Stormers utility back Damian Willemse says they know what to expect from Glasgow, but must get their game plan spot on to secure a victory.
Image: BackpagePix
The Stormers know that if they don’t quite get things right against the Glasgow Warriors on Saturday afternoon, it could be a long afternoon at the DHL Stadium (1.45pm kick-off) for them.
It is a do-or-die final home game for the Cape side in the league phase of the United Rugby Championship (URC), and they must win to at least maintain their spot in the Top 2 on the log. It’s the kind of fixture where small moments can swing momentum, and if they’re off the pace or slightly out of sync, Glasgow are more than capable of making them pay.
Utility back Damian Willemse highlighted just how competitive previous clashes have been between the two sides, despite what the scoreboard might suggest.
“Our record (against them) doesn’t show actually how tight those games were. I think both games (last season) were really tight up to the 70th, 75th minute,” he said, underlining the fine margins that separate the two sides.
Willemse was quick to acknowledge the all-round threat posed by Glasgow, saying they can keep the ball between the forwards, but they also have some dangerous players at the back. And if the Stormers can’t front up on defence and attack, the visitors will likely bring them another defeat following last weekend’s loss to Connacht.
The home side needs a victory to seal their play-off place, while they have the chance to leapfrog Glasgow on the log.
“They’re an all-court side; they can take it up front with their forwards, they’ve got a great set piece, they’ve got a good kicking game, they’ve got great players in the outside backs… There are multiple threats there.
“But we can’t look past what we have. We can focus on the opposition all we want, but if we’re not going to get our stuff right this week, we’re going to struggle. “It’s probably going to come down to these last 10 minutes, and we need to be ready for that. We need to make sure our game management and our gameplay with both our forwards and backline are spot on.”