Dan McFarland: Coach says Ulster want to be first visiting URC team to win in South Africa this season

Manie Libbok's try helped Stormers hammer Cardiff last weekend in Cape Town

Dan McFarland says Ulster's opportunity to become the first visiting side to win in South Africa in this season's United Rugby Championship will be a motivating factor this weekend.

Ulster have their Ireland contingent - bar Robert Baloucoune - available for Saturday's game against Stormers and Bulls contest a week later.

"There hasn't been a win from the eight games out here," said the Ulster coach.

"None of the other teams who have tried to do have managed to do it yet."

Stormers' latest win over Northern Hemisphere opposition was a 40-3 demotion of Cardiff on Sunday which moved them up to seventh spot in the table following their 55-7 hammering of Zebre a week.

Since the turn of the year, Stormers have won five out of their seven games in the competition with their only defeat a narrow loss in Galway against Connacht in late February.

And the overall turnaround in the fortunes of the four South African teams in the competition has been exemplified by both Bulls and Lions overcoming visiting Munster over the past three weeks.

Dan McFarland's Ulster side will most likely to be playing in temperatures close to 30C in Cape Town on Saturday

"It isn't a surprise how well the South African teams are doing at home," added the Ulster coach.

"When they came away to the northern hemisphere they struggled a little bit to acclimatise in the new competition. It's very similar to us guys coming down here.

"We're used to playing in conditions like we did against Leinster, and now we'll be playing in close to 30C heat against the Stormers. That's going to be a tremendous challenge."

Ireland players Iain Henderson, Rob Herring, James Hume, Michael Lowry, Kieran Treadwell, Nick Timoney, James Hume and Mike Lowry have all travelled with Ulster to Cape Town while the Irish province's squad also includes Tom O'Toole, who missed the final three games of Ireland's Six Nations campaign because of a hamstring injury.

Another Ireland international Luke Marshall is also in contention to play his first game in 15 months following a knee injury.

Stormers could include Springbok World Cup winners Steven Kitshoff, Frans Malherbe and Herschel Jantjies.

Munster's two recent defeats in South Africa both came at altitude but Ulster will be in action at sea level this weekend in Cape Town before they face the rarefied air of Pretoria next week.

The relaxation of Covid-19 measures by the South African government this week means a 50% supporter capacity will be allowed from this weekend which should ensure a better atmosphere at Ulster's two upcoming games.