Preparations for Blues match going well
The Stormers arrived here on Saturday from Perth. On Monday, they did a flush out session and on Tuesday turned their attention to specific preparations for the forwards and the backs as well as game plan and plays for their second Vodacom Super 14 tour match.
Grey and wet conditions greeted the players in Auckland and it expected to continue through the week.
“So far, so good,” said van der Merwe. “The forwards had a good scrumming session today and we are working hard at nailing down the structure for how we want to play the Blues”.
The Stormers started their tour with a 26 – 25 win over the Western Force in Perth and will Saturday face a Blues team that is on the up after a win against the Bulls last week.
“A lot has been written about how the Bulls played and they were criticized in the media. We play a completely difference game to the Bulls and we hope that it will be effective on Saturday,” said van der Merwe.
The Stormers will wrap their practice sessions on Wednesday with Thursday a rest day and the captain’s run at Eden Park on Friday.
In other news coming out of the Stormers camp:
- Prop Neil Fullard celebrated his 24th birthday on Tuesday
- Flanker Justin Melck and hooker Schalk Brits, both sporting new moustaches, have respectively earned the nicknames “Burt Reynolds” and “Uli Schmidt”
- Lock Henk Steenkamp, not to be outdone, has nicknamed himself “Mr Physical” and it has caught on
