Stormers fully aware of threat posed by Leicester’s Pollard and Wiese

Stormers defence coach Norman Laker says they are wary of the treat posed by the Leicester Tigers duo of Springboks Handre Pollard and Jasper Wiese in their Champions Cup encounter in England on Sunday.

This mouth-watering fixture will pit two sides with contrasting styles of play against one another, with the Stormers known for their running rugby and Leicester deploying a more a kicking style of play.

The two sides from the United Rugby Championship and England’s Premiership are in Pool 4 of the Champions Cup, together with Sale Sharks, Top 14 sides La Rochelle and Stade Français and Irish province Leinster.

The Stormers begin their campaign with the tough assignment of taking on Leicester, who are almost sure to include the Boks World Cup winners Pollard and Wiese in their team for the match. They can also pick several other England stars such as Ben Youngs and Freddie Steward, and Argentina captain Julian Montoya.

‘They play well with Handre’

“Leicester are a good team; they have done well over the past few seasons and we are looking forward to the challenge of going to Leicester,” said Laker this week.

“They are quite a structured team, they play well with Handre, he’s the driver of the team like he is for the Boks. He has a very good kicking game and a calm head.

“They also have some good ball players, Freddie Steward at 15 and Jasper can carry the ball. They are a good all-round team with a very good kicking game.

Wiese vs Roos

In an intriguing battle, former Cheetahs man Wiese will go head to head with the Stormers’ rising star, Evan Roos.

It is a battle that the Boks’ brains trust will keep a close eye on as both have the potential to make the position their own in the national rugby team, especially with Duane Vermeulen now retired and the bosses no doubt already looking ahead to the 2027 World Cup.

“Evan and Jasper are two contenders for the South African No 8 jersey, so there’ll be some exciting clashes,” Laker said.