The Stormers XXIII have a key player back for their Currie Cup semi-finals push, yet assistant coach Pine Pienaar warns of making a mistake overlooking the Lions on Friday.
The fifth-placed Stormers kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 50-26 victory over the winless Vodacom Bulls XV in Pretoria last week.
The race for third and fourth will go down to the wire, with five teams still in it: the Pumas occupy third on 17 points, the Boland Cavaliers and Stormers are tied on 16 points, while the Lions on 15 and Sharks XV on 13 still retain hopes of qualification.
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Lock Gary Porter returns from injury to bolster the Stormers’ lineout for the trip to Johannesburg, following Luan Botha’s strong showing at Loftus Versfeld.
However, Pienaar on Tuesday was quick to dismiss any complacency heading into the final round at Ellis Park, emphasising that the Cape-based club cannot afford to get sidetracked by log calculations or bonus-point targets.
“At the back end of the competition, we’ve got to be successful with progress and results. We got results, but that currently means nothing for us,” the defence coach said.
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“You’re going to make a big mistake if you look past the Lions. If you look at permutations, you can get away with it but you still might not make the semi-final.
“For us, on Mondays, it’s about staying true to what we want to try and achieve as a group – staying focused on the process regarding how the Stormers want to play.”
Pienaar noted that the Lions have featured in the last two Currie Cup finals, making performance the priority over hunting four-try bonuses.
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“There hasn’t been any talk about four tries and so on. For us, we know we’re up against a quality side in the Lions. Rather than focusing on results with four tries, it’s more just about how we can be better.”
While the Stormers conceded three late tries against a desperate Bulls outfit after picking up a yellow card, Pienaar was encouraged by the defensive fight shown under pressure.
“Structurally and strategically, we were maybe a bit off-script, but compliments to the team. I said to them on Monday that we really defended for one another, which was pleasing to see.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
The post Stormers get boost for must-win Lions duel appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
The Stormers XXIII have a key player back for their Currie Cup semi-finals push, yet assistant coach Pine Pienaar warns of making a mistake overlooking the Lions on Friday.
The post Stormers get boost for must-win Lions duel appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
