It will be a classic SA derby duel when the Stormers and Sharks go toe-to-toe in what promises to be a bone-crunching clash on Saturday, the Cape side’s defence coach Norman Laker said. The Stormers are hunting for a ninth consecutive United Rugby Championship win and will be backed by a partisan 55,000-strong home crowd at the Cape Town Stadium (kickoff 7.30pm). The Cape side will be facing a potent Sharks midfield that is expected to include explosive Springboks Andre Esterhuizen and Ethan Hooker and Junior Bok star Jurenzo Julius.
“Whether it’s the Sharks, Bulls or Lions, it’s always tough,” Laker said. “They all want to beat you, and it’s the same for us. “With the Sharks having their Boks back, it will be very physical, a classical South African derby.
Laker said the Stormers would sharpen up in defence after he saw disturbing lapses in midfield during a defeat against Harlequins in the Investec Champions Cup and a win over Leicester Tigers in the URC. “I’m not happy with the performance against Leicester, to be honest,” Laker said. “I told the team on Monday that we have to focus on ourselves, purely because of those collapses that happened in the midfield over the past few weeks and also a few other areas in my department – defence.
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“So I’m not worried about what the Sharks will bring. I know what they are capable of; I know the world-class rugby players they can bring, but our focus is on ourselves and making sure our house is in order, and we will be competitive come Saturday. “But we had new combinations at 10, 12 and 13 with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jonathan Roche and Suleiman Hartzenberg, and that understanding is crucial on defence. “Those combinations hadn’t played much together, and unfortunately that showed.
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