Cape Town – The return of Steven Kitshoff and Eben Etzebeth will provide the Stormers with a much-needed morale boost in their Super Rugby clash against the touring Aussie outfit, the Brumbies, at Newlands.
The Stormers were humbled by the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein and as a consequence their play-off chances have been dented. Being back at their headquarters will be another advantage as they try to cement a play-off berth.
Apart from prop Kitshoff and lock Etzebeth’s return, the Stormers’ matchwinning place-kicker Demetri Catrakilis could prove a huge asset should the Brumbies concede penalties in their own half.
Coming into the match, the Stormers’ chief concern will be their line-out performance which has suffered a meltdown in recent weeks.
The bulk of the Stormers team were at the Springbok training camp in Johannesburg and they have had limited time to address their weaknesses but Stormers coach Allister Coetzee felt his team will be up for the challenge.
“We’re obviously aware that we weren’t good enough last week and although we’ve had a disrupted week of training, with a lot of our players having been with the Springboks, we’re looking forward to being back at home in front of our supporters at Newlands,” said Coetzee.
“Yes, our set piece must function. We’re all aware of that. Eben (Etzebeth) is back in the side and I can see there is a steely focus on getting the lineouts right this week.
“It was a combination of where it went wrong in the lineout. It’s really not a physical thing, I’d say. I think we’ve done enough work, I’m happy with the work that’s gone into our lineout this week.”
The Canberra-based visitors also go into the match on the back of a defeat, and they too have concerns about consolidating their play-off claims.
They biggest asset is their line-out which has been their primary platform for launching try-scoring movements. Presently they boast the best line-out success rate this season at 91 percent, while the Stormers’ is the second worst at 78 percent.
According to Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham, the Aussies will need to cope with the pressure of recent losses more than anything else.
“I guess like everyone else I feel pressure, this past month has been disappointing. We’re trying to step it up, so feeling the pressure is dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s,” said Larkham.
“When the squeeze comes on and it comes down to a big game, you’ve got to make sure the prep is right. Some games we’ve lost have come down to losing by a handful of points, we don’t have to change too much. It hasn’t been catastrophic.
“You have to make sure you don’t panic. Yes, we’ve had losses and we want to get our season back on track. But by having a good performance this weekend you do that.”
Stormers midfielder Juan De Jongh has been named at outside centre but will under undergo a fitness test earlier on match-day to prove his fitness after suffering a hip injury against the Cheetahs last week. – ANA