Stormers ‘must look to Bok victory for inspiration’
THE STORMERS must draw inspiration from the Springboks’ famous win over the All Blacks in Wellington for their match against the Crusaders on Saturday, according to Stormers assistant coach Norman Laker.
Last year, the Springboks beat the All Blacks 36 points to 34 after leading 24-17 at half-time.
The Wellington triumph saw a massive defensive effort from the South Africans, and this is what Laker, the Stormers’ defence coach, wants the Cape side to deliver in Cape Town this weekend.
“I think the main thing is to focus on ourselves and to play to our strengths,” Laker said in Bellville yesterday.
“As South Africans we pride ourselves on defence and we have mean ball-carriers to get us over the gain line. Our strengths are our strengths, and we must stick to that.
“As the Boks did in Wellington… 80% of the game they defended, and they got away with the win.”
Laker added, however, that the Stormers needed to make use of their scoring opportunities.
Until now, the Stormers have made the sixth most carries in the competition, and although they have created some good opportunities, they haven’t been able to convert those chances into points. They have scored the least tries in the competition – just 22.
“We must stay strong defensively, and when you do get those opportunities, make sure you score,” Laker said.
Robbie Fleck’s team are currently in 10th position on the standings with five wins out of 11 matches, while they have lost just one match at home.