Lambie poses threat to Stormers

Beating Sharks at Newlands crucial for team to stay in contention

DISCIPLINE will be key for the Stormers to save their season, knowing that visiting flyhalf Pat Lambie has been deadly with the boot for the Sharks.

DISCIPLINE will be the key for the Stormers if they hope to save their season at Newlands tomorrow, knowing that visiting flyhalf Pat Lambie has been deadly with the boot for the Sharks this year.

Lambie, the Springbok incumbent, is the tournament’s leading penalty taker, having slotted 23 this season on his way to amassing 82 points already, making him the leading South African points scorer so far this season.

Last week Lambie landed seven out of seven to lead the Sharks to a 21-17 win over the Crusaders.

It is inevitable that penalties will be conceded and Lambie will slot some kicks, but for the Stormers it is about keeping those chances to a minimum. On the up side for the home team, apart from 10 tries scored against the Rebels, the Sharks have only managed to score three in their other five matches.

The Rebels fell off so many tackles on their way to a 64-7 defeat it was as if they were conscientious objectors to bringing opponents down. But sides that have shown commitment and structure on defence have frustrated the Sharks’ attack this year. The Stormers themselves held the Sharks out in the first match in round two, but they lost 12-6 thanks to four Lambie penalties.

The Crusaders never looked flustered on defence and neither did the Brumbies as they hammered the Sharks 29-10.

The Stormers’ own usually watertight defence has been breached nine times this year, the same as the Sharks, but the Cape side’s attack has shown promising signs with 12 tries.

Looking at the numbers, defence and penalties will be the decider in this one, and the area where penalties will be forced is in the set piece, particularly the scrum.

That is where the Sharks have the edge after some indifferent performances from the Stormers pack at scrum time. Expect the Sharks to “milk” several penalties and free kicks in those skirmishes and Lambie to make them count.

The Cheetahs, already

in unfamiliar territory after five consecutive wins, could go deeper into the unknown if they can notch up a sixth straight victory when they take on the Bulls at Loftus tomorrow.

The Pretoria side enjoyed a bye last week after a poor Australasian tour where they won only one match out of four. But back at fortress Loftus they are a much stronger team.

Also, the Bulls remain one of only two sides in the entire competition that the Cheetahs have never beaten (the other is the Chiefs, although the Cheetahs have drawn with the New Zealand side), losing each of their previous nine encounters.

Arguably, though, for the first time the Cheetahs go into the match in better form and with more confidence than the Bulls.

If flyhalf Burton Francis can maintain the high standards he set in the past two weeks, then the Bloemfontein side has every chance of causing a mild upset.

The Kings conclude their encouraging debut Australasian tour with a match against the Rebels in Melbourne, hoping to fly the flag for South African teams. In 10 matches against South African teams, the Rebels have never claimed a win.

The Kings, fresh off a 28-28 draw with the high-riding Brumbies, have a good chance of maintaining that record. Last week they fought back dramatically from 13-0 down to share the spoils in Canberra, so the Rebels will not go into the match thinking the result is a formality.

Kings skipper Andries Strauss said his team need to reduce the number of penalties they give away when they face the Rebels, in a crunch Super Rugby match in Melbourne tomorrow.

“We gave away 18 penalties against the Brumbies and many were at the breakdown and at crucial times in the game. We need to look at reducing those.

“There are a few crucial areas that we still need to work on, such as being aware of the space on the field,” Strauss said.

“Limiting our opponents’ space and getting used to the levels of pressure on the field are areas we can improve in. But these are things we can only learn on the field through experience.” With George Byron