Inconsistent Stormers looking for away recipe

It’s a case of one step forward and two steps back for the Stormers at the moment‚ but they are regrouping in an effort to claim their first away win of the season when they meet the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday.

Their inconsistency was underlined by a disappointing performance against the Bulls at Loftus last weekend‚ which has piled pressure on the Cape side.

The 33-23 loss was their fourth defeat in seven games this year.

Coming after two good home wins against the Blues and Reds‚ where they seemed to be heading in the right direction‚ the performance against the Bulls was perplexing.

The Stormers forwards were massacred at the first scrum of the game‚ which appeared to rob the team of confidence.

That insecurity then seeped into the remainder of the match as they lost the contact points and battled for possession.

Losing is one thing‚ but losing with such a meek performance is another.

Two yellow cards also hurt the Stormers and allowed the Bulls to use their driving maul from the lineout to hurt the visitors.

It was always going to be a tough start to the campaign for the Stormers with six away games – including a three match Australasian tour – in their first nine games.

With the Lions to come this Saturday‚ there is little silver lining ahead.

They have to find a way to put their season back on course immediately.

“We are massively disappointed with the performance on Saturday‚” forward’s coach Russell Winter said.

“We didn’t keep the ball in the right areas of the field‚ we didn’t have too much ball and our discipline let us down‚ which put us under pressure.

“Obviously one of the aspects we worked on since being back at training is stopping rolling mauls‚ because that hurt us. Another big work on this week has been ball security and looking after possession.”

Winter said he was expecting the team to show a positive response to the set back against the Lions this weekend.

It’s a vital game for both teams with the Lions coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in three years.

It’s a rare position for the Lions in recent seasons and despite topping the SA conference‚ they are only seven points clear of the Stormers.

The Lions still have a four match tour to Australasia to come‚ where they will face the Waratahs‚ Reds‚ Hurricanes and Highlanders in what could be a make or break month of their campaign.

Given their two losses in the past two weeks and the tour that lies ahead‚ Winter was wary of a Lions backlash as they desperately look for home points.

“We’re not intimidated by going up there even though the Lions are a very good side‚” Winter said.

“We want to compete against the best sides to grow our own culture and character of the team.

“Winning in Joburg would be awesome but we know that it will require huge effort‚ commitment and skill.

“The Lions are hurting too after losing at the weekend and they will come back hard. This weekend will be a massive challenge for both teams who have a lot to play for.

“Winning home games is critical but you also need to get some points on the road.

"The Sharks put their campaign back on track by beating the Blues in Auckland last week‚ which shows how important away wins are.

“The Lions won’t be happy about losing at home last week (8-14 against the Crusaders)‚ and they do have to still travel to Australasia.

"We understand that this competition is a marathon and we will keep looking at it one week at a time.”