"I don’t feel like I need to be extraordinary. It’s going to a derby and tight. We need to be dialled in, get the communication right."
Utility back Damian Willemse says he will play a composed game of rugby, expecting a fierce aerial battle in the Stormers–Bulls URC derby on Saturday.
The Springbok makes his 100th start for the Stormers at Cape Town Stadium (kick-off at 6pm). He starts at inside centre, where he earned the man-of-the-match award during South Africa’s 43-10 win over New Zealand in Wellington in September.
Willemse described the north-south derby as huge, almost as intense as Test rugby. But he hoped his team would not let the occasion get the better of them, rather focusing on the basics and good communication.
The Stormers hoped to secure their 10th win in a row in all competitions this season. The Bulls, meanwhile, had lost five games consecutively and were in the midst of a coaching shuffle.
Aerial game key
“It’s a big occasion, not just for myself but for all of us at the union. Especially for where we are in the season,” Willemse said.
He described the aerial game as massive: “The set-piece and defence will come from that. Whoever wins the kicking game will have the ball…
“We’ve prepped this week very well and know what the Bulls will bring. They are a very strong team, with about 16 or 17 Boks. Willie le Roux, Handré Pollard, the front three are Springboks, Nortjé… some serious players.
“We are strong defensively and must try to read the game. They will come hard, Canan Moodie will come hard. We must try get those jackals in the middle of the field. The scramble defence, they’ve got Sebastian de Klerk, Stravino Jacobs, Willie (le Roux). They’ve got good players and we will have to be on our toes.”
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Staying composed in Stormers-Bulls derby
Willemse said he would have to “just do my job” in his 107th cap for the Cape Town union.
“I don’t feel like I need to be extraordinary. It’s going to a derby and tight. We need to be dialled in, get the communication right with the rest of the team.
“In defence, we must not concede penalties because Pollard can kick the ball for three, six, nine (points). We don’t want that… It’s all about taking control and being sharp in our game.”
Willemse believed the return of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu would bolster the Stormers backline. Warrick Gelant, Suleiman Hartzenberg, Wandisile Simelane, Leolin Zas and Cobus Reinach were set to complete the Stormers attack.
