COMMENT BY ASHFAK MOHAMED
To change or not to change? That will be the question on Stormers coach John Dobson’s mind ahead of Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against Edinburgh in Scotland (6.15pm start).
Historically, rugby coaches are reluctant to change a winning team, and after last week’s 36-5 triumph over Zebre in Parma, Dobson may be inclined to maintain the same combination at Hive Stadium when he names his team tomorrow.
But despite a 16-0 halftime lead against Zebre, it wasn’t always an easy evening at the Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi.
The Cape side had to toil hard for three Jurie Matthee penalties that put them 9-0 up, and it was a stunning set-piece play off a lineout on the stroke of halftime that saw wing Leolin Zas cut through to score.
While the visitors did well to grab the four-try bonus point via a late Angelo Davids touchline, they are unlikely to have it as easy against a fired-up Edinburgh side who will be determined to hit back following a 55-21 thrashing at the ends of the Lions at Ellis Park.
Coach Sean Everitt spoke this week about how his team failed to implement his kicking strategy in the first half in Johannesburg, and it resulted in several counter-attacking opportunities and a 48-0 halftime score.
They fixed that problem in the second half, and even though the match was over as a contest, it gives them something to work from against the Stormers this weekend.
In that respect, while Paul de Wet is the undoubted first-choice scrumhalf this season, it may be worth giving veteran scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage a start in what will be cold and wet conditions on Saturday night.
The 36-year-old Duvenage’s experience of the northern hemisphere while playing for Italian side Benetton over the last few years – as well as his educated left boot – could come in handy to generate territory gains for the Stormers, while also keeping the forwards involved at close quarters and guiding young flyhalf Matthee.
Locks JD Schickerling and Ruben van Heerden were excellent against Zebre, but added bulk in the shape of either Adré Smith or Hendré Stassen at No 4 could provide that extra physicality and weight that will be useful against a competitive Edinburgh pack.
And what about Springbok contender André-Hugo Venter at hooker?
Joseph Dweba has been finding his jumpers and contributing well around the pitch in the tight-loose, but Venter needs game-time as well to show Bok coach Rassie Erasmus – who is also the father of his girlfriend – that he should be in the mix for the November tour to the UK.
The Stormers, though, earned them a series of penalties against Zebre last week, so Dobson may be in two minds of breaking up the front row of Sti Sithole, Dweba and Neethling Fouché.
Dobson may also consider a six-two bench split instead of the five-three from last week, with the expected wet conditions favouring having an extra forward among the substitutes.