Stormers need to rethink flyhalf

Johannesburg - The return of Duane Vermeulen as No 8 and captain will provide a significant boost for a Stormers team that too quickly drifted away from their planned structured approach against the Highlanders, but a change may be necessary at flyhalf if they are to challenge the Hurricanes on Good Friday.

According to the supersport.com website, the Stormers went down 39-21 to the Highlanders in what can be described as an abjectly disappointing start to their tour. But for the first 20 minutes at the Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin they looked well on track to maintain their long winning sequence against the south island franchise that dates back to 2007, with the Stormers, playing off a strong first phase platform, sticking to a tight structured game that minimized turn-over opportunities for their dangerous opponents.

However, once they had gone into a 7-0 lead through a converted Juan de Jongh try, it all went pear shaped for the Stormers, with Dillyn Leyds dropping a ball at the restart following the try and from there the Highlanders engineered a try that was the turning point in the game. When the Stormers became loose it played into the Highlanders’ hands.