Leighton Koopman|Published
The Stormers will be looking to Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and scrumhalf Haashim Pead to spark their attack against Scarlets on Saturday afternoon in Cape Town.
Pead, a recent recruit from the Lions, will make his first start in a Stormers jersey, giving supporters a glimpse of the team’s potential future halfback pairing in the United Rugby Championship (URC) clash at DHL Stadium (4pm kick-off).
They are two of the most exciting players in the squad, and a lot of pressure will be on their shoulders in the absence of key backline stars such as captain Ruhan Nel and fullback Damian Willemse.
Scarlets’ kicking game the main test
Scarlets, who have been among the leading kicking teams in the URC, will provide a stern test for Pead and Feinberg-Mngomezulu. If they can ensure the Stormers play in the right areas of the field, particularly from set-piece situations, it will create opportunities for the backline to attack.
Stormers director of rugby John Dobson said Scarlets' kicking game was a key part of their identity, dating back to the Llanelli club's traditions.
“Their style of rugby goes back to their DNA from the Llanelli days, with Phil Bennett and Barry John. They’ve always been proud of playing a sort of total rugby. When they won the Pro14 under Wayne Pivac, that’s the way they played.
“What’s interesting for us is that they’re leading the URC in kicking metres and kick possession. They’re a very good team in their kicking game as well, using it to create counter-attacking opportunities. So we have to be pretty sharp and accurate in our kick cycles.
“It’s a bit like us a couple of years ago, when we’d kick the ball to create that sort of chaos and space for ourselves.
“Look, they’ve made a promising start. To beat Benetton, with all their Italian internationals available, is a good result, and then they thrashed Newcastle the following week. So they’re perhaps not the Scarlets we’ve been used to seeing later in the season. They’ve got a lot of hope.”
Much will therefore depend on Pead and Feinberg-Mngomezulu making the smart decisions to put their forwards in the right areas of the field. That, in turn, will allow the Stormers to apply pressure through their scrums, lineouts and rolling mauls.
At the same time, the duo will be eager to get their dangerous backline firing again, building on last week’s seven-try victory over Bristol Bears and ensuring they can turn territorial dominance into attacking chances against a fired-up Scarlets side.