Stormers aim for 60-point total in log

FEELING POSITIVE: Stormers skipper Jean de Villiers believes the team is on track again STORMERS skipper Jean de Villiers has challenged his team to win its remaining matches of the current Super Rugby campaign to ensure a place in the play-offs.

The call came after the Stormers beat the Sharks 22-15 at Newlands on Saturday to record only their third win in seven matches this season.

“It’s been a tough season, but we’re on 24 points if you take into account the four points we’ll get for the bye, which puts us on track,” De Villiers said.

“There are nine games remaining and 36 points on offer if we win them all without bonus points, that takes us to 60 points. That’s what we’re striving for and – although it’s much easier said than done – we believe we’re on track again.”

The Stormers have a bye this weekend and depart for Australasia for their four-match tour next weekend. By touring standards they have a relatively comfortable schedule in which they play the Hurricanes, Blues, Waratahs and Rebels.

The Blues currently occupy sixth place in the standings, the Hurricanes eighth, the Waratahs 10th and the Rebels 14th. The Stormers sit in 11th position but their three wins have come against the Chiefs (second), Brumbies (first) and Sharks (third) on the standings.

“The bye gives us an extra week to get some players back into the mix for the tour. If you take the 22 players that did duty against the Sharks and add the likes of [hooker] Scarra Ntubeni, Eben Etzebeth (lock), Rynhardt Elstadt (flank), Elton Jantjies [flyhalf], Bryan Habana (wing) and Gerhard van Heever [wing], you suddenly have depth.

Sharks coach John Plumtree was disappointed with the performance, but even more concerned about the short week he has to prepare the team for next week’s clash against the Cheetahs in Durban.

In all, 12 Sharks players will be included in a Springbok training camp that started yesterday and continues until tomorrow evening, leaving Plumtree with only two sessions to work with his full squad before the Cheetahs match.

“The Bok camp’s timing is not ideal, but the camp was put in place and we’ve got to deal with it.”