The Stormers may have relinquished their Cape Town unbeaten record to the Bulls, but they are certainly not down and out.
In fact, they are going to Johannesburg for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship clash against the Lions (2.30pm kick-off) in a positive mood after just missing out on a vital victory in the 33-32 defeat to the Bulls last weekend.
While they will be disappointed to have conceded four tries to the Bulls and fail to close out the win, they looked like they had rediscovered their rhythm on attack.
In the second half in particular, they almost looked like they would score every time they ran at the Bulls, and eventually ended up with five touchdowns.
They also varied their play smartly with a few pinpoint up-and-unders, and will hope to continue on that path against the Lions.
“We did have that feeling (that the cutting edge is back on attack). That last 20 or 30 minutes of the game, we really felt that we were in control and could impose ourselves,” attack coach Dawie Snyman said this week.
“It’s something that we are excited about, that we are slowly putting things together. It is a rhythm thing, and a flow thing – if we can get that going as a group, I think it’s actually exciting.
“The main thing was the result... it hurts a lot for us as a squad.
“But like I said, there are some good signs and stuff that we can build on, which is actually exciting. It feels like we’re moving forward as a group and team in terms of where we are in the season.
“We are back on task, but yesterday, we focused a lot on the positive stuff and what is going well in the team, and one or two work-ons.
“The group has reset nicely, and there are definitely things we want to fix – and see if we can also build on for Saturday.”
Snyman added that Manie Libbok remains sidelined with a knee injury, but he was pleased with Jurie Matthee’s performance against the Bulls.
“I thought he had a good game. It’s not easy, in such a big game, to perform – especially in that position if you weren’t a regular starter,” Snyman said.
“But I think Jurie, from what we expected from him and how he had to manage the game, he did a great job.
“He’s a great player and he’s going to grow. The more we are going to expose him to these scenarios, the better for him. But I was really chuffed with his performance.”
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The home side are equally dangerous with ball-in-hand, as they boast a whole host of lethal runners such as Edwill van der Merwe, Quan Horn and Henco van Wyk.
So, having conceded a try bonus point last weekend, the Stormers need to shore up their defence as well.
“Luckily it’s Norman’s (Laker, defence coach) problem! The Lions have always been a side where, if you don’t get it right – especially at Ellis Park – they can punish you,” Snyman said.
“But it’s not just a defensive problem that we need to solve. It’s about how we play tactically and how we approach the game.
“We need to get that right, because if we don’t, then on a field like Ellis Park – where it’s fast – one mistake and it’s either an 80-metre kick back or even a try.
“There are great players there and we are aware of them, and have to make sure that we don’t give them the space and time.”