Not even Stormers director of rugby John Dobson expected his side to dominate the scrum so emphatically against two of the world’s best props in their coastal derby victory in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
But that is exactly what the Stormers’ front row achieved in their 39-22 thumping of the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon, laying the platform for a bonus-point win that got their URC campaign back on track. The victory saw them leapfrog the visitors on the log as they emphatically announced a new era in their ‘Men in Black’ kit.
While the forwards laid the platform, the backs entertained the 40 000-strong crowd at DHL Stadium as the home side celebrated an important victory.
Stormers scrum sets the tone
Dobson was delighted with the performance but admitted afterwards that the scrum dominance over Springbok props Ox Nché and Thomas du Toit came a bit earlier than he had expected.
The Stormers scored a pushover try from a 5m scrum and won two penalties on the Sharks’ feed. On their own throw, new recruit Wilco Louw and fellow Springbok loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu also laid down the law against their more experienced counterparts. In the second half, Bok Neethling Fouché and youngster Vernon Matongo piled on the pressure even more.
“I didn’t think we would get it so easy so quickly, that is the truth,” Dobson said.
“I know we gave a couple of penalties away where they got dominance on us in the one scrum in the first half, but the call in the second forty was a tight one. But if you look at the personnel (of the Sharks), it’s a nice reminder that rugby is a collective effort the way our back-five brought it.
“The one time they got us on the scrum was when we were a bit relaxed and (eighthman) Hacjivah (Dayimani) didn’t engage on the right. The other time was when they called Vernon for stepping out. That is one of my frustrations with that call, because if a tighthead goes in, it looks like the hooker is walking around and you don’t know which one it is first. But the ref will always go for the loosehead stepping out.
“However, I did not expect us to get about five or six penalties and a pushover try against that. But well done to Brokkie (Brok Harris, scrum coach) and the forwards.”
With a host of strong scummagers in their squad, the biggest headache for Dobson will now be to rotate his front row wisely for the team to remain a dominant force at scrum time.
While he selected his senior players for the coastal derby, a second home match against Bristol Bears in the Champions Cup on Saturday could open the door for young Bok Zachary Porthen and Sazi Sandi to take the tighthead jersey.
