Stormers scrum-half Imad Khan says the 22-16 defeat in Cardiff a fortnight ago served as a "big wake-up call" ahead of Saturday's URC quarter-final rematch at DHL Stadium, with the 22-year-old expected to feature in the matchday squad.
The loss proved doubly damaging — dropping the Stormers to third in the final standings — and Khan, who started in Cardiff, says the squad has been deliberately working on the areas that hurt them in Wales.
"The game in Cardiff was a big wake-up call for us. That was our last league game, and we know in the play-offs there is no time for mistakes," Khan said. "You don't often get an opportunity to play the same opposition back-to-back so we took a lot of learnings from that game."
Breakdown work and ball retention are the focal points of the Stormers' preparation, with Khan also citing the 4G surface in Cardiff as a factor that affected their handling of possession. "We will definitely be looking to secure the ball and protect possession a lot better than we did in Cardiff," he said, adding that putting points on the board through sustained scoreboard pressure is another key emphasis.
With Cobus Reinach sidelined through injury, Khan is the least experienced of the Stormers' scrum-half options but has leaned heavily on his environment for development. "Cobus is a world-class player so being alongside him in the changing room is insane. Stef (Ungerer) is also a hugely experienced player, Dewies (Duvenage) is someone I have learned a lot from when it comes to the technical side of things," he said.
For Khan, the occasion carries personal significance beyond the result. "I have always dreamt of playing here at DHL Stadium and being on this field and playing for this club at a high level," he said. "I am taking the moment in rather than calling it pressure." John Dobson is yet to name his squad for the match.