Erratic Stormers still have good attitude

21 May 2017 - 17:35 By Craig Ray
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Stormers' captain Siya Kolisi (L) and teammate Dewaldt Duvenage celebrate the try during the Super Rugby match against Blues at DHL Newlands on May 19, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Stormers' captain Siya Kolisi (L) and teammate Dewaldt Duvenage celebrate the try during the Super Rugby match against Blues at DHL Newlands on May 19, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Image: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images

The Stormers are the only non-New Zealand team to record a win over a Kiwi franchise this season‚ a feat they’ve achieved twice‚ yet it still feels they are some way off the standard of the world’s leading rugby nation.

New Zealand teams have played 36 matches against ‘foreign’ opponents this season and won 34.

The Stormers’ home win over the Chiefs and last Friday’s 30-22 victory against the Blues are New Zealand’s only two blemishes.

On their recent New Zealand tour the Stormers suffered three thrashings against the Crusaders‚ Highlanders and Hurricanes‚ conceded 155 points in those matches.

  • Stormers grind out a win over Blues to get back on trackThe Stormers ended a four-match losing streak, grinding out a necessary win over the Blues at Newlands on Friday to reassert their undisputed control of the Africa 1 Super Rugby conference. 

So beating the Blues‚ in that context‚ was a massive achievement.

But was it enough to conclusively say that the Stormers are closing the gap?

The Blues were aggrieved by some of referee Jaco van Heerden’s decisions‚ notably not yellow carding centre Shaun Treeby for a high tackle and awarding Sikhumbuzo Notshe a try‚ when he played the ball with his knees on the ground.

Those were legitimate gripes‚ but SA teams have suffered at the hands of officials in New Zeland for decades‚ so it’s just another entry into a catalogue of poor officiating that has plagued the tournament’s existence.

Two things are clear – the Blues are by some distance New Zealand’s worst team and the Stormers are much better at home.

Robbie Fleck’s men will earn a home quarterfinal at Newlands now thanks the Bulls’ complete implosion and the Cheetahs horrifying disintegration as the meaningful rugby team in the Africa 1 Conference.

There was character and better intensity on defence from the Stormers‚ their set-pieces were good and they delivered a more accurate tactical kicking game. But they are not in the same league as the best Kiwi teams.

  • Bulls throw highly-rated Maxwane into the Lions denBulls coach Nollis Marais will unleash highly-rated 21-year-old winger Sibahle Maxwane in their Super Rugby clash against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday afternoon. 

Yet they have something about them.

After four straight losses before the Blues match‚ a squad with a weaker culture and a confused coaching setup‚ a la the Bulls and Cheetahs‚ would have continued to spiral downwards.

The Stormers haven’t raised the white flag even though they went into the match with makeshift flyhalf.

They are fighters who are determined to close the gap on New Zealand rugby. Attitude is everything in rugby and the Stormers have that.

“We were more aggressive on defence and definitely finished off the stronger team‚ I felt our conditioning came through at the end there‚” Fleck said.

“The mental aspect was our biggest challenge over the last two weeks‚ but we always believed in what we can do.

“It obviously gives us a bit of a boost playing in front of our fans at Newlands‚ but every New Zealand team is tough to beat.

“It just gives the guys a bit of belief. We finished really strong and we were fit. It is just the mental side of playing under fatigue and making decisions under pressure.

  • 'It was probably our best 40 minutes‚ those first 40 minutes' - AckermannThe gauntlet was thrown down at the Lions players when they returned from their unbeaten three-match tour of Australia last week. 

“We have played the top six sides so it has been a tough time for us‚ we have had to really dig deep and work hard.”

The Stormers face a desperate Sharks in Durban on Friday before the June Test hiatus.

Losing won’t matter to the Stormers’ playoff ambitions‚ but Fleck’s aim now is to ensure performances take an upward curve as the business end of the season approaches.

- TMG Digital/TMG Sport

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