The DHL Stormers are sticking to their guns as they prepare for their first home game against Munster, despite mixed results on their season-opening tour.
After a rollercoaster three-match tour that saw the Cape-based side return home with one victory and two losses, the DHL Stormers are back home and looking to get their back on track.
The tour kicked off with a frustrating defeat to the Ospreys in Bridgend, where the Stormers struggled to find their rhythm. They bounced back with a morale-boosting bonus-point win against Zebre in Parma but stumbled again in Edinburgh, losing to a well-drilled side at the Hive Stadium.
COLLISION COURSE: Stormers vs Munster
Speaking ahead of the much-anticipated clash against the 2023 champions, assistant coach Dawie Snyman emphasized that the Stormers’ focus remains on improving their own game.
“We are definitely facing two quality sides. This week is a short turnaround, so we have two days to prepare,” Snyman said, also referencing next weekend’s clash with defending champions Glasgow Warriors.
“At this stage of the season, a lot of the focus is on ourselves, making sure that we get our stuff right. Munster and Glasgow will have plans against us. We have played both of them a few times, so we know what to expect.”
Snyman is adamant that the Stormers won’t stray far from their trademark attacking brand of rugby, despite the mixed results on tour.
“We won’t change a lot. We just want to execute better, which we didn’t do on tour.
“We are an ambitious side and want to play a certain style of rugby, getting guys like Leolin Zas space and one-on-one opportunities. It’s about getting the balance right, when to pull the trigger, keep the ball alive and when to get go-forward is important.
“We made those mistakes against Edinburgh, because we were in the mindset of turning the game and didn’t look at other ways to do it. It’s a big learning from those last 20 minutes, finding different ways to get momentum.”
Reflecting on the loss to Edinburgh, Snyman pointed out that the team’s mindset in the last 20 minutes of the game led to costly mistakes.
“There were soft moments from our side, especially in the last 20 minutes of the match. We started chasing the game and we were our own worst enemy. In trying to create opportunities, we fell into a bit of a trap.
“We started quite poorly and did one or two things out of system. We conceded five penalties in a row and they got the first try. Then we made a mistake from our lineout and they were 14 points ahead. We got desperate and made mistakes.
“That was uncharacteristic of what we spoke about what we wanted to do.”
The Stormers have yet to beat Munster in their four previous meetings – including the 2022-23 final in Cape Town – but Snyman says they have learned from the past.
“We aren’t living in the past. We’ve had our opportunities when we’ve played them before, to win those games. They will be coming here with confidence. They have performed really well here in Cape Town. It’s a good challenge for us.
“Munster are a very efficient side. They have world-class players in a lot of positions. It is a tough team to break down. We have come close, but we’ve learned something from every game we’ve played against them.”
Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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