Taming a heavyweight Bulls pack holds the key to victory for the Stormers in what promises to be a merciless battle for dominance among the forwards at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, says prop Neethling Fouche.
After slumping to three consecutive losses and slipping from first to fifth on the log, the Stormers are determined to get back on a winning track in a pivotal United Rugby Championship clash (kickoff 2pm).
The Stormers were boosted ahead of the showdown with news that Deon Fourie, Dan du Plessis and Ruhan Nel would be available for selection.
You’ve heard the clichés before, but it really is eight vs eight. The big question is which pack is going to be more connected on the day
— Neethling Fouche, Stormers prop
“Playing the Bulls at Loftus is not a tough game to get up for,” Fouche said. “If you ask who wants to play against the Bulls at Loftus, you’d probably have 20,000 guys putting their hands up. It’s a massive privilege.
“You’ve heard the clichés before, but it really is eight versus eight. The big question is which pack is going to be more connected on the day and everyone is so well coached now.
“The Bulls have a big pack with heavy loose forwards and we’ve got guys returning from injury, so it’s going to be a proper battle.”
Stormers coach John Dobson said his team is expecting the Bulls to play a power game in front of their home fans.
“They’ve definitely gone back to a lot of that traditional Bulls power,” he said. “The way they took the Lions apart at Ellis Park, running close to the breakdown, pick-and-go, and big one-off runners ― that was very powerful and direct.
“There is definitely a Bulls power, that traditional power element to their game, that we’ve seen of late. Loftus has space and pace, and you can’t just kick everything away there. It’s always a balancing act. It’s a tough environment, but it’s also a great challenge for us.”
Dobson said he has told Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to concentrate on his game management while leaving the leadership to others.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu captained the Stormers against the Leicester Tigers and in the two matches against the Sharks, but JD Schickerling led the team that faced the Lions in their last outing.
“JD did well and he will be in the frame again this week, depending on who else is in the team. We won’t put the captaincy pressure back on Sacha.”
This guy has something special. That he’s got captaincy ability is beyond doubt, but the mistake I made is that I didn’t take into account the obvious overload of the expectation around him
— Stormers coach John Dobson on Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Dobson said it was a mistake to give the captaincy to Feinberg-Mngomezulu too soon, but he is certain he will one day be a great captain.
“Sacha is very keen to captain and we have discussed that as being in his future,” Dobson said.
“I will tell you I just think this guy has something special. That he’s got captaincy ability is beyond doubt, but the mistake I made is that I didn’t take into account the obvious overload of the expectation around him.
“He’s the David Beckham of South African rugby now. In terms of profile, he’s the X-factor guy. He’s our 10 and everyone’s 10 is always a game driver. Our 10 calls the plays. And then to load the captaincy on what was then a 23-year-old was our mistake.
“So we had a chat with him and said, ‘Sacha, you just focus on two of those things for now,’ and he respected that.
“I know he wants to captain and was very accepting of the role, but in a couple of years he will be an exceptional captain.
“It also changed the character of the team a little because the responsibility is all on one guy and I didn’t empower those around him enough. It was more our fault than his.”
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