Cape Town - As much as the Stormers love throwing the ball around, the Bulls will hope to deprive them of the energy they gain from their rush defence in tomorrow’s URC clash at Loftus Versfeld.
The defending champions have scored some spectacular tries this season, and one of those came against the Bulls on December 23 at Cape Town Stadium, where No 8 Hacjivah Dayimani got things going around their own 22, and youngster Suleiman Hartzenberg finished on the other side of the field.
But some of their touchdowns have come through defensive pressure via a rush-defence system, with outside centre Ruhan Nel sniffing intercept opportunities in that way as the Stormers look to close down their opponents’ space on attack.
The Bulls also won’t have strikerunners such as Kurt-Lee Arendse and Canan Moodie available this weekend due to the Springbok resting protocols, so they will have to find unique methods to evade the Stormers’ tacklers.
That could see Johan Goosen continuing at fullback in order to provide an alternate kicking option to flyhalf Chris Smith, but a playmaker such as Cornal Hendricks could also do some damage with his passing game, while Wandisile Simelane has the footwork and pace to step past defenders as well.
While the Bulls and backline coach Chris Rossouw himself is a true advocate of ball-in-hand rugby, sometimes teams have to play the percentages. Running straight into the arms and shoulders of an on-rushing Stormers backline will play into the visitors’ hands, so some deception will be required.
The Stormers have conceded just 33 tries in 13 URC games this season, behind Leinster (27 in 13), Munster (29 in 13) and Ulster (32 in 12), while the Bulls have given away a whopping 41.
But Jake White’s team have scored 51 tries, one more than the Stormers, so that will give them real hope that they produce a few fivepointers tomorrow.
“They’ve got the best defence in the competition – that’s clear. And probably the best rush defence. It’s important that the officials make sure that they call the offside, but they are very disciplined,” Rossouw said.
“I take my hat off to Norman (Laker, Stormers defence coach) for what he’s done there, so it’s important that you manage those moments. You can try to keep the ball and they will suffocate you, but we will see on Saturday what happens.
“It’s important to understand that ... it’s very difficult to play against a rush defence. You have to be clear on what you want to do, and how you are going to manage those moments.
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“We will miss Kurt-Lee and Canan, but we have full confidence that the guys can do the job for us.”
There has been heavy rain in Gauteng over the last week, and there is a 60% chance of showers forecast for Pretoria tomorrow.
But Rossouw hopes that the weather will clear to allow both teams to showcase their talent, and that the Bulls can end a four-match losing streak to the Stormers.
“It would be heartbreaking for both teams (if it rains), as we know that the Stormers like to move the ball around. I hope it’s a nice day, just for the occasion – it’s a huge privilege to play in such a derby,” Rossouw said.
“We have been on a journey over the last month, where we must make sure that we convert the opportunities we create in the 22, and manage the middle areas of the field – in terms of our game management and discipline.
“I think we have done that well in the last month, except against Lyon, where we conceded a lot of penalties.
“Then, we need to use Loftus, as we have in the past, to give us good energy and opportunity.
“We played three away of those four losses, and the last time they beat us at Loftus was last year January. So, it will be the second one at home out of the last five games against them. Once you’ve turned that cycle, you need to stay on top, so our battle is to break that cycle.
“Any team uses their home ground as an advantage, and even more so at Loftus, with the altitude. We’ve played five games here (this season) and got 25 points, the maximum. So, it’s definitely a ground that we love to play at. Playing at Loftus, there is a different vibe here.”
@AshfakMohamed