STORMERS V JAGUARES

THIS is the big one – the Stormers taking on the Jaguares at Newlands on Saturday (3.05pm kickoff).

So, here are five key areas, or key battles, for Saturday’s encounter.

The maul

The Jaguares scored a number of maul tries in their comeback win against the Reds last week, and knowing how well the Stormers can operate in this area, it should be a good one. Stopping the Argentinians’ maul will be a point on its own for the Stormers, and using their own with the kind of efficiency we have seen from them more than a few times to get over the tryline will be a sweet addition.

The scrum

It might not be the same anymore, but nobody needs to sit through any lengthy tales of the Bajada, the Argentinians can scrum. But so can the Stormers, after all, it’s one of their biggest strengths, and that classification hasn’t changed this season. This battle will be a major subplot all on its own, for sure.

Capitalise on opportunities... and attack

The Stormers have scored tries and they have also made use of their opportunities even when they didn’t have too many (like against the Bulls), but against the Lions, they spilled a number of chances on attack. Coach John Dobson has spoken at length about wanting his side to play more rugby and of setting his outside backs free to do damage, and seeing all that against the Jaguares is something that will certainly get the crowd on their feet and, more importantly, help them move closer to what would be an important win.

Killer instinct

The way the Jaguares clawed their way back from a 24-12 halftime deficit to a 43-27 victory against the Reds was quite something. The South Americans didn’t stop, and they won’t against the Stormers either. At least a part of this game could simply come down to who wants it more, and knowing the Argentines, they will keep coming and looking for those opportunities to deliver a blow. The Stormers simply need to do the same.

AREA WORTH A MENTION:

The breakdown.