Cape Town - The Stormers are in a good place at the moment.
After four rounds of local United Rugby Championship action, coach John Dobson’s team are the top South African team and in seventh position on the 16-team standings.
Emerging unbeaten after all four of their derbies is certainly something to smile about, and how they did it should only add to that beam.
The Capetonians beat the Bulls, who have been the dominant SA team over the last couple of years, at Loftus Versfeld , while they also drew against a Springbok-laden Sharks outfit in Durban and defeated them 20-10 in the return match at Cape Town Stadium. At the weekend, they made it four from four in 2022, outplaying the Lions 32-10 at Emirates Airline Park.
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Sure, it hasn’t been flawless, and the Stormers will have a few things to work on before they meet Connacht next Saturday, but it’s a job very well done nonetheless.
So, here are three things (other than their unbeaten run, of course) the Stormers got right during the SA leg of the competition.
Winning in different ways
Against the Bulls, the Stormers held an 18-7 lead at half-time, and while the hosts fought back to overtake them on the scoreboard after the break, the visitors scored a try in the 76th minute to regain the lead and snatch victory at fortress Loftus.
Against the Sharks in Cape Town, the Stormers produced a strong showing, especially in the second half, and kept their foot on the gas right to the end to claim the win; against the Lions, the Stormers never looked like losing as they completely outplayed the Johannesburg side.
They’ve shown that they can win a game in more ways than one.
Bigger attacking game
The Stormers’ efficacy on attack has been a major talking point for a long time. But this year, they’ve done a fine job of unleashing their backline and creating all sorts of problems for the opposition out wide.
What makes it even better is the fact that the Stormers have managed to tick the attacking box while holding onto their superb defence, and they’ve also transitioned from defence to offence impressively.
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Without their well-known scrum dominance thanks to their near depleted front-row resources, the Stormers have still got the results. And that says a lot.
Libbok settling in at No 10
It hasn’t been plain sailing for Manie Libbok since joining the Stormers on a three-year deal last September.
While it’s still early days, Libbok looked much more at home in the general’s role (and from the tee) in the last two games.
Speaking after the Lions game, Dobson said: “When he joined us, I told him from the outset ‘You’re our flyhalf for the foreseeable future’.
“We all agreed it wasn’t a great performance (in Durban), but straight after the game we sat down and I told him he’s playing flyhalf again the next week.”
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Against the Lions, Damian Willemse started at inside centre while Warrick Gelant donned the No 15 jersey.
It’s a move that Dobson believes played a role in Libbok’s more controlled performance.
“Being settled now at flyhalf has helped him a lot and the fact that he doesn’t have to worry about the back field is a major bonus. Playing with Warrick and Damian complements him,” Dobson said.
“He knows he can drop in the back field if that’s the way the play goes and doesn’t have to worry about getting back up front when a guy like Warrick can play first receiver.”
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