DHL Stormers are confident they can handle Galway’s strong winds on Saturday much better than when they last faced Connacht at the first Vodacom URC’s ground. dylan jack report.
Fresh off a bonus point win over the Dragons in Newport, the DHL Stormers made the long trip to Galway, returning to the west coast of Ireland for the first time since January 2022.
Of course, playing in the Northern Hemisphere as spring turns to summer would be much fairer for the Stormers as the visitors will be looking to end their two-game Vodacom URC tour undefeated.
Defensive coach Norman Laker explained in an online press conference on Tuesday afternoon that the Stormers are much more comfortable now than they were the last time they were in Galway.
“We had a little bit of rain yesterday, the first day of training,” Laker said. “It stopped and then just became a blur.
“When I was here before, on the first day of training, it started raining and we had to stop. The weather was so strong that everyone stood under blankets. We had to start training again.
“So it’s completely different. It’s quite close to the coast, so it’s still very windy. Reminds me of Strand playing for Charles Morkel. Half of the time you play against the wind, half of the time you play with the wind. At least the ball won’t be as wet as it was in previous games.”
The Stormers beat Connacht in their last two meetings with the Irish underdogs in Stellenbosch and Cape Town, but lost their only game in tricky conditions in Galway.
“We got two yellow cards in that game,” Laker recalled. “Ruhan Nel who played high tackle and Sergeal Petersen who played at fullback. Dan du Plessis and Warrick Gelant were unavailable due to concussion and hamstring injuries. So we had to reorganize the team.
“Sergeal started at full-back and we had Angelo Davids and Seabelo Senatla on the wings. We played with 14 men for 15 minutes, which was quite a difficult game for Connacht. Connacht put pressure on us, especially to defend with 13 men and no full-backs.
“We were up 17-7 at one stage and lost 19-17. It was a tough loss, but we learned a lot from it,” the Laker added. “Now that we can play in these conditions we are a much better team.”
Like the Stormers, Connacht are also pushing for a place in the URC play-offs and have heralded Saturday’s game as the “cup final” of their lives. Top 8.
“Connacht are a quality outfit,” Laker said. “I was previously coached by a really great coach, Andy Friend. He created a structure that will last for some time. Their attacking structure is very similar to the rest of the Irish team.
“They are a team on the ball. They love having the ball in their hands and putting pressure on you. “We’re going to have to sing to stop those big ball carriers this weekend.”
Photo: Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile via Getty Images
