Stormers not getting carried away after beating Brumbies
ONE week after looking like raising questions about their campaign after defeat against the Sharks, the Stormers pulled off a confidence-inspiring win against the highly-rated Brumbies at the weekend.
“We had to play smarter rugby than what we did against the Sharks,” said coach Robbie Fleck after the Stormers shelved a lively but ineffective ground attack to produce a 31-11 win against the Australians at Newlands on Saturday.
“The Brumbies are a quality outfit with a number of Wallabies in that side, and if you think you can just build phases against them and get results, it wouldn’t have worked out for us.”
The Stormers, for all their phase-building endeavour in round three, were frighteningly naive in the loss against the Sharks. But they showed great tactical appreciation on Saturday, saddling up a savvy kicking game and strong defensive effort as they galloped to their biggest win against the Brumbies since 1998.
Leading up to the match, the unbeaten Australians were tournament favourites. Pundits pondered how much of a margin the Stormers might lose by, remembering that the Cape side had been physically demolished in a 39-19 reverse during last year’s wildcard playoff against the same opponents at the same venue.
The prudence of arguably the most intelligent Stormers performance since 2012 is evidenced by a 40-point swing in the scores.
“We had to be smart about how we played,” added Fleck. “The kicking game played an important role and our defensive breakdown was excellent.
“It wasn’t pretty all the time, and there were some soft moments, but it’s a really important win for us to take forward.
“It would have been tough to go to Argentina with another loss, so credit to the leadership and the team, the boys stepped up today.”
Stormers skipper Juan de Jongh shared that credit with the management team, lauding Fleck for the quality of the plan.
“Our attacking kicks worked fantastically today, the game plan was fantastic and credit must go to the coach and his management for working so hard, even on Sundays, to make life easier for us,” he said.
This week’s trip to Argentina to battle the Jaguares in Buenos Aires will be anything but easy. The two-time champion Chiefs had to conjure a try at the death to escape the Velez Sarsfield Stadium with a 30-26 victory.
The Stormers beat the Jaguares convincingly during the pre-season, but Fleck is expecting much more of a fight from the competition newcomers at their home ground.
“It’s an important tour for us,” he said. “We’re playing a quality team. Yes, they weren’t that good in South Africa, but they certainly will be a different prospect at home.
“That was the daunting task for us this week – knowing that at the back-end of the Brumbies you’re facing the Jaguares.”
Fleck paid no heed to suggestions that the Brumbies scalp had given the Stormers championship credentials.
“It’s not really about what the statement means on the outside, it’s what’s going to happen on the inside. There’s a bit of belief in our side now.
“It was a disappointing loss against the Sharks and this result is a big step up for us, internally. There’s now belief that we’re on the right track.
“Credit to the team, they delivered today. But, after tonight, we’re back at the grind on Monday,” he said.