Jaguares could scrape past deteriorating Stormers says Dalton

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and while the Stormers will be happy to have Herschel Jantjies and Jaco Coetzee returning from injury, there should be a greater worry about their recent collective efforts and how this bodes for their clash against the Jaguares this Saturday writes James Dalton for SA Rugby Magazine

We can’t keep singing the praise of a Springbok-laden Stormers side if their performances aren’t matching their potential. A weak Lions side on Saturday showed that there are areas where the Stormers are vulnerable, and a strong Jaguares side come this Saturday may be able to expose these areas and win.

Yes the Stormers defence was sound against the Hurricanes and Bulls, but not so much against the Lions. One must remember, too, that you can’t simply win by tackling for 60 percent of a rugby match. You need to score points too. The Stormers have a strong set piece, but as do the Jaguares, who have also shown that they are capable of scoring tries and have shown great attacking continuity.

After a strong start against the Canes, the Stormers’ performances as a team (lets forget injuries) have started to deteriorate, and there needs to be a collective effort to restore this. The Bulls, while they were snubbed out eventually, dominated them in terms of possession and forced them to tackle and tackle. Tackling without converting the pressure into possession and try-scoring opportunities eventually just becomes tiring, and it’s when tired that teams vulnerabilities get exposed.

While their great start against the Hurricanes promised a lot, especially  as the Canes then travelled to Argentina to beat the Jaguares, the Stormers  weak showing in round three against a Lions side that was systematically drilled by the Jaguares in the opening round, has left many questions to be asked of the real quality of the Cape Town side and whether they are capable of continuity in what is a long Super Rugby tournament.

And that is my feeling, heading into round four, that there are more questions than answers to the progression of a Stormers side that has the player and coaching quality to be building and improving each week. It seems that they are stagnating as the tournament progresses, and while they are  3/3, they should be cautioned against a strong Jaguares side who will be hungry for their number 1 spot in the SA conference and looking to lay down a marker in their first game away from home.