DHL Stormers defence coach Norman Laker said he would find it “interesting” if the deal struck between SA Rugby and the Vodacom Bulls for the Pretoria team to get help from a quartet of Springbok coaches included this week’s big north/south derby at DHL Stadium.
The Stormers host their arch-rivals in an eighth round Vodacom United Rugby Championship derby facing a complete reversal of roles in comparison to the most recent Cape Town meetings between the two sides. Over the past two or three seasons the Stormers have gone into the game in a desperate situation after starting off poorly in each campaign, but this time around they are at the top of the log by two points - and have a game in hand on the next team, Munster.
The Bulls by contrast are languishing on the log after dropping the two derbies they have played thus far and the mood of the leaders at the franchise has been reflected by the decision made just before Christmas to dispense with the services of the two senior assistant coaches, Andries Bekker and Chris Rossouw.
On top of that, they’ve appealed for help from the Boks, with a statement issued by SA Rugby on the eve of the start of the buildup week indicating that Bok defence coach Jerry Flannery, strength and conditioning coach Andy Edwards plus Duane Vermeulen and Felix Jones have all been seconded to help out on a short-term basis.
It is not new for Bok coaches to help SA URC and Champions Cup franchises out in week's building up to big games, but as Laker pointed out, that is never usually allowed to happen in derby weeks.
“Yes that is correct the national coaches don’t really help the South African teams when there are derbies involved so it was quite interesting for me to learn that in such a big week they are bringing in the Springbok coaches to come in and help the Bulls,” said Laker.
“However, in saying that, it doesn’t matter who coaches a team, in a north/south derby the players will be up for it. They will go all out to get the victory at the end. It was though quite an interesting thing to read. We do have national coaches coming in to help out at the franchises quite frequently, but normally the understanding is that it isn’t in a derby week. It is when the local teams are facing overseas teams.”
In fairness, as Laker added later on in Monday’s online press conference, it is hard for any fresh coaches to change anything in the limited time the Bulls will have available to them before flying to Cape Town for the weekend’s game.
And neither did anything in the press release indicate that the Bok coaches will be linking up with the Bulls immediately. After all, it is holiday time in South Africa and it is hard to imagine that if, for instance, Vermeulen was doing the traditional local thing for this time of the year of being on the beach on the Garden Route in the week between Christmas and New Year, that he would have jumped with joy at having to transfer himself overnight to Pretoria.
If the Bulls have a problem with strength and conditioning that is also not something that Cape Town based Edwards can put right in a few days and when it comes to the area where the Bulls most need improvement, namely defence, it would come as a surprise if Flannery, an Irishman, is even in the country at this time of year.
So the Bok assistance at the Bulls may click in after the holidays, and not this week. But it is still understandable where the Stormers are concerned, that if that wasn't the case and the Bok assistants are indeed helping the Bulls in a departure from the usual policy when it comes to derbies, it would not fit comfortably with the Boks in the Stormers system that their coaches at international level are now plotting against them at a lower level.
That potential minor sideshow aside, the Stormers have reported back to work after their week off to celebrate Christmas with their families looking forward to what is the biggest game of the year for them outside of any potential home playoff games later in the competition.
“It is always nice to play against the Bulls. It is one of the biggest games in the world at this level and always a very confrontational game and nice for the guys on the field to test themselves against the best. They will need to be at their best to win and they know that,” said Laker.
“For us as assistant coaches and coaches it is also very important for us to leave no stone unturned in prepping for what is coming on Saturday.”
Laker added that the position the Bulls find themselves in, where they are playing for survival after a poor start to the season, will make them more dangerous. The Stormers team for Saturday’s game will be announced on Friday.