VIDEO: Stormers 'drew a line in the sand' amid online criticism
REACTION: Although two rounds remain before the knock-out phase, the Stormers have already flipped the switch to play-off mode, delivering a commanding 48-12 victory over the Glasgow Warriors.
Just a week ago, the Cape side were reeling after the loss of their beloved team manager, Christopher Solomon, and a disappointing home performance against Connacht that ranked among their poorest of the season.
They were the first to admit there could be no excuses, but the emotional toll of that period was evident. The Stormers looked a team out of sync during the 24-33 defeat to Connacht.
However, what followed was a response of real substance. Against Franco Smith’s Glasgow outfit, they rediscovered their edge – clinical, composed and cohesive throughout.
They scored six tries to two and controlled territory, tempo and decision-making to send a clear warning to the rest of the competition.
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“I don’t know if everyone understands how tough last week was and how emotional it was. The fact that we could focus more on rugby this week made a difference,” Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson told reporters after the win.
“Often in life, when you’re in a crisis, you don’t realise how miserable it is at the time.
“We could have closed that [Connacht] game out, but it was a horrendous ten days. So I think just to have that bit of freedom now, with the funeral being done on Tuesday, and they responded by sticking almost exactly to the plan.”
The improvement in decision-making was particularly evident, with the Stormers resisting the urge to overplay and instead building pressure through structure and discipline.
“We played – I hate the word – conservatively, but pretty directly that way, and we had to. It’s play-off rugby.
“I think last week we were so desperate to score points, we shovelled. This time, we were a bit more conservative, trying to put the pressure on them, and we knew we could pressure them with the set-piece.”
Captain Ruhan Nel revealed that the team took the online criticism and disrespect to fuel their performance.
“I feel like we were really put under the pump after we lost and by all means, we embrace criticism. We play on a public platform, but I just feel there was a lack of respect and understanding towards the team and what we went through,” Nel said at the DHL Stadium.
“I think that also was part of the motivation this week that put a little bit of anger in us.
“There’s no protection for us from social media, the keyboard warriors out there. There was just no respect, no understanding.
“There were guys in the squad who were getting DMs [direct message], terrible things they were getting.
“So, we just almost drew a line in the sand to be like, it’s not about them. We didn’t want to prove them wrong. It’s about us.”
Dobson echoed that sentiment more forcefully, pushing back against suggestions that the Stormers were a team in decline.
“We got a lot of criticism for the Connacht performance, but to understand what this team was going through, or what Chippie [Solomon] meant to us and to this organisation … to expect those guys to perform normally.
“It’s just a lack of humanity in my mind, the pressure they were under.
“We wanted to put in a proper performance, so to have done it like that and in the manner that we did, it’s a really happy change room at this stage, and we can build on this.”
The Stormers will now have a break before they embark on the European tour, where they are set to take on Ulster on May 8, followed by Cardiff on May 15.
