Are struggling SA teams behind the Bomb Squad curve?

OPINION: The Stormers have emulated the Springboks but the stats show how the Bulls, Sharks and Lions have failed to live up to the second-half hype.

The Boks have targeted the second half of big Tests – and the fourth quarter in particular – since Rassie Erasmus introduced his Bomb Squad strategy back in 2019.

This strategy has been tweaked and perfected over the years, with the Bok coaches favouring several variations of the six-two split between forwards and backs, and on rare occasions a seven-one formation.

While the formation has changed, the Boks’ ability to outscore the opposition in the second half and close out the contest has been consistent.

And while rivals like England have developed their own “Pom Squad” in recent months, the Boks continue to lead the way in terms of the key second-half stats.

At club level, the Stormers have taken a page out of Erasmus’ playbook and have implemented their own Bomb Squad strategy to great effect.

Coach John Dobson has favoured a six-two split – alternating between an extra lock and a second loose-forward on the bench – in every match this season, and the Stormers have gone on to win all nine games.

STORMERS LEAD THE WAY

Of course, the bench split is not the only reason why the Boks have been so successful in recent times.

Indeed, Erasmus reverted to a five-three formation for the first part of the 2025 Test season, before favouring a six-two and eventually a seven-one when the team toured Europe in November.

The mindset to attack the second half, however, was consistent.

The same could be said of the Stormers this season, whether they have competed in the United Rugby Championship or the Champions Cup, and whether they have played at home or in Europe.

The most recent fixture against the Lions in Cape Town showcased the Stormers’ ability to lift their standards in the second stanza.

The hosts transformed a seven-point half-time deficit into a 34-27 victory – and effectively won the second half 24-10.

When you take a closer look at the Stormers’ stats for the season, an interesting pattern emerges.

Dobson’s charges have won the second half on eight occasions.

Overall, they have averaged 21 points for and just six against in this period.

The Stormers have scored almost twice as many points in the second half as they have in the first, and as the average scoreline of 21-6 suggests, the intent to attack the opposition in this period hasn’t compromised their defensive standards.

Dobson – much like England boss Steve Borthwick – has taken what has worked at the Boks and adapted it to suit the Stormers’ personnel as well as the unique nature of the respective club tournaments.

The Stormers may boast a number of fine attacking players, but their scrum and line-out has been at the heart of their point-scoring success in late 2025.

MIXED FORTUNES FOR LIONS, SHARKS

How long will it be until the other South African franchises follow suit, and harness the Bomb Squad philosophy to boost their second-half stats – and ultimately their results?

After nine games, the Bulls, Lions and Sharks all have second-half deficits – in that they have averaged more points conceded than points scored in this period.

At this stage, the Sharks’ win-record is 44%, while the Bulls and Lions’ success rate is 33%.

The Lions have won the second half in four of their nine matches this season, and the average scoreline (14-15) suggests that they have been reasonably competitive in this period of the game.

The 32-12 second-half effort against Ulster in Johannesburg as well as the 19-14 performance against the Bulls in Pretoria stand out.

That said, Cash van Rooyen’s charges have faded in more recent weeks, losing the second half to Benetton, Newcastle and the Stormers – with the latter performance marking their worst finish of the season.

Perhaps the limited Lions squad is starting to tire, but it’s worth asking why Van Rooyen has failed to use all of his substitutes on a few occasions – and why Sharks boss John Plumtree also failed to empty his bench in several fixtures.

The Sharks have won the second half on just three occasions this season, and average 10 points for and 12 against in this period.

Some have suggested that they’ve turned the corner since the Champions Cup blowout in Toulouse – and since Plumtree has stepped down – and the results (two wins from two games) lend some weight to the argument.

While the selection of a six-two bench certainly doesn’t guarantee a better second-half performance, it’s worth noting how the Sharks have favoured this formation in the last two matches – and how they were the superior side in the recent derby against the Bulls in Durban, winning the second half 14-3.

BULLS CONSISTENTLY POOR

While the Stormers have been consistently good in the second half this season, the Bulls have been consistently poor.

Johan Ackermann’s side has lost the second half eight times, and averaged 10 points for and 20 against in this period.

While their first-half performances have often showcased their attacking prowess – no South African team has averaged more points (15) in this period – their attacking and defensive standards have fallen off a cliff towards the end of the contest.

The Bulls were at their inconsistent worst across the first two legs of the Champions Cup.

After dominating the first half against Bordeaux-Bégles in Pretoria, they conceded 24 unanswered points in the second.

The following week, they trailed Northampton Saints by just nine points at half-time. Thereafter, Northampton proceeded to win the second half 36-0.

Ackermann and company have a lot of soul searching to do before facing the Stormers – South Africa’s best second-half team – in Cape Town next week.

The Bulls have used the six-two bench split in just one match this season.

They may feel that the strategy failed – Bordeaux blitzed the Bulls 24-0 in the second stanza – but it’s worth noting that four members of that Bomb Squad had only recently returned from a five-Test stint with the Boks in Europe.

Ackermann may also consider how the Lions loaded their bench with six forwards and two extra locks for the recent visit to Cape Town.

The Stormers went on to win the second half 24-10, and one wonders if the scoreline would have been any different had the Lions not suffered a couple of forward injuries in the early stages.

Nevertheless, the Bulls will have a point to prove in the north-south derby next week, in terms of the second-half performance as well as the result.

On the other hand, the Stormers – as Dobson recently suggested – will want to improve on their first-half performances.

They’ve led at half-time in just five out of nine games this season – and have trailed by seven or more in three.

While their second-half stats have been excellent, they will be loathe to give a prolific first-half team like the Bulls the chance to build a substantial lead – and should be wary of leaving themselves with too much ground to make up late in the contest.