Bulls blueprint at work for Stormers
It is not something that will go down well with traditionalists in the Western Cape, but the Stormers' suffocate and strangle tactics are here to stay.
The Stormers are just two points (a draw or a win will suffice) away from a guaranteed spot in the play-offs, but topping the South African conference and home ground advantage in the play-offs remain their primary objectives in the final fortnight of league action.
Stormers assistant coach Robbie Fleck, speaking to this website ahead of Saturday's derby against the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein, said they are not going to change their approach to the game anytime soon.
"It's the old cliche … we are sticking to what work for us," Fleck said, pointing to how the Bulls dismantled the Cheetahs during a blistering first hour in Pretoria last week – racing into a 40-0 lead.
He admitted the 'suffocate and strangle' tactics – for decades a Bulls blueprint – has served the Stormers well against the Cheetahs.
The Stormers have only lost twice to the Cheetahs since the men from Bloemfontein extracted themselves from the Cats franchise and wen solo in 2006. Those defeats were in 2006 and 2007, with the Stormers now on a six-match Super Rugby winning streak against their rivals from Bloemfontein.
"We have a certain style of game that we play and it is working," Fleck told this website, adding: "We can't change now."
He spoke of the need to put the Cheetahs under pressure in both set pieces and territorially, then capitalise on their mistakes.
"We all know very well what they are going to do – it has been very well documented that they are going to test our defence and work us round the park a bit, something they are pretty good at.
"It is something they didn't try and do at Newlands [a 16-14 win for the Stormers back in May].
"They are going to have a full crack, which obviously opens up a few opportunities for us – if our defence is good, we know we can put them under some pressure and capitalise on their mistakes."
Speaking about the reasons for their impressive run of victories over the Cheetahs in the last five years, Fleck admitted that the more conservative approach is what did the trick.
"It is just sticking to the same mindset we've always had against them … we know they like to play rugby and if they play against a good, solid defence they tend to make errors."
He said there is no need to try and "do too much" against the men from Bloemfontein.
He said it is a recipe for success they have followed for years and will again employ on Saturday.
"They [the Cheetahs] tend to try and put you under immense pressure at set piece and they've got that rush defence. When it is an open game, that is what the Cheetahs thrive on.
"However, when you put them under pressure through a solid kicking game, a solid defence and a pretty structured game plan, it doesn't give them many opportunities.
"Most of their tries come from turnover ball and this year our mindset has been pretty clear … it is not to give any turnover ball and not play too much rugby in our own half.
"I guess we will look to suffocate and strangle them … put them under pressure like the Bulls did [last week].
"If it works, like it did early on last week for the Bulls, and you score a few points you can run away with the game.
"The Bulls in the beginning [last week] were pretty structured and used their kicking game to good effect and put the Cheetahs under pressure in terms of the set piece. The Cheetahs tried a lot of things that resulted in a few tries [for the Bulls].
"Once the Bulls went off their structure and opened the game up a little, that let the Cheetahs back in. They scored one or two good tries, their confidence built up and they looked like a really good side … which they are.
"The same thing happened to us in the first round," Fleck said of a 16-14 win at Newlands back in May.
"[We had] a very good first half, 16-0 up, we stuck to our structures, we stuck to our game plan. Obviously we went off our game plan [after the break], we got a little bit loose and let the Cheetahs back in … an intercept try and suddenly they were two points behind us.
"We put ourselves under pressure.
"That's what worked for us in the past and we need to stick to it for 80 minutes this time."
By Jan de Koning
