It’s a big one for Fleck and his Stormers ...
STORMERS COACH Robbie Fleck says bagging a win over the Lions at Ellis Park tomorrow (5.15pm kickoff) is vital – not only for their confidence in terms of playing away, but also to “catch up to the Lions and stay ahead of the Bulls and the Sharks”.
The Stormers are currently second in the South African conference (13 points; seven games played; points difference -21) - seven points behind the conference-leading Lions with the Sharks (13 points; six games played; points difference 5) in third spot and the Bulls (nine points; six games; points difference -40) in fourth spot.
Neither the Stormers nor the Lions have really overloaded the Super Rugby log with positive results this season, and the Ellis Park fixture is one that can be seen as equally important for both units.
For the Stormers, it’s a chance to get their first away win of the season. While for the Lions, it’s a chance to return to winning ways after a few disappointing performances so far, and a loss to the Crusaders last week.
“This is an important game for us. It’s massively important. It’s another game away from home,” Fleck said.
“Our away record isn’t good and that’s something we need to get right. You have to win your home games and you have to beat the teams in your conference if you want to win it. This weekend is another opportunity for us to win away from home, beat opposition in our group and gain some momentum.
“There’s obviously a bit of pressure there because they still have to tour. They’ve got a fair amount of injuries, just like us. They’re playing at home and it’s a must-win for them as well. It’s a very important game for them because they’re still going on a fourweek trip away.
“We’re playing away and we need to get one of those important away wins. What it does for us is that we get another win, so that’s four out of eight and one crucial away win. A win can help us catch up to the Lions and try and stay ahead of the Bulls and Sharks.”
The Stormers have again had to make a couple of changes thanks to injury.
For the round eight clash, injuries to scrumhalf Justin Phillips (two broken ribs) and flank Cobus Wiese mean that Jano Vermaak will make his first start of the season at No 9, while Pieter-Steph du Toit will cover blindside flank, with Chris van Zyl starting at No 5 lock. Vermaak’s elevation to the starting line-up sees Paul de Wet get a Super Rugby opportunity on the bench, and with Van Zyl slotting in alongside Jan de Klerk in the second row, Jaco Coetzee could get some game time off the bench.
On his back-row changes, Fleck said: “We wanted to get in a ball-carrying No 7 and he (Du Toit) did that job for us against the Blues, so it was the obvious choice.
“Kobus van Dyk has also been pretty good for us and he’s been making massive impacts off the bench.
“Cobus Wiese will be out for about 20 days with a torn hamstring. Justin Phillips broke two ribs, so he’ll be out for four to six weeks.”
Injury could also determine what happens at flyhalf in the coming weeks.
With Damian Willemse having been included in the Junior Bok training squad, Fleck explained that if Willemse is needed at the Stormers, that’s exactly where he’ll be playing.
With Jean-Luc du Plessis having returned to full training, he could cover flyhalf in Willemse’s absence. But Fleck added that where Willemse plays will all depend on their injury situation.
“He’s got a huge amount of training time and he’s played a significant amount of game time as well, so he needs to be carefully managed,” Fleck said.
“He certainly won’t be available for (the) Test that they’re playing against Georgia next Saturday, he’ll be rested. But in saying that he needs to attend their training sessions, he needs to be prepared. If our injury situation is okay, we may look to give him some time with the SA Under-20s. But first and foremost it’s the Stormers for him, and he realises that and so does everybody else. We’ve got a campaign to win and he’s our No 1 flyhalf.”