ODT Online rugby writer Jeff Cheshire looks at some key points from the Highlanders' win over the Stormers on Saturday night.
Same formula, different week
There was some pretty obvious similarities between this win and the one two weeks ago over the Waratahs. An overseas team arrived with plenty of hype and a huge forward pack. Both had the better running early through imposing themselves in the tight and using their set-piece as an attacking weapon. Then both ran out of puff after 20 minutes, the Highlanders having hung in there on defence to minimize the damage and then cash in later.
The Stormers forward pack, for all of its size, just did not gain the ascendancy after the first quarter of the game. They made their way to set-pieces slowly right from the early stages and then as the game wore on there were players with hands on hips and down to a walk, even before half time. The Highlanders were too fast to the breakdown and exploited the gaps that began to form in the defence.
Would be good to get a good start
It is great that this team is holding on at the start and wearing big teams down. But how good would it be to not be trailing after the first 15 minutes? It always seems to take the Highlanders a while to get going, often struggling to get their hands on the ball. When they do get possession they make it count. Ideally they would be doing this from the start, but as long as they are not letting teams get away from them early on, what they are doing is working.
Stormers' lack of creativity
The Stormers seemed to have no clue on attack. Aside from a handful of well-worked moves on first-phase ball, they rarely threatened. Their go-to attacking weapon was their scrum and their relatively ineffective pick and go. When they did try to spin it wide, they did so with a flat backline, something the Highlanders defence was on to early, which meant their passes were easily picked off. After the second Highlanders intercept, it seemed the Stormers attack was all out of ideas.
There were no dummy runners, or looks to manipulate the defence, or attempts to run into gaps. In fact there were times where they seemingly refused to take gaps just asking to be run into. Give the Highlanders defence some credit though, they were up fast and well organized to smother their opponents. Schalk Burger should be given credit for his two second half breaks too, the most dangerous the Stormers looked all game.
The right attitude
A hallmark of Highlanders teams for the majority of the Jamie Joseph era has been their attitude.
They are not necessarily a team of superstars, but they fight hard and never give up. This team exemplified that. They were gutsy on defence, getting up and knocking their bigger opponents backwards. On attack they kept running hard at the line. Even when breaks were made, there were often two, three, four chasers getting back to make the covering tackle. It is these things, and the consistency with which this team exhibits them, that win games.
Also did anyone else notice Ben Smith get knocked over off the ball, then proceed to get back up and catch the high ball he was chasing? It really was brilliant. In contrast, Stormers captain Juan de Jongh got knocked over off the ball at one stage and turned around and complained to the referee.
Perhaps that says it all.
