The Stormers have yet to win a game away from home this season, but assistant coach Russell Winter says there is no fear in going up to face the Lions at Ellis Park this Saturday, writes CRAIG LEWIS.
The start of the Stormers’ 2018 campaign has been blighted by inconsistency, which is reflected by the fact that they’ve won three games and lost four.
Notably, though, all four of those defeats have come away from home – three in Australasia and most recently in a disappointing 33-23 loss to the Bulls at Loftus last weekend.
That result came just as the Stormers had begun to rebuild some momentum with home wins over the Blues and Reds, but on Saturday, they were again let down by some ill-discipline and inaccuracy, while they also failed to find any rhythm in their attack.
However, there was a silver lining in terms of the conference standings after the Lions suffered a defeat to the Crusaders on Sunday, meaning just seven points separate the two teams as they head into this weekend’s battle.
The Stormers will now have a golden opportunity to narrow that gap, and Winter said there would certainly be no shortage of motivation in a clash that precedes a bye.
‘All the local games are going to be tough games, and you have to turn up mentally, but we’re not intimidated by going up there. We know the Lions are still a very good side, and the challenge is massive, but we want to play against the best sides and build on the team culture and character.
‘Winning there would be awesome, but we know it will require a massive effort from everyone to pull it off. We’re not fearing that challenge though.’
ALSO READ: ‘Away form hurting Stormers’
Winter acknowledged that the South African conference was also suddenly wide open after the recent wins from the Sharks and Bulls, but he reiterated that the Stormers’ focus was solely on this Saturday.
‘We understand that this [tournament] is a marathon, and it’s a challenge we’re embracing. If we can get some points out of this game and maybe the game after when we face the Sharks, then we’ll be in a good space, but we know that we need to get some points away from home. That’s a big focus.’
Although Ellis Park has become a fortress for the Lions in recent seasons, the Johannesburg-based side have hit a slump of their own over the last few weeks – which has included losses to the Blues (at home), Jaguares (away) and Crusaders (at home).
It’s clear that the Lions have been missing the leadership of key loose forwards such as Warren Whiteley and Jaco Kriel, but Winter insisted that there was still plenty of firepower in their pack.
‘Their pack and set pieces were really good when we played the Lions last year, and in my opinion that was where they won the game. They still have a settled pack, and we realise the challenge and know that the forwards will have to front up. There can be zero complacency from us, because if their pack clicks on the day, they can beat anyone.’
Photo: Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
