Stormers v Sale Sharks: Five takeaways including Hacjivah Daymani, defence wins games and true grit

Stormers-star-Hacjivah-Dayimani-with-ball-in-hand-against-Sale-Sharks

Following the Stormers’ 31-24 bonus-point win over Sale Sharks in the Champions Cup, here are our takeaways from Cape Town.

Top line

The Stormers continue their big season turnaround and have now won their last four games in all competitions after a poor start to their campaign. Sale did tremendously well throughout to keep themselves in the game but ultimately it was not to be for the visitors.

The decision-making duo of Manie Libbok and Damian Willemse showed their class by keeping their side in the right areas for the most part and breaking the game open where possible. Their importance to the Stormers cannot be overstated.

At the breakdown, the fight between Deon Fourie and Sale’s Sam Dugdale was brilliant to watch with several others getting involved. The scrums mostly went the way of the hosts with the dynamics shifting slightly when all the replacements took to the field.

Considering Sale were not at 100% strength, it was an impressive effort and one that highlights how together the squad are. Crucially the Premiership side leaves with a losing bonus-point, keeping them in the competition.

Hacjivah Dayimani becoming a Springbok wildcard

Earlier this week, the Stormers star spoke about how he is looking to reconstruct some perceptions of his play by not only proving that he can man it out in the “trenches” but also that being a good ball carrier does not mean running over an opponent. Tonight in Cape Town he did both.

The rapid number eight was sensational with ball in hand, making 126 metres courtesy of a lovely clean break that saw him go from his 22 metres to very nearly scoring. He beat a ridiculous 10 defenders on a night that also saw him make seven tackles and steal a line-out.

Dayimani is certainly not the standard Springbok mould but his outrageous form and unique spread of skills could make him a bolter for the Green and Gold jersey. The brains trust of the South African side loves versatility and are never scared to innovate, but whether they would roll the dice on a lightning-fast flair-filled loose forward remains to be seen. What is clear is that the Stormers man is at the peak of his powers right now.

Stormers’ defence allows transition

The Capetonians have become a ruthless side over the last couple of seasons as they consistently showcased their ability to score from just about anywhere on the field and this was the case again today.

What offers the side the ability to exploit other teams in this way is their frenetic rush defence that is brilliantly drilled by defence guru Norman Laker. The Stormers made 83 tackles at a 90% completion rate with just about the entire pack making more than five tackles each. Flanks BJ Dixon and Fourie had a team-high 11 tackles each.

This platform either forces the opponents to overplay and make a mistake or opens the breakdown up for the likes of Fourie to exploit. Where the Stormers take it to the next level is immediately looking to spring a counterattack against an unset defensive line. In these spaces players like Libbok, Willemse, Leolin Zas and Warrick Gelant are absolutely potent.

In many cases, and especially in the Stormers’ ability to be ruthless in attack, comes from being excellent in defence.

Sale show true grit

The first-ever meeting between the two teams was a slippery one for Sale who somehow managed to always stay close enough to put pressure back on the hosts.

In the first half, for the most part it was all Stormers on the field but not necessarily on the scoreboard as Alex Sanderson’s side showed impressive patience to not get overly frustrated and stay within striking distance.

The maul was a great example of this. Sale consistently shut down Stormers maul after Stormers maul without giving away a penalty and in doing so disarmed the hosts from one of their usual strengths.

It was the kind of performance that showed a lot. Even though the Premiership side failed to win, it is clear there is a serious togetherness within the squad. These players want to play for each other and that was evident in Cape Town.

Pool of death

The toughest pool in the competition is as tight as expected with the Stormers moving up to third behind Leinster and Leicester Tigers while Sale is in fourth ahead of holders La Rochelle and Stade Francais. Importantly both Tigers and La Rochelle are yet to play in this round which could cause a shuffle in the group.

Before the game Stormers boss John Dobson was desperate to get five points and deprive Sale of any. His team got the full house but let Sale walk away with a losing bonus-point, keeping them in the competition.

The Capetonians will now need a result at Stade Francais next weekend to be in the mix whilst Sale have the mammoth task of facing La Rochelle. Ultimately both these teams need to win next weekend or their race in the Champions Cup could be run.