Sale Sharks will look to become the first European side to win away in South Africa in the Champions Cup.
The Stormers will be confident of building on their previous win in this competition against current champions La Rochelle with this knowledge, but Sale will be optimistic about upsetting the odds.
And Sale’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson is hell-bent on ruining this proud South African record.
He said: “We’ve got a job to do here.
“What better motivator for the boys than to make a bit of history?
“It is what we are going for. We want a home semi-final; we want to give ourselves the best chance in the best competition.
“We are going to throw everything at it, everything we can at this moment and time, because we want to go through, and that is the aim.”
This game comes following two losses in the Premiership for Sale, dropping them from top to fifth.
And Sanderson believes that the change of focus may be the perfect thing for his Sharks to rediscover their form.
He said: “Change is as good as a rest.
“You only need to go back three weeks when we had beat the Champs (Saracens) at home, sitting top of the league, and now you’re fourth or fifth after a couple of narrow defeats, and you’ve got to remind yourself of that, that the game moves fast, and try to look at the bigger picture at times like this and understand what parts of your game have improved.
“We focused so much of this week on our own game and what should have been better against Bristol. What’s good for them is good for the Stormers.”
The Stormers pose a real challenge for the English club away from home.
But a large contingent of South Africans in the Sale squad will help the team feel at home.
And Sanderson has identified the importance that they will have in causing an upset in the southern hemisphere.
He said: “They’ve been excited for months, coming back here and showing their homeland to their mates. They are never more motivated than when they are playing their own kind.
“Rugby is like a religion here in South Africa.
“They’ve been driving the sessions, and they are really excited. When we put our best foot forward, they will be at the forefront of it.”
While the future of Cobus Wiese seems to have him returning to South Africa after his spell in Salford.
There are plenty of rumours of incoming players coming to Sale, with Mason Grady’s name being heavily circulated in the media.
Sanderson said: “Who wouldn’t be interested in a Mason Grady if they had space in the squad? He is a supreme multi-sport athlete.
“He has got aerial ability and speed, and he is only going to grow. You have to keep looking to grow your squad, so he could potentially be an option to do that.
“We’ve had a chat with him, and we will see where it lands. It’s no secret, but we aren’t the only club talking to him.”
But the attention of a sunburnt Sanderson and his side is firmly focused on the pitch this week.
The former England international is excited for Sale’s Saturday evening game in Cape Town against the Stormers, with a win potentially sending the Premiership club into the knockout stages of the Champions Cup.
