Four key factors for Stormers against Cardiff

OPINION: Both the Stormers and Cardiff will be desperate when they meet in the final pool round of the United Rugby Championship on Saturday.

That desperation will be fueled by very different goals, however…

For the Stormers, currently second on the log, the top spot in the standings will be the galvanising factor. For Cardiff, who are in seventh position, it will be all about locking down their first-ever play-off berth.

The Stormers’ 38-all stalemate against Ulster at Affidea Stadium in Round 17 earned them three points and booked them a home quarterfinal, and they will be eager to secure a win to remain in the top two, which will guarantee a home semifinal for the inaugural URC winners.

But before they can think ahead to the semifinals or even the quarterfinals, they first need to survive Cardiff.

We look at four factors that will be key in the Stormers’ bagging a victory at Arms Park.

Overcoming the mental factor

The Stormers have never won in Cardiff, so that in itself presents a psychological hurdle.

A key component in that Arms-Park drought is the 4G pitch – a surface spoken of with palpable caution among South African coaches.

There are concerns that these pitches carry a higher injury risk for those more conditioned to playing on grass, while the synthetic ground also presents a challenge for those not accustomed to its faster nature, which can make defending against teams or players in full flight particularly challenging.

One position the Stormers certainly don’t want to find themselves in come Saturday night is that of the constant defender.

It’s not a position they would ever want to be in, regardless, but especially not on a 4G pitch.

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Scrum-time reset

The Stormers’ scrum has been one of their biggest strengths this season; the fact that they have won the most scrum penalties in the competition, 56, is testament to that. Only the Sharks come close to that number, with 50.

But against Ulster, the Stormers didn’t enjoy the dominance or the reward at the set-piece that fans have come to expect from them.

It’s another area where the synthetic pitch makes a big difference – the traction scrummagers get on regular fields isn’t there.

Given the strength of their scrum and the reward and attacking opportunities they can get from it, if the Stormers get it right when they pack down this weekend, they’ll make good ground towards their goal.

Cutting the ill-discipline

After the draw against Ulster, director of rugby John Dobson lamented his side’s ill-discipline, saying that he was “very disappointed” in how his men went in that area. And for good reason, it proved costly.

On a couple of occasions, the Stormers squandered almost certain tries, and whether that ill-discipline comes down to lapses in concentration or overzealousness, they’ll have to cut it out and cooperate with the referee, especially given the conditions.

The Sacha factor

Saying that a team’s success rests on one player’s young shoulders is exaggerated and most certainly unfair, but looking at the role the Springbok flyhalf has played for the Cape side, it’s not hard to see why acknowledging the weight he carries in the team isn’t puffery.

Along with the Lions’ Chris Smith, Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the joint leading points-scorer in the competition with a tally of 147. But apart from the points he has contributed, it’s what he brings in the loose that makes him one of the Stormers’ most valuable men, if not the most valuable currently.

He has created opportunities where none existed, either setting up a teammate for the try line or swerving towards it himself.

He consistently slices up defences, sees gaps where only the slightest exist, and makes the ridiculous look all too easy thanks to his advanced skillset.

While he has also scored nine tries this season, it’s what he does between the trylines that makes him the hottest flyhalf in the game at present.

If this game comes down to a clutch moment, there’s good reason to believe that it will be courtesy of Feinberg-Mngomezulu.