Stormers confident depth will hold firm in Champions Cup battle at Harlequins

The Stormers will head to the cold of Twickenham expecting a tough battle in the scrums and at lineout time when they take on Harlequins in the Champions Cup on Sunday.

While it is likely that a handful of their starters will stay behind in Cape Town when they travel to London on Wednesday, the cohesion in the side is of such a nature that forwards coach Rito Hlungwani does not expect a massive disruption or a dip in form.

The Cape side are enjoying a run of 10 unbeaten games in all competitions and are yet to lose this season. They have set a goal of clinching a home playoff in the Champions Cup and while a loss won’t be a total disaster, they want to push their hosts to the limit.

With the English winter likely dictating things, the Stormers will revert to the game plan that has worked for them without their frontline players — one where they rely on their forwards to gain the upper hand at scrum time and on their halfbacks to dictate tempo with the boot. Should flyhalf Jurie Matthee get the nod at flyhalf, he will have another chance to step up in the absence of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu.

According to Hlungwani, they have plenty of sore bodies after a tough north-south derby. However, every player who is fit and without a niggle will be out on the training field on Monday and Tuesday ahead of their departure.

“Business carries on as usual,” the forwards mentor said.

“This is a massive game that awaits us in London, and we want to ensure we are ready. We will be ready come Sunday. We have a tough two-week block we need to get through, so everyone who does not have an injury will be training and getting ready for the two matches coming up.

“Harlequins are having a tough challenge in the Premiership, but I am sure they will really focus on the Champions Cup. We expect a very brutal game and they are quite difficult to play at the Stoop. It is going to be a fight in the scrums and mauls, especially from a forwards’ perspective, to get the upper hand.”

While the Stormers are expecting a really tough game, they had the perfect preparation against the Bulls. Although the team might change quite a bit, especially up front, Hlungwani believes that the cohesion from training together will aid them.

The Stormers have also rotated their front row, locks and loose forwards excellently at the start of the season, so the players coming in won’t be too cold. There are also tough training sessions during the week where the players prepare each other for what awaits in matches.

“We challenge each other each week on getting better and we set high standards. So, I was really proud of the effort against the Bulls, although there were errors. But there was not a shortage of fight.

“They adapted to what was in front of them because there was no time for me to help. We faced a strong and physical pack, and I thought we did really well.

“We are going to Harlequins to compete and won’t be taking the next game lightly. In a perfect world, we will come out with a win.”