Stormers to play winning ’ game
STORMERS captain Duane Vermeulen looked incredulous after being told that Blue Bulls captain Victor Matfield claimed his team would try to play expansive rugby when the sides clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria tomorrow.
Matfield told a media gathering in Pretoria on Wednesday: “We want to go out and score tries.
“If you don ’ t score tries you won ’ t win this competition.
“If you look at the stats each year, it is almost always the team that scores the most tries that wins.”
Matfield was correct that in the past two years overall Super Rugby winners the Waratahs and the Chiefs scored the most tries, but it ’ s unlikely the Bulls are going to morph into try gluttons overnight.
The Bulls edge the average score between teams with a 23-22 winning ratio, but on average both teams score two tries per clash.
In their last six home encounters against the Stormers, the Bulls have scored a lone try in each game. Talk of expansive rugby against the miserly Stormers defence is a ruse that Vermeulen shrugged off.
“That ’ s very interesting,” Vermeulen said with a smile when told of Matfield ’ s comments.
“We know that to expect from them and we ’ re not going to sit here and try and tell you to expect something different from us.
“The type of rugby the Stormers want to play is winning rugby. Everyone can play the game in the media and say what they want to, but that doesn ’ t change how we will approach the game.”
This week SA, New Zealand and Australia Rugby game manager Lyndon Bray spoke passionately about how officials would strive to be consistent across the board.
He also highlighted key areas referees would focus on.