There’s hope among the Stormers wreckage

The Stormers’ defensive collapse against Vodacom URC champions Glasgow was perplexing, writes MARK KEOHANE, but urges lessons from Bordeaux’s Investec Champions Cup revival.

Franco Smith’s Warriors ended the Stormers’ season on Friday night at Scotstoun with a resounding quarter-final victory and fifth successive win over John Dobson’s charges.

Writing for TimesLIVE, Keohane describes the Stormers’ tame defeat as out of character, particularly their failure to defend with the aggression and cohesion that had defined their past three seasons. 

He notes the absence of urgency in one-on-one tackles and physical confrontations, while the most troubling aspect wasn’t just the defensive errors but the lack of competitive edge in a fixture the Capetonians had fought hard to reach.

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Keohane believes the post-mortem back at Stormers HQ in Cape Town must go beyond tactics and focus on leadership, mental preparation and belief.

Yet, he believes the Stormers can take inspiration from Bordeaux’s storied turnaround – from a 59-3 humiliation in the 2023-24 Top 14 final to winning the Champions Cup this season.

“I was perplexed at the surrender from the Stormers in Glasgow on Friday night. I know the team well enough to know that missing 40 tackles is not in their DNA,” Keohane writes.

“They’d overcome injuries, retirements, suspensions and the loss of so many of their frontline Springboks during the season. But the one thing they never had to overcome was a desire to fight, to tackle and to be in the contest until the final whistle.

“How did a team built to defend fold so feebly in those one-on-one moments? These are questions that can only be answered from within the squad…

“In any wreckage there is always hope and perhaps the Stormers, as a unit, can learn from the story of Champions Cup winners Bordeaux.”

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