Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers believe the Stormers need to tighten up their execution against Cardiff on Saturday to advance beyond the Vodacom URC quarter-finals.
The Welsh outfit stunned the Stormers in the final round of league action, exposing defensive weaknesses and capitalising on a loose, error-riddled display from the Cape side.
And according to Burger, the big question heading into the rematch is which version of the Stormers will arrive at Cape Town Stadium.
“If the Stormers can guarantee me who’s showing up,” Burger said on the Boks Unpacked podcast.
“If it’s the direct, game-disciplined Stormers, I think it’ll be a comfortable win for them.
“But somehow I don’t see that side pitching up. I see it being another loose performance and then you bring Cardiff into play.
“Their attack against the Stormers in that last league game was dynamite.”
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Burger’s concerns reflect growing frustration around the Stormers’ inconsistency this season.
At their best, the Stormers remain one of the most dangerous attacking teams in the URC, capable of overwhelming opponents with speed, width and offloading ability. But when accuracy disappears, so does control, and Cardiff showed they are more than capable of punishing mistakes.
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De Villiers, however, believes the solution is relatively simple.
The former Springbok captain feels the Stormers became too passive in Cardiff and need to reassert themselves physically and tactically from the outset on Saturday.
“If the Stormers can just throw a couple of punches,” De Villiers said. “I don’t think they threw any punches in that previous game.
“If they throw some punches, keep ball in hand and just go conservative, I think they’ll easily win it.”
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Photo: Chris Fairweather/Gallo Images
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Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers believe the Stormers need to tighten up their execution against Cardiff on Saturday to advance beyond the Vodacom URC quarter-finals.
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