'It didn't feel like they could compete': Bok runs the rule over Stormers
SPOTLIGHT: Finding a powerful edge in their forward play should be a huge focus area for the Stormers.
That is the view of former Springbok hooker Schalk Brits as the new Vodacom United Rugby Championship season gets underway on Friday with the Stormers taking on defending champions Leinster in the opener.
In the past couple of seasons, the Cape Town franchise has become known for their all-out attacking style of play, but Brits believes they need to start laying better foundations with their pack if they want to be successful.
The Stormers have added some more muscle to their forward stocks this year, with loosie Ruan Ackermann and prop Ntuthuko Mchunu signing for them.
More recently, the Capetonians unveiled the return of loosehead Oli Kebble, while former Bulls, Lions and Cheetahs tighthead Hencus van Wyk has also made Cape Town home for the season.
Out of those players mentioned above, only Ackermann will feature against Leinster.
“If you can sign the right people and with young guys coming through like Riley Norton, it will bolster the competition [in the squad],” Brits told reporters during a URC media round table this week.
“One thing we’ve always known from the Stormers is that they’ve got an unbelievably talented squad.
“The backs are extremely talented – give them the ball and they will do their magic.
“However, when you go abroad and you play in the Northern Hemisphere, the conditions are different and you can’t play the same style, so then you have to rely heavily on the forwards and make sure there is set-piece dominance.
“With Frans [Malherbe] getting injured, it didn’t feel like they could compete or dominate in the scrum.
“With Wilco [Louw] going there next year, it will make a big difference.
“One thing Dobbo has come to realise is that you need a great pack to compete in this competition because of the north, south, summer and winter factors. It changes during the whole eight-month season.”
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While the development of youngsters will always be important, Brits believes a solid recruitment plan for experienced campaigners should also be high on the agenda for a team at this level.
“Unfortunately, injuries are part and parcel of the game, and that is why you need depth,” said the 2019 World Cup winner
“I think the Bulls and the Sharks have a lot of financial backing, and I think with [Stormers CEO] Johan [le Roux] getting more involved with the private equity side, there should be more cash available to spend and bolster your group.
“I know there is a limitation to how much you can spend.
“As a Capetonian, we rely on the youngsters coming through. We expect them to gain experience, but sometimes you have to bring in senior guys who have been around.
“Cobus [Reinach] is a great signing, and they have signed Wilco now, and you need guys like that. You need an RG [Snyman], you need an Eben [Etzebeth], and you need a Lood [de Jager].
“You need guys that have been there and done that because in the tough games, they can actually stabilise the ship. Even when they don’t play, they help the younger guys understand what happens in tough matches.
“That’s the great thing about having a balanced squad, and sometimes that balance wasn’t always achieved at the Stormers.”
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