Set-piece Stormers v robust Rebels
The Stormers will have to rely on set-piece dominance if they are to end their Australasian Super Rugby tour on a winning note.
A tough four weeks comes to an end for the Stormers when they take on the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday, a team that could add insult to injury for a desperate Cape Town outfit.
The Stormers have lost two of their more outstanding forwards in last week with the news that No.8 Duane Vermeulen and flank Rynhardt Elstadt returned home with serious knee injuries.
However, according to Stormers forwards coach Matt Proudfoot the set pieces are where the visitors will have to lay the platform for victory.
"They have a very high work-rate with an exceptional line-out," Proudfoot said from the team's training base in Australia.
"Scott Higginbotham has been quite robust in their last few games, so we're expecting quite a challenge from them up front – especially in the set-piece," he added.
Along with Higginbotham, the two Rebels locks, Cadeyrn Neville and Hugh Pyle, have provided their side with great ball at the line-outs this season and they have coupled this with some solid contributions in open play.
This means that Andries Bekker and Eben Etzebeth are going to have to fire as a combined unit to nullify the Rebels set-piece threat.
The Stormers are facing a Rebels side that managed to come back impressively against the Blues last weekend, despite ultimately going down, and the Stormers – who aren't flush with confidence either – will have to avoid something similar if they gain an early advantage.
The Stormers have come very close in their last two games on tour and it seems that it has been minor issues that have caused problems.
"The Blues game, we were right in there and pushing hard to win it in the last couple of minutes," Proudfoot said.
"In the Waratahs game we came back nicely and we just let it slip. Both games [we've lost], we felt we've been right in the games and pushing very hard," Proudfoot mentioned."
Despite their play-off aspirations hanging in the balance, Proudfoot does not feel that the side has to change too much to kick-start the Stormers' campaign.
"We haven't tried to set unrealistic goals for the guys – we will continue take it game by game," he added.
The Rebels are something of an unknown factor without the influence of play-makers James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale.
Their absence have some pundits predicting a Stormers win.
However, Proudfoot is wary of the threats posed by the Melbourne franchise.
"Yes, it's a one-off game being the last on our tour, but it's a game against very tough opposition and we're looking forward to the challenge which the Rebels will pose for us," he said.
