Veteran Stormers front-row not taking struggling Stade Francais’ scrum lightly

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Veteran Stormers front-row Ali Vermaak is relishing the challenge at scrum-time when they face Stade Francais in their crunch Challenge Cup encounter this weekend.

Despite being winless in the tournament and languishing at the bottom of Pool Four’s standings, Stade Francais are a proud outfit who will want to finish their participation in the competition on a high in front of their home crowd at the Stade Jean Bouin on Saturday.

Strong scrummaging unit

The Parisian outfit have lost all three their Champions Cup group matches but despite their poor form, they have done well in the scrums and the Stormers are preparing for a stern assignment in the set-piece as they look to advance to the tournament’s knockout rounds.

“One of the most significant opportunities offered by all the competitions we’re playing in, is that one is able to measure and compare yourself against some of the best props in the world who are, literally, of all shapes and sizes,” he told the Stormers’ official website.

“It is no secret that props become a lot harder and tougher to scrum against as they reach their 30s. And with props normally being replaced between 45 and 60 minutes, you need to be on top of your game if you don’t want to be caught on skates when it comes to scrum time.”

The Stormers stayed in the hunt for qualification for the Champions Cup play-offs, when they sealed a bonus-point win over Sale Sharks at Cape Town Stadium last week, which was a fourth successive victory in their backyard.

“We all have realised over the years that winning is a habit, and so is losing,” Vermaak explained. “To us as a group playing in different formats, it is very important to maintain that culture and winning momentum.

“The Sale Sharks established themselves as one of the top teams in England this year, so to beat them here in Cape Town was simply non-negotiable.”

The Stormers have displayed excellent depth in the front-row, with veterans Vermaak and Brok Harris, along with Neethling Fouche and Sti Sithole as well as promising youngsters Kwenzo Blose and Lee-Marvin Mazibuko all helping the team to dominate at scrum-time.

“I think it is a combination of things. Having the opportunity to discuss certain techniques on a daily basis with some of the world’s best players in your position, makes life a lot easier,” Vermaak explained.

“Since we’ve been playing together for a few years now, communication during training or games has become a lot easier in terms of understanding and rectification within a short timeframe.”

Stormers stalwart

The 34-year-old is into his 11th season with the Stormers after making his debut in Super Rugby in 2014 and he also won two Currie Cup titles with Western Province during that time in 2014 and 2017.

“Being part of this exceptional group of players (including many World Cup winners) will definitely be one of the highlights of my career,” Vermaak said.

“Last year, we were runners up and two years ago we won the Vodacom URC. These highlights, together with playing my 50th game for the DHL Stormers, will always be special to me and my family. I am forever grateful to John Dobson for the opportunity of being included in this great squad.”