Strong SA connection at Perth-based Force

JOHN GOLIATH

TODAY’S clash against the Rebels is probably the most difficult of the Stormers’ three remaining round-robin matches.

What’s going to make it even more interesting for the fans is how their Springbok stars perform after the tough Test series against Ireland last month.

The last two Tests took a lot out of the Boks, especially the third match, when they had to defend for their lives at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

The Bok players only had two training sessions with the Stormers this week. They were off on Monday before travelling to Melbourne on Tuesday. The team had a bit of a rest day on Wednesday, which means that coach Robbie Fleck was finally able to have a run-out with his charges on Thursday and yesterday.

However, Fleck said he saw the players’ participation in the Test series as a positive for the Stormers, who may need to win their remaining matches against the Rebels, Force and Kings to be sure of qualifying for the Super Rugby play-offs.

“They had quite a tough series to be honest,” Fleck said. “I think emotionally, mentally and physically they took a bit of a battering. They had to really dig deep to win that series against a decent Irish side.

“They know what it’s like to play at Test level now… and I guess that’s a good thing for us. When they come back, they will lift the intensity and the focus a bit.

“They… have got to come back and set the standard.”

The Rebels, on the other hand, did not lose many players to the Wallabies and have probably been targeting this match for a month now.

But Fleck said the Stormers had also used the break well to work on new ideas for the trip to Australia.

“The Test series could be seen as a disruption, but the break did allow us to review our game and work with the guys we did have and put some new plans in place,” he said.

Damian de Allende’s battle with the impressive Rebels inside centre Reece Hodge is going to be one of the main clashes today.

De Allende is slowly starting to find form again, although he is still erratic. He scored a great try against the Irish in Johannesburg to help the Boks square the Test series, but also missed several tackles during that match.

Hodge will know that defence is not the strongest area of his opposite number’s game. However, he will also know that he has to be sharp to deal with the Bok No 12.

“Damian was starting to find some much-needed form and to find form at Test level is very difficult, but he certainly started to find it in the last game and a half against the Irish,” said Fleck. THERE is a good case for thinking that South African rugby is taking over the world.

With an estimated 250 South African players in Europe alone (that’s around eight Super Rugby squads), it’s clear that the rest of the rugby world is drawing heavily on the best of the local talent.

But it’s not only to Europe and Japan that South Africans are heading. The Western Force, of Perth, Australia, will face the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein today, but it will be a homecoming for many of the Force players and management.

There are eight players with South African connections in the Force’s match-day 23, with flyhalf Peter Grant heading that list after playing over 100 games for the Stormers.

Utility back Marcel Brache and prop Francois van Wyk came through the Western Province ranks as well. Brynard Stander played Currie Cup rugby for the Sharks before moving to Perth in 2014.

Scrumhalf Ryan Louwrens hails from Johannesburg. Dane Haylett-Petty, Ross Haylett-Petty and flank Chris Alcock were all born in Durban, but left when still children.

It doesn’t end there. Head coach Dave Wessels is South African, as is backs coach Kevin Foote and line-out consultant Elwee Prinsloo. – ANA