AUDIO: Stormers not a one-trick pony
LISTEN as Stormers assistant coach John Dobson talks about his team’s trip to Durban and a Round Three Super Rugby encounter with the Sharks.
The Stormers are hoping to play a more up-tempo game when they face the unbeaten Sharks, but conditions may require them to employ a different set of tactics.
The Sharks, sitting pretty at the top of the standings with a full-house 10 points after two rounds, prefer a structured game.
The Stormers believe the best way to counter that is by speeding up play.
However, the long-term weather prediction suggested that – apart from cloudy and humid conditions – there may be some showers in Durban.
It will require the Stormers to use their Springbok-laden pack of forwards to overpower the Sharks.
“It is a game we want to play with tempo,” Stormers breakdown coach John Dobson said.
He felt the Blues showed the value of an up-tempo game against the Sharks – trailing 0-19 at the break, but shared the spoils in the second half to finish with a full-time score of 26-7 for the Durban-based franchise.
“We have tried to do it before, but haven’t always got it right,” Dobson said of playing a high-tempo game against the Sharks.
“It is certainly part of our planning.
“When we watched the game again, [19-17 win over Lions] one of the things we saw towards the end was we pushed tempo quite nicely.
“Our line-outs dropped from 35 seconds to the low 20s.”
However, the conditions on Saturday may force them to opt for a forward-based game.
“We want to play quickly,” Dobson said, adding: “If it rains, we have a Springbok-laden pack of forwards to put out there.
“We are not scared of it either way.”
The return of Eben Etzebeth, a very effective second-half replacement against the Lions, will add significant muscle to a Stormers pack that will also get Bok prop Wilco Louw back from injury.
Add in the likes of Sikhumbuzo Notshe, Pieter-Steph du Toit, captain Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Mbongeni Mbonambi and John Schickerling (still uncapped) and the Stormers have some serious Bok muscle to rely on.
Dobson said the Sharks are more a gainline team than the Lions.
“If they get front-foot ball and their offloads going, they can be tough.
“It is perhaps more of a gainline battle, with the Lions defence looking to push you down and trying to steal [the ball] – with their four or five stealers in the team.
“The Sharks are a bit more gainline-based and more direct.
“What they have developed really well is their kicking game.”
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Dobson also said Saturday’s two South African derbies will be a good indication as to where the South African conference is going.
“The Bulls are playing the Lions this week, so one of those guys are going to be one from three and then they’re suddenly going to be the skunks of our conference,” he said.
“The Sharks haven’t gotten involved with that yet – with [games against] the Sunwolves and the Blues.”
@rugby365com
