The Stormers’ performance in the set-pieces against the Highlanders was one of the few highlights for the Cape side in that defeat.
But forwards coach Matthew Proudfoot is a hard man to please. It was evident from his glum tone during a telephone conference yesterday that they were disappointed with their efforts and that he expects more from his pack, and indeed the whole team this weekend when they face the table-topping Hurricanes in Wellington.
Proudfoot is looking for more aggression and better execution from the pack after they couldn’t take advantage of their dominant scrum and maul against the Highlanders.
The maul is one of the Stormers’ big attacking weapons, but it hasn’t fired this season. They scored a match-winning try against the Lions, but other than that they don’t have the points to show for the effort they have put in.
“Our scrums do remain quite good, which is pleasing for me,” Proudfoot said.
“The line-out was good, but I don’t think we got sufficient reward for the effort we put in at maul time. I would like the execution to be better there. I want them to be a bit more ruthless when we maul.”
The Hurricanes are one of the best teams on defence in the competition, to go along with their ability to hurt the opposition with ball-in-hand. They have added a bit of backbone and steel to their normal razzle-dazzle.
They have a good forward pack, and they have also shown that they can make the hard yards around the rucks and mauls as well. They are almost the complete team these days and will be hard to stop at their Wellington fortress.
So, if the Stormers thought they had a long day at the office last week, they will have to improve their game by at least fifty percent this week.
“The Hurricans play a hard brand of rugby,” Proudfoot said.
“They are a good pack of forwards, very proficient at line-out time and they have an excellent scrum. Their work-rate is phenomenal and we have to make sure that we fire in all departments.”
Proudfoot says the coaching staff wants the team to be more robust and physical in the tackle to try and knock the wind out of the Hurricanes.
The collision is going to key, because if the Hurricanes get any sort of decent ball, the Stormers will be admiring the yellow seats of the ‘Cake Tin’ from under their own goal posts for most of the clash.
“In general play I was bit disappointed with our aggression at the tackle situation against the Highlanders. That wasn’t good enough for me. I want them to make it more difficult for the opposition to play against us,” Proudfoot said.
“We’ll work to get more width in our defence and to be more robust in the tackle situation. I’d like us to be more aggressive, particularly in New Zealand.
“The way we defend at Newlands is the way we want to defend on the road. That is something we are going to strive for, which is imperative for this game,” he added.
The return of captain and No8 Duane Vermeulen and lock Eben Etzebeth will certainly help to stoke the Stormers’ fire against the Hurricanes.
With their backs misfiring, the Stormers need a monumental performance from their Springbok forwards to try and sneak a win.
One Springbok, though, could find himself on the bench, as the magnificent Schalk Burger, Siya Kolisi and Nizaam Carr will fight for the remaining two spots in the back row.
Carr may miss out after Burger and Kolisi’s performances against the Highlanders, as Vermeulen will slot in at the back of the scrum.
“Both Eben and Duane are Springboks, and you miss them incredibly when they are not there.
“They are a big part of what the pack stands for. The standards they set are incredibly high,” Proudfoot said.
“It’s nice to have guys like that who are internally motivated, and who help the younger guys set those standards.
“It’s nice having them back.” - The Star