Stormers must defend for full 80 minutes in do-or-die game against Sale

The Stormers have stressed the importance of matching the physicality of English side Sale Sharks in their must-win Champions Cup match at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.

The management team also say the players must defend well for the full 80 minutes to prevent the giving away of points unnecessarily.

The Stormers are desperate to get off the bottom of pool 4 and keep their hopes of a playoff spot alive. They are so far point-less in the competition after losses to Toulon (24–14) and Harlequins (53–16).

Stormers defence coach Norman Laker said they are at the point where they are treating every match like a playoff.

Stormers focus on mauls and scrums

Speaking to the media alongside loose forward Marcel Theunissen on Tuesday, Laker gave an injury update and said it was imperative they do not “do stupid things” in defence, though he was reluctant to use the harsh words.

“We are now in playoff mode in every game in this competition. We will do our best to win because we know it is important,” Laker said.

The defence coach said the Stormers had given away soft tries in recent matches and even during their last match – the 24–20 win against the Sharks in the United Rugby Championship (URC) – the two tries they gave away could be seen as soft.

The Sale Sharks are no pushovers as they sit fourth in the pool and are similarly placed in the middle of the Premiership at the moment (sixth) after a solid 38–0 win over Bristol and a tough 36–20 loss against Gloucester a couple of days on either side of the new year.

Pitch up

The Stormers pair stressed the English outfit have solid players, mentioning Tom Curry and the Du Preez brothers, Jean-Luc and Dan, by name.

“We need to negate their physical approach,” Theunissen said. “We need to train this week to be physical and dominate upfront with our mauls and scrums.”

He said every player must train during the week with this in mind and pitch up on Saturday determined to win the physical contest.

The pair, like other Stormers players last week, said their momentum in the URC denoted a change to their form in the season and they need to use it now.

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Steven Kitshoff to return to Stormers line-up

Laker said prop Steven Kitshoff has been back in training and would likely return to the field on the weekend along with wing Ben Loader.

Evan Roos and Leolin Zas are still doubtful and Joseph Dweba must still undergo a fitness test.

The coach said Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu did not train this week and will probably not play.

The Springbok utility back suffered a clavicle dislocation that saw him go off the field for the third time in a row during the Sharks match, following a concussion and hip-pointer injury, all on the back of trying to return from a long-term knee injury.

The Stormers will play another difficult game against Racing 92 in Paris the week after Sale Sharks.

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