Stormers set for breakdown challenge

Robbie Fleck, Backs coach of the Stormers during the Stormers Super Rugby Training Session ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Lions, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on 26 January 2015 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Robbie Fleck, Backs coach of the Stormers during the Stormers Super Rugby Training Session ahead of their Super Rugby clash against the Lions, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town on 26 January 2015 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix

Published Feb 8, 2016

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Robbie Fleck will get a glimpse of what happens when the Stormers, still breaking in new systems, floor the accelerator and push the rev-counter into the red in their Super Rugby warm-up match against the Jaguares at Newlands on Saturday (kickoff 4pm).

“It’s going to be a good gauge as to where we are,” Fleck, the Stormers head coach, said of his side’s tussle against Argentina’s inaugural Super Rugby side.

The Stormers made a cool and breezy start to their two-game pre-season schedule, scoring six tries in a 40-15 win against the Eagles in George.

Fleck was pleased with the performance but kept the champagne on ice in the aftermath – success against the runners-up in the Currie Cup First Division was to be expected.

Corks will be popping in the Newlands team room on Saturday night if Fleck’s team races to an emphatic victory in their last outing before the season-opener against the Bulls on February 27.

The core of Argentina’s World Cup squad is set to arrive in town from Buenos Aires on Wednesday with more than 600 caps of Test experience.

The official Jaguares 30-man group features 14 players who have made 20 or more appearances for the Pumas, with No 8 Juan Manuel Leguizamon (62 caps), and halfbacks Juan Martin Hernandez and Martin Landajo (both 53) the most senior members.

Centre Emiliano Boffelli is the only uncapped Test match player who will line up against the Stormers.

The Stormers list of internationals is 10 names long and is headed up by Schalk Burger (86), Eben Etzebeth (44), Juan de Jongh (14), Siya Kolisi (13) and Frans Malherbe (12).

Fleck has placed a particular emphasis on streamlining the Stormers breakdown since last year and it is in this facet of the game that the Jaguares will likely offer the stiffest challenge.

Pablo Matera and Javier Ortega Desio are built like Springbok flanker Francois Louw and they will supercharge the Jaguares breakdown with a pair of powerful flanks that are almost immovable once they’re over the ball.

Kolisi and Rynhardt Elstadt will be tested.

Kurt Coleman, Robert du Preez, Jean-Luc du Plessis and Ryno Eksteen are all competing for the Stormers No 10 jersey.

Fleck will be watching to see which candidate operates best amid the chaos created by Matera and Desio, and matches Nicholas Sanchez – the Pumas flyhalf who scored the most points at last year’s World Cup – in a goal-kicking shootout.

The scrum is traditionally the strength of teams that hail from Argentina, and a potent Stormers tight five will see this match as an excellent opportunity to lay down a marker.

With JC Janse van Rensburg, Oli Kebble and Alistair Vermaak vying to start at loosehead prop, hookers Bongi Mbonambi and Michael Willemse, and the concrete blocks of tightheads Frans Malherbe and Vincent Koch, Fleck’s front row is formidable.

Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit complement each other in the second row, while back-up power lock Jean Kleyn is sure to play an important role this season.

Argentina’s reputation for scrumming made life difficult for the Jaguares as the demand for Pumas props among Europe’s top clubs claimed juggernauts such as Marcos Ayerza (Leicester), Juan Figallo (Saracens) and Bruno Postiglioni (Zebre).

Without these players, the Jaguares squad only lists four props, one of which – Lucas Paz – is a specialist loosehead.

Paz has 23 caps for Argentina while 20-Test tighthead Ramiro Herrera is also well known, but Nahuel Chaparro (2) and Santiago Garcia Botta (6) may still have some learning to do.

Koch will be eager to facilitate those classes after being schooled by Ayerza in Durban last year when Argentina clinched their first win in South Africa with a 37-25 victory in the Rugby Championship.

Burger, Eztebeth, Du Toit and Kolisi were also on the field that fateful day on 8 August. - Cape Times

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