Cheery Stormers unperturbed by CT Stadium pitch being on 'last legs': 'Seen the worst of it'

Stormers assistant Dawie Snyman admits the beleaguered Cape Town Stadium pitch is "probably on its last legs" yet feels emboldened enough by his charges' fine win over the Bulls in last weekend's URC quarter-final to believe it won't present a problem in Saturday's semi-final against Connacht.

The state of the surface has been a talking point since last season - when the Cape franchise became the anchor tenant at the 2010 FIFA World Cup venue - as it's shallow, sandy character has seen the grass cut up more pronouncedly as campaigns progress.

However, the Monster Jam that took place about three weeks ago pushed it over the edge, with detractors opining that the surface now borders on being embarrassing.

There is light at the end of the tunnel with a new hybrid pitch - 50% grass and 50% synthetic - set to be laid in July, which will make it far easier to maintain.

For now though, the Stormers will have to make due playing on a field that theoretically shouldn't be conducive to their attractive brand of rugby, something they managed with aplomb against Jake White's troops. 

"Look, it's where we're playing at the moment. Maybe it's an advantage for us because we understand the surface," said Snyman. 

"We get opportunities to train on the field. It's not something we really complain about. We just get on with it."

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Yet while it's a situation beyond the Stormers' control, Snyman also makes the very reasonable point that, regardless of the fiasco of recent weeks, the surface has probably reach peak deterioration.

"It's probably on its last legs. There's not much we can do about it, there will be some rain later this week too so I'm not sure