Hammer time for Stormers
The Stormers are intent on capitalising on their consistent start to the season by upping the intensity over the next month, starting at Newlands on Saturday when they take on the Cheetahs.
The Cape side have only lost one match thus far this season, and will be boosted by the return of frontline players such as Gio Aplon, Jean de Villiers and Eben Etzebeth this weekend, but they will not be taking anything for granted in what they expect to be a battle of attrition against the Cheetahs.
Forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot told this website that the Stormers are aware of just how crucial the four-week period ahead of the June Test window will be to the ultimate success of their campaign this year, and explained that his team is focused on hitting their straps from the word go following their bye last week.
He said: “I think the next four weeks are definitely the heart and soul of the competition.
“A home derby the week after a bye is a particularly tricky game, the intensity of those games tends to be a lot higher and the way that the Cheetahs have been playing with that attacking style of theirs they are really pushing the intensity of the game, so I think we will have to adapt to that and make sure that we don’t have any rust.
“Our focus this week has been really pushing the intensity and getting the guys revved up from the start of the training session,” added Proudfoot.
Proudfoot said that whilst the Stormers will have to adjust to the Cheetahs’ high tempo attacking style, the key will be to dictate terms in the set phases and the breakdown.
“They [Cheetahs] are a side that tries to outflank you a little bit, so you have got to be able to adapt to that, and when it comes to the 22 they are very direct.
“I think like all derbies the attrition rate in the set phases and the breakdown will be the key to the game. It will be down to who can create opportunities through their set phases and then maintain it by getting quick ball at the breakdown,” he said.
The Stormers forwards coach explained that the challenge for his team against the Cheetahs will be to deny them the quick ball that their fluid attacking style thrives on and pointed out that the Stormers cannot afford to let Nake Drotske’s side determine the pace of the game.
“Both teams have a defensive pattern that they rely on but if you can’t control the pace of the breakdown you can’t control the speed of your defence. We don’t want to be reacting to what they are doing, they are comfortable attacking and we don’t want to be reacting to their attack in defence,” he said.
The Cheetahs were exposed by the Force at scrum-time last week, and Proudfoot said that while there may be an opportunity for the impressive Stormers tight five to attack the Free State side in the set pieces, it will all depend on their accuracy and the ability of the big men up front to get the details right.
“It depends on our accuracy, if we are patient and look to build a little bit of ascendency in the first couple of scrums then we can attack them there but if we aren’t patient and accurate in our binding then you never really get the confidence going and can become really tentative,” he said.
Proudfoot added that the scrums will be an entirely different kettle of fish this weekend, as South African derbies are usually all about physicality, and with Springbok selection not far off the respective front rows will have plenty of motivation to get stuck in.
“When South African sides play each other it is more of an attritional battle than a tactical duel around the engagement at scrum-time. It is going to be four props trying to hammer into each other which brings out a little bit of extra spice, particularly with Heyneke [Meyer] having spoken to a couple of the guys,” he said.
By Michael de Vries
