Stormers dismiss early peak concerns
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Stormers attack coach Dawie Snyman has dismissed concerns that the Cape Town franchise may have peaked too early ahead of the return of the United Rugby Championship competition.
The Stormers return to Cape Town Stadium on Saturday when they host the Lions in Round Seven of the URC, their first home fixture since October 3.
Their most recent home match was a Champions Cup clash against La Rochelle, played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha last weekend.
The Stormers are in impressive form. They are on an eight-match winning run and unbeaten in both the URC and the Champions Cup.
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“To start well is not a bad thing,” Snyman said, adding: “But you have to keep perspective on where you are and how you want to grow
“We are in a good position, and it has come from a lot of hard work.
“We wanted to put ourselves in this position at the start of the pre-season. It does give more confidence to the group and to the team.”
Despite leading their respective competitions, Snyman insisted there is still room for improvement.
Last weekend, the Cape Town-based franchise made a fast start, scoring two tries through wings Dylan Maart and Leolin Zas in the opening seven minutes, before losing some composure.
The Stormers struggled to maintain control on attack and were guilty of forcing play with their skilful players.
“We don’t take it [the current winning run] for granted,” Snyman said.
“We’ll be hard on ourselves on every performance and every training session.
“It’s not like we think we’ve arrived and we’re in a good position to go through the motions.
“We’ll keep working hard and keep trying to improve as a squad and as players.”
The Stormers are bracing for a stern test against the Lions this Saturday.
The Lions have had their fair share of struggles, but the side showed their credentials by beating the Bulls (43-33) at Loftus Versfeld in Round Six.
“The Lions are a good side. They’re a tough side.
“You don’t really go to Loftus and win. They proved that about two weeks ago. They played well. We know what to expect from the Lions,” Snyman stated.
“They’re a very dangerous side. There are some great individual players that can tear you up if you’re not focused and if you don’t get your defence right.
“They have a good set-piece.
“There’s always a bit of a sting to an SA derby.
“Everything will be a battle, whether it’s a breakdown or an aerial contest, so we’re expecting a really tough game from the Lions.”
Snyman also confirmed that Springbok fullback Damian Willemse remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from injury and will not be available for Saturday’s clash.
