Quiet Stormers a good sign for Buenos Aires

DHL Stormers coach Robbie Fleck reckons that the muted reaction by his team to the important derby win over the Vodacom Bulls is a good sign ahead of Saturday night’s crucial Super Rugby conference battle with the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.

The Stormers avenged their big defeat to the Bulls earlier in the season with a 24-23 win at Newlands that was much more emphatic than the one-point margin might indicate. Given that it was a day where the Stormers plans came together and the execution was mostly on point, you’d expect the players to be elated.

However, Fleck said that it wasn’t the case, and he thinks it might be because his team felt they were capable of more. He reckons that might be a warning for the Jaguares, who the Stormers beat easily in the first round game at Newlands but are a different animal on their home field.

"The guys were a bit quiet after the game, and it was a sign that maybe they felt they left a lot out there. That is a good sign for us," said Fleck.

South African teams have faltered in Buenos Aires in recent years, and Fleck reckons that the noise generated by their passionate supporters lifts their performances several levels. But the South African teams have often left key players behind when travelling to Argentina, and it is unlikely the Stormers will do that this time as they have a bye the week after their trip to South America.

"I must still talk to the guys on Monday and a decision will be made based on that, but the bulk of our top side will be going to Argentina as it is a massive game for us," said the coach.

"We have a bye the following week, so we can give it our all. But I will make a decision on Monday (on who travels and who stays). We lost there last year but it was our first loss to them. They do have a lot more energy at home, and they are a very emotional side. Every team that has gone over there has struggled, so we know we have a lot of work to do and we must just go out and do it."

A defeat in Buenos Aires will not signify the end of the Stormers’ Super Rugby challenge. The Bulls still have to tour, the Sharks have two matches to play in New Zealand and they finish off their season by going to Argentina and then Cape Town, and who knows what will become of the Lions going forward following the early return home from tour of their coach Swys de Bruin.

But it is a crucial match for the Stormers as, with the Sharks going to Christchurch this week, a win will most likely propel them into the top two on the South African conference log together with the Bulls. That will build their confidence ahead of their bye week and the next challenge, which is the massive home clash with the Crusaders.

Fleck will also be mindful of the fact that the Jaguares are also now meaningful challengers after three consecutive wins, which include a win over the Bulls at Loftus and a 50-point triumph against the Sharks in Durban. At the moment the Stormers and Jaguares are tied in third position on the conference on 23 points, but the Jaguares, like the Bulls, have a game in hand on the Cape team.

It is also a crucial clash for the Stormers from a momentum-building point of view. The Stormers felt they did everything but win their Newlands clash with the Brumbies that preceded the home derby against the Bulls, and they feel they need to make up for what they saw as a step backwards by winning overseas.

This game would be less important had the Stormers just been better with their finishing against the Brumbies, which would have been enough to see them across the line as winners.

If one thing is for certain, it is that this Monday will be an easier one for the Stormers than last Monday, when they started their build-up week not quite knowing how they managed to lose to the Brumbies. It was a defeat that they said hurt them as much as the opening defeat to the Bulls at Loftus in February.

"The toughest part is when you actually do play well and don’t execute, as was the case against the Brumbies," said Stormers captain Siya Kolisi.

"It is tough to do analysis then and to decide what you need to get right. We felt we had done most things right in that game, we played well, we just didn’t win on the scoreboard."

Kolisi only came on as a replacement in that game as he was being rested, and he sat out the win over the Rebels in Melbourne completely. He showed the value of that rest with an excellent and busy performance against the Bulls.

"The most important thing for me was the breakdown, I felt it was something that really needed to be worked on and I think it went well. I also had the ball in my hands quite a few times and made some important tackles on the tryline, so that is good for my confidence," said Kolisi.

The skipper was one of the star Stormers players who were in Argentina last year, but there were several top players out injured. Fleck will hear more about the condition of Pieter-Steph du Toit, who left the field injured in the second half against the Bulls, later on Monday. He is though confident he will have a fresh and strong team available for the Buenos Aires challenge.