormers squad left from that match five years ago, while the Brumbies have four in their match-day squad this weekend - Ben Alexander, Stephen Moore, Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano, who will run out for his 100th Super Rugby cap.
• In all matches between them at Newlands, things are even between these two sides - they’ve played there nine times with each side winning four and one match ending in a draw (15-15 in 2006).
• Looking at the Stormers’ home record against Australian sides since the expansion to 15 teams took place in 2011, they’ve won eight out of 10 (defeats against the Reds in 2011 and the Waratahs last year). The Bulls (10 out of 11) and Sharks (nine out of 10) prove that Australian teams have generally struggled in the Republic in the last five seasons.
• Overall, the Stormers have won 21 out of their 33 home matches against Aussie opposition, with two draws and 10 defeats.
• The Brumbies have lost three of their last four away games in South Africa over the last two seasons, but their last Finals Series match in South Africa ended in victory, in the 2013 semi-final against the Bulls in Pretoria.
• The Brumbies have conceded only 21 tries this season, fewer than any other team in 2015. The Stormers leaked 35, which places them fourth on the list for fewest tries conceded - behind the Brumbies, Chiefs (27) and Hurricanes (31).
