Things Stormers will want to repeat
THE Stormers’ game against the Sharks didn’t go the way they would have wanted it to, but that’s done now and all they can do is move on to the next challenge – the Bulls.
Coach John Dobson’s men will host their Jake White’s unit at Cape Town Stadium tomorrow (6.15pm kick-off), and while it’s always a big one, this one probably has even more spice given what went down at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria during the Preparation Series in a game the Stormers could have won.
But that was two months ago, so focusing on their more recent form, here are three things from their 33-30 defeat by the Sharks the Stormers will want to repeat against White’s men this weekend.
Midfield magic
Against the Sharks, the Stormers midfield fired, something that couldn’t always be said last year.
Ruhan Nel, who will be released to the Blitzboks to report for Olympic preparations, combined superbly with centre partner Rikus Pretorius last weekend, and while there will be a different centre pairing against the Bulls, there can be no doubt that the Stormers backline will be looking for the same kind of potency to get their outside backs going against their old foes.
Dobson could very well go with Dan du Plessis and Pretorius – a combination he used last year.
Cornel Smit is another option, though, and he’s a player Dobson spoke highly of when reflecting on his run during the Prep Series.
Whichever combination Dobson goes with, one thing’s for sure, he’ll be looking for the same kind of impact at Cape Town Stadium.
Scrum supremacy
The Springbok front-rowers were on point against the Sharks with Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Scarra Ntubeni, and replacement hooker Bongi Mbonambi putting in laudable shifts.
The set-piece strong Stormers will always want to dominate in those areas, but against the Bulls, even though they may not be as Bok-blessed in the tight five as the Stormers, even more so.
Fullback finesse
How good was Damian Willemse against the Sharks?
The Springbok back is settling well at the back and again produced some good moments last weekend, and it’s certainly an individual shift the Stormers will be looking to replicate.
He looked right at home under the high ball, put in some solid kicks from hand, and then there was that top try in the last 10 minutes.
Please hit repeat. Meanwhile, the Stormers will be without Seabelo Senatla tomorrow after the speedster was handed a four-week suspension for the red card he received against the Sharks.
Senatla was red-carded in the 14th minute for a reckless aerial tackle on Aphelele Fassis, which saw the Sharks fullback land on his neck.
In the hearing, Senatla admitted that the red card was justified, and the abbreviated process was followed, concluding in his suspension up to and including Friday, June 4.
Stormers No 8 Willie Engelbrecht won’t be spending any time on the sidelines after his sending off following his two yellows and the subsequent red in the same match.
However, judicial officer Adv Rob Stelzner found that the second yellow card was unwarranted. It has been expunged from Engelbrecht’s record, which means the red card is also to be erased from his record.