Stormers coach Robbie Fleck knows very well what lies ahead this season, so it makes sense that he told his team to “savour the moment” after their sweet 37-24 victory over the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday night.
The Stormers scored five tries to the Bulls’ four in their Super Rugby season-opener, and there were a number of positives worth savouring, especially in the first half, as the hosts set the pace in the opening half.
The Stormers had a strong tactical performance and dominated their foes at the scrums, while they also topped the Bulls on the ground with strong attacking and defensive breakdowns and momentum-stopping tackles.
The attacking intent shown by the hosts was also promising, especially since Fleck has continuously emphasised their desire to play more attacking rugby, and their hard pre-season work showed in their attacking alignment and some nice passes that the men in the lighter shade of blue managed to get away.
The only thing that the Stormers can be faulted in in this regard was the fact that they opted for two penalty kicks, instead of chasing the five points, when they were still leading the Bulls by a big-enough margin.
But in the second half, the Bulls got into the game and scored all four of their tries after the break, and some of those can be put down to individual errors by the Stormers and poor kick-off receiving.
“It’s just the start and it’s a long competition. I told the guys after the game that we really need to savour this moment. It was a good performance and we’re looking forward to the remainder of the campaign,” Fleck said.
“But we scored some great tries to keep the momentum going, so I’m happy with the first half. There were a few soft moments in the second half, but it’s a good start and there are a few positives that we can take away. But we’re not a finished product yet.”
The Stormers’ breakdown-productions was also a pleasing aspect for Fleck, who emphasised the importance of this area if they want to stand a chance against the New Zealand sides, who the Stormers will face this year.
“If you want to beat these New Zealand teams you have to be brutal at the breakdown. I feel that we’re getting better at it, but there’s lots to still work on,” Fleck added.
Another positive that Fleck took from the game was the performance of his new leaders Siya Kolisi and Eben Etzebeth.
“I thought it went outstanding. Eben and Siya both have their certain roles. Eben took control of the pack and I think he made some good decisions there. And Siya led by example. He just played his natural game. I felt he dealt with the referee excellently.”
And although Kolisi described his first match as captain as a ‘tough’ one, he was pleased with their start to 2017 season.
“It was a tough game, but it was a good start. We worked very hard during the pre-season and we wanted to do exactly what we did in the pre-season. A lot of it came out, but there’s still things we need to do, and as a leader I have a lot I want to work on still,” Kolisi said.
The Stormers can take a lot of positives out of their Round One challenge, but they were also dealt a heavy blow in the form of an injury to Springbok centre Damian de Allende.
De Allende, who went off in the third quarter after contributing with his defence and with metres gained, might face a lengthy lay-off period due to an ankle injury.
“Damian’s not good news, the initial assessment on him. I’m not going to say what it is yet, he still has to go for scans, but my understanding is that it’s not good news,” Fleck said.
Super Rugby debutant EW Viljoen softened that blow to some extent with a superb first performance with the Stormers, and Fleck said that he would play a ‘big role’ with the Stormers this season.
Viljoen had a top outing with some excellent decisions on defence, both in terms of tackles made and organising the defence, and he also created Cheslin Kolbe’s try with a gutsy grubber five-metres from the try line.
And for Viljoen, that try-creating kick was one of his favourite debut moments.
“The first moment I walked onto the field (was one of my favourites). And as soon as the ball hit my foot and I saw Cheslin under the posts, because they hit me quite hard after that,” Viljoen said.
The former junior star also said that he has put a lot of work into his defence, and added that he could learn a lot from Fleck.
“As a 13 that’s something I worked very hard on (defence) - to dominate defence and make good decisions. I want to get better at it and try and become the best in the world at it.”
“Robbie Fleck is a very good coach. He makes me feel so much more relaxed and he was a 13 as well so I can take a lot from him and he can help me a lot in my career.”
And Fleck also praised the youngster for his efforts.
“EW had a very good game. He made some excellent decisions in the wide channel and we could all see what he could do on attack.
“He’s big and strong and he stands up well and looks for those offloads. I thought his defence was outstanding. With Damian’s injury he’s going to play a big role going forward in the campaign,” Fleck said.
And although Viljoen impressed with his performance, Fleck will now again have some decisions to make in midfield given De Allende’s injury.
At least they have depth. With former co-captain Juan de Jongh on the sidelines with a knee injury, the Stormers have Viljoen, Dan du Plessis and Dan Kriel who can take centre stage, while Huw Jones will also be joining Fleck’s charges for the game against the Jaguares.
Jones can effortlessly take over the No 12 position, and Fleck is spoilt for choice when it comes to No 13, with Viljoen, Du Plessis and Kriel more than capable of wearing the No 13 jersey.