It was a repeat of a previous game but there was also some irony to the DHL Stormers finding themselves having to chase after yet another soft opening quarter to last week’s Cape Town coastal derby - for falling behind early is something that the Hollywoodbets Sharks usually do.
While for supporters of the Stormers watching their lethargic team going behind 7-0 in just a matter of minutes and then 14-5 just a little bit later was all too reminiscent of what happened against the Lions in their first Vodacom URC derby just before Christmas, for Sharks fans it would have been like seeing a reverse of the usual expectation.
Just from memory, there was the first home game of the season against Ulster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. Ulster got in early, doing most of their scoring in the game in the first 20 minutes, leaving the Sharks to play catch-up. Then came the 3 January game against the Lions, where the same thing happened.
There was a degree of catch-up achieved in both games but not enough for the Sharks to win the game and in playing catch-up they did make mistakes. Which is what the Stormers did last week. It doesn’t actually require a degree in rugby rocket science to figure out that while it may not be the primary reason they have been error ridden, being forced to chase the game early would have been a big contributing factor to the way the Stormers appeared to force the game and became too frenetic against both the Lions and Sharks.
EVIDENCE LAID BARE FOR THE SHARKS
And for the Sharks the evidence has been laid bare too - when they haven’t had to chase the game from an early phase, they’ve tended to win. Having the boot on the other foot last weekend led to them being in the front almost throughout the game, and it was much better to dictate from there.
The Stormers can certainly come back from a big deficit. They did it against both Benetton and Munster overseas. But the word ‘overseas’ is key there. It is possible the Stormers take a different mindset into overseas games. North of the equator the imperative is to win, no matter how that win comes. At home there appears to be a little voice in the background when they take the field - “You not only need to win, you need to win in style.”
It’s understandable of course. There was a time when being “boring, boring England” was no longer enough for the home team in international matches at Twickenham. But that came after a period of dominance. That dominance, although impressive as it lasted over 10 unbeaten matches, wasn’t long enough to justify fanciful thoughts. The Stormers were getting ahead of themselves.
If they have read the anticipated conditions in Durban at this time of the year correctly, the Stormers won’t be looking for style at Kings Park. And that might just play into their hands. This won’t be a game they will be looking to play with the ball. They will be kicking it to the Sharks for them to carry.
Rule No 1 though for them this week must surely be to avoid going behind early in the game, and that will be the case for the Sharks too. So if you intend watching the game, make sure you are focused in those first 20 minutes. They could be decisive.
JOHANNESBURG WILL TELL US IF BULLS RECOVERY IS REAL
They could be decisive too in Johannesburg, where Vodacom Bulls fans will be hoping that their team does not play into the Lions’ hands by going too full bore with the expansive game that saw them go behind early against the Bordeaux-Begles and Bristol Bears as they plunged to two home defeats in the Investec Champions Cup.
The Bulls also let the Lions get a big lead in the home derby against the Lions and there’s probably a good reason why it has been in their home games that the Bulls’ doozy defence has looked most exposed this season. This is not a home game, but it is on the highveld in what should be better running conditions than the conditions they had to adjust their game to in Pau and Edinburgh over the past two weekends.
This is the last round of games before the URC goes into a bit of a hiatus for the Guinness Six Nations, and there is plenty for all teams to play for. Glasgow Warriors for instance will be looking to extend their lead on the top over the Stormers by beating Munster. That lead will be more real if they win and the Stormers lose to the Sharks, for at the moment the Stormers, just three points adrift of Franco Smith’s men, have a game in hand.
The other three South African teams are playing to either break into the top eight (Bulls and Sharks) or to stay there, and the games between the Ospreys and Dragons, Leinster and Edinburgh and Benetton and Scarlets will all have a bearing. Cardiff’s match against visitors Ulster on Saturday night will determine where in the top four the Stormers will end the weekend if they don’t win in Durban.
