The DHL Stormers XXIII are determined to "right the wrongs" of their heavy Currie Cup defeat and rediscover their defensive identity ahead of a physical clash with the Hollywoodbets Sharks at the DHL Stadium at 15:00 SAST.
Defence coach Pine Pienaar admitted his side fell well short of their traditional standards during a comprehensive 41-3 loss to the Sanlam Boland Kavaliers in Wellington. Alignment, execution, and frontline intensity have been earmarked as the crucial areas requiring immediate rectification before welcoming the Durbanites to Cape Town.
Speaking ahead of Saturday's round-three fixture, Pienaar said that the tactical meltdown in the Cape Winelands was uncharacteristic for a franchise built on defensive resilience.
"The Stormers have a certain DNA, especially when it comes to our defence, and it's something we definitely want to honour," Pienaar stated.
"Unfortunately, Sunday wasn’t a reflection of what I think this side can be. A week earlier against the Griquas, we showed that collective physicality and collective system. Against Boland, they were able to move the contact point much better than us, and we were too slow to get there."
The former Bulls mentor refused to deflect blame for the team's struggles on the gainline.
"One disappointing aspect was the collision battle. As defence coach, I’ll take full responsibility for that."
Pienaar identified stagnant line speed and passive tackling as the root causes of the blowout.
"We were just too slow," Pienaar lamented. "We couldn’t get our line speed going, we couldn’t make quality tackles, and, credit to Boland, from the outset they put us under pressure."
"We struggled to find something that normally gives us energy. Our defence usually feeds our energy, and we couldn’t get that right. That’s something we can work on, and it’s something we’ve got to honour and make sure we’re better at this Saturday."