Sazi Sandi says the Stormers expect a heavyweight clash up front against Edinburgh at Cape Town Stadium, writes LINDIZ VAN ZILLA.
The Cape side’s set-piece did not wilt in the cauldron of Loftus Versfeld against the Vodacom Bulls and was utterly dominant at home against the Dragons on Saturday.
Yet the Stormers only sit seventh for scrum efficiency in this season’s Vodacom URC, compared to Edinburgh, who rank second – a statistic that adds intrigue to Saturday night’s clash.
For Sandi, however, numbers only tell part of the story.
“We’ve built a great scrum culture,” said the 27-year-old tighthead prop who is in line to make his 50th appearance for the Stormers.
“We’ve got a really strong back five [in the pack] and those guys are fully bought in. Every scrum, they’re keen and excited to go.”
Sandi said that collective buy-in and cohesion allows the front row to focus solely on their core roles.
“As props, we love that. It gives you confidence knowing the guys behind you are all in. You don’t have to worry about anything else – you just focus on your job and your process.
“The biggest thing for us is to come together as a unit and not do our own thing. When we do that, we’re at our best.”
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The arrival of Springbok tighthead Wilco Louw next season will increase competition, but Sandi sees it as an opportunity.
“Having someone like that in the environment is massive. He’s doing it at the highest level, so you want to learn from him, get tips and add to your game. That’s exciting for me.”
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Stormers attack coach Dawie Snyman also expects a stern examination from Edinburgh’s highly-rated pack which could feature South African looseheads Pierre Schoeman and Boan Venter.
He insists the Stormers won’t shy away from the contest.
“Scrums are part of the game and we pride ourselves in that department,” he said. “We want to test ourselves against the best.
“There are going to be scrums in the game, so we have to make sure we get it right. We know it’s a platform for us as well, so we are definitely not going to run away from it now.”
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Photo: Gallo Images
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