WEEKEND VODACOM URC FIXTURES
Benetton v Scarlets (Treviso, Friday 21.45)
Benetton losing last weekend was welcomed by the Sharks and Bulls as it set up easier access to the top eight. Benetton have had an inconsistent season but should have too much at home for Scarlets.
Prediction: Benetton to win by 10.
Glasgow Warriors v Munster (Glasgow, Friday 21.45)
With the Stormers stumbling twice in the last three games, Glasgow have taken over the mantle of the form team in Europe, with their early stumbles - they lost to Benetton in the first round - now well behind them. Munster by contrast looked like they had their bubble burst when the Stormers beat them in Limerick at the end of November.
Prediction: Glasgow to win by 8
Lions v Vodacom Bulls (Johannesburg, Saturday 14.30)
This is a hard one to call if we don’t know what game plan the Bulls will take onto the field. If they are going to go for more control and play with their forwards and rely on Handre Pollard’s tactical play a bit more than they have tended to on the highveld this season, then they should win. If they play the loose game that lost them the first round game to the Lions then we could see the same result.
Prediction: Bulls to win by 7
Hollywoodbets Sharks v DHL Stormers (Durban, Saturday 17.00)
Neither team has been announced yet and we will get a much better idea of what might happen at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. For instance, Evan Roos was sorely missed by the Stormers in Cape Town, and ditto Adre Smith. If both are back, as they are expected to be, the Stormers have a good chance of reversing last week’s result, particularly if, as Sharks coach JP Pietersen contended after the DHL Stadium game, the hosts are without key loose-forwards due to injury. The Stormers have interesting selection options if you recall that both Damian Willemse and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu can play fullback if Jurie Matthee was backed for a wet weather game as the No 10. I always had the feeling that in a short derby turnaround such as this one, just seven days, whoever wins the first one will lose the second one. I am sticking with that.
Prediction: Stormers to win by 7
Zebre v Connacht (Parma, Saturday 17.00)
Zebre have been much improved but find themselves once more footing the log, while Connacht, for all the huff and puff around the appointment of former England coach Stuart Lancaster to the head coach role, are 14th. What Connacht do have though on the other teams around them is a game in hand so are still in the running for a top eight finish. That will make them desperate and that might just give them an edge in another game that is really hard to call.
Prediction: Connacht to scrape it.
Leinster v Edinburgh (Dublin, Saturday 19.30)
The Six Nations starts next week. Correction, the Six Nations starts in six days from now, with Ireland playing France on Thursday (the odd timing is because the Winter Olympics starts next Saturday). That means that Leinster won’t be at full strength and it could give a window of opportunity to Sean Everitt’s team, although the smart money will still be on the visitors.
Prediction: Leinster to win by 7
Ospreys v Dragons (Swansea, Saturday 21.45)
Who knows what will happen in a game between two Welsh teams. The Ospreys played with a lot of fire in their draw against the Lions last week and home ground advantage might be their edge.
Prediction: Ospreys to win by less than 7
Ulster v Cardiff (Belfast, Saturday 21.45)
Ulster spat the dummy a bit last week when they lost late in their game to Scarlets. It really was a game they should have won and will need to get on the horse quickly as Cardiff are also challenging strongly for a coveted top four finish that will secure home ground advantage in the first playoff game.
Prediction: Ulster to win by 10
VODACOM URC LOG POSITIONS
1. Glasgow 39 points after 10 games; 2. Stormers 36 points after 9 games; 3. Leinster 35 points after 10 games; 4. Cardiff 35 points after 10 games; 5. Munster 34 after 10; 6. Ulster 32 after 9; 7. Lions 24 after 9; 8. Ospreys 21 after 10; 9. Bulls 20 after 9; 10. Benetton 19 after 10; 11. Sharks 19 after 9; 12. Edinburgh 18 after 9; 13. Dragons 17 after 10; 14. Connacht 16 after 9; 15. Scarlets
13 after 9; 16. Zebre 12 after 10.