A rampant Stormers side are bracing themselves for tough scrum battles when they collide with a desperate Harlequins outfit in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday, says forwards coach Rito Hlungwani.
While the Stormers are unbeaten in 10 matches, out-of-form Harlequins will have their backs to the wall at the Twickenham Stoop (kickoff 3pm South African time).
Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple and chair David Morgan have issued a statement regarding their team’s disappointing form in the English Premiership.
The London side were handed a comprehensive 66-21 defeat by Northampton Saints on Saturday as they fell to a seventh loss in nine matches this campaign.
Defeat at Franklin’s Gardens was preceded by Harlequins losing to Bristol Bears (40-14) and Sale Sharks (43-17), results that caused concern among supporters.
The statement reads: “Performances and results in the men’s team are not at the level we expect at Harlequins and are not considered acceptable by anyone in the club.
“Everyone is working tirelessly and urgently to address this and to deliver the necessary on-pitch improvements.”
It is against this backdrop that the Stormers will bid to take another step towards clinching a home playoff in the Champions Cup.
If the Stormers decide to rest some of their frontline players for the trip to England, Jurie Matthee could get another chance at flyhalf.
Star No 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu could be given a break after a bruising derby against the Bulls last week.
“This is a huge game that awaits us in London, and we want to ensure we are ready,” Hlungwani said.
“Harlequins are having a tough challenge in the Premiership, but I am sure they will focus on the Champions Cup.
“We expect a brutal game, and they are quite difficult to play at the Stoop. It is going to be a fight in the scrums and mauls, especially from a forwards perspective, to get the upper hand.
“We challenge each other each week on getting better, and we set high standards.
“We are going to Harlequins to compete and won’t be taking the next game lightly. In a perfect world, we will come out with a win.
“It was a tough game against the Bulls, and there are a lot of sore bodies out there.
“I was proud of the boys. We weren’t perfect. There were mistakes, but I always judge the group on their fight, and there was no shortage of that.”
Hlungwani said he was impressed with how the Stormers adapted their game plan after the Bulls altered their tactics to shut down the driving maul.
“We prepared for one picture, and we got a completely different one on the day,” he said.
“They changed how they defended the maul and put pressure on us in a way we hadn’t trained for that week.
“The calls were changed on the field, the players made decisions themselves, and eventually we were rewarded. That adaptability and fight is something I was very happy with.”
There is concern over veteran prop Ali Vermaak, who left the field early. Hlungwani confirmed the outlook on a lower leg injury was not encouraging.
“Prop Ali Vermaak is going for scans [on a lower-leg injury], and it looks like it could be a long-term injury.”
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