Andre-Hugo Venter and the Stormers aren't taking their foot off the gas ahead of Friday's final URC clash against Cardiff. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
The Stormers expect an intense battle against Cardiff Rugby in Friday night’s final United Rugby Championship league fixture, with hooker Andre-Hugo Venter insisting the Cape side will match the Welsh outfit’s desperation despite already securing a home quarter-final.
Cardiff remain in the hunt for a play-off place heading into the final round, while the Stormers have already guaranteed a Top 8 finish. But Venter said there was no danger of complacency creeping into the visitors’ camp after last week’s frustrating draw against Ulster in Belfast.
“The look in after the match, it feels like a loss,” Venter said. “I think our desperation is going to be right up there with them.”
The Stormers produced some scintillating attacking rugby in Belfast but were left frustrated after allowing Ulster back into the contest through a series of costly lapses in concentration.
Venter said the squad had already identified those shortcomings during review sessions ahead of another demanding assignment on a 4G pitch in Wales.
“I think for us going into this weekend is the discipline and the decision-making and basically not playing against ourselves in some scenarios,” he explained.
The forward admitted the Stormers were punished heavily whenever they briefly switched off against Ulster, pointing to an attack after a quick tap penalty from deep inside the Irish side’s own territory that nearly resulted in a decisive try.
“Earlier in the game from a scrum they also took a tap quickly and we were a bit switched off,” said Venter. “Looking back at the game, that was definitely their plan, trying to catch us off guard.”
The Stormers now expect Cardiff to target similar weaknesses.
“I think for us going into the weekend it's understanding what opposition see that we might have done wrong over the past few weekends and that’s something they’ll try and exploit,” Venter added. “So, understanding that and finding our weaknesses before the other teams can is going to be massive for us leading up to the play-offs as well.”
Despite the disappointment of the Ulster result, and the injury to veteran Deon Fourie, there were still several positives for the Stormers, especially in the set-pieces and ball-carrying game. Defence coach Norman Laker praised the contributions of players such as Evan Roos, Venter, Paul de Villiers and the rest of the forward pack, after the Stormers scored a string of impressive tries on an artificial surface.
Laker also defended Roos after the No 8 forward received criticism for conceding a silly penalty close to the Ulster try line.
“Evan is a world-class player, he’s a Springbok,” said Laker.
“He didn’t do it on purpose. It was just a brain fart in that moment. You just need to think a little bit and be better next time. You can’t keep on making the same mistakes over and over.”
The coach confirmed Roos had apologised to teammates afterwards and insisted the Stormers had no complaints about the officiating in Belfast.
Looking ahead to Cardiff, Laker expects another expansive, high-tempo contest against a side coached by former South African Corniel van Zyl.
“They’re a ball-in-hand team, very similar to Ulster,” he said. “They’re a well-coached team and this weekend we must be spot-on.”
A victory could significantly improve the Stormers’ route through the play-offs by strengthening their chances of hosting further knockout matches at DHL Stadium, should they advance beyond the quarter-finals.