Skipper Ruhan Nel says the Stormers walked away from Friday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry defeat by the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium with plenty of lessons.
The hosts leaked six tries in a 38-21 loss, after trailing 14-7 at half-time. John Dobson’s men, still in pre-season and last in action in the Vodacom URC semi-final loss to Leinster on 6 June, are next up against Connacht in their URC opener on 25 September.
Nel admitted the intensity of the contest exposed the Capetonians’ defensive system to a level of pressure rarely felt outside of Test rugby.
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“After the first 10 minutes, it’s really quick. They shift the ball well through the hands, and they find space easily,” the seasoned centre said. “The way you tackle them, if you can’t create yourself two to three seconds, you’re immediately under pressure.
“When they get momentum … you know the kick is not coming, you know the run is coming. It’s definitely a cut from a different cloth than what we’ve faced over the last couple of months, or couple of years.”
The Stormers’ blitz defence, pioneered by Jacques Nienaber and refined by Norman Laker, was tested to its limits, something Nel welcomed as valuable preparation.
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“I told Norman on the field, ‘that’s exactly how it should be’. You need to feel like you’re playing against an international team. It was great for our defensive system to be put under that pressure.
“It’s good lessons for us to learn going forward with teams like Leinster and Glasgow that scored off a lot of passes as well, and how to slow that down.”
On whether this was a game that the Stormers should’ve won, he added: “No one actually gave us a chance before this. Am I surprised by the result? No, I’m not – it’s the All Blacks.
“There was an opportunity or two out there that if we handled it a bit better, we could’ve probably sat here singing a different song.”
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Nel also reflected on the emotion of leading the Stormers out for such a historic occasion.
“There’s not a lot of the boys who have had the opportunity to sing the national anthem before a game. Also hearing the New Zealand anthem before you sing your own… You feel like you’re part of something bigger.
“I was telling myself I’m going to sing and then the moment the anthem started, I was like, no, I’m going to keep my mouth shut otherwise I’m going to cry,” he shared.
“We stepped up to the occasion as well… to face the haka was something special, and that we’re fortunate to be a part of.”
Photo: Reuters/Esa Alexander
The post Nel: Stormers got schooled appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Skipper Ruhan Nel says the Stormers walked away from Friday’s Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry defeat by the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium with plenty of lessons.
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