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Lawrence to lay down scrum laws

Mon, 17 May 2010 17:57

Man in the middle: Referee Mark Lawrence

The Stormers expect a vastly improved Waratahs team confronting them in Saturday's Super 14 semifinal, compared with the side which they beat 27-6 in Round Two of the competition.

Stormers coach Allister Coetzee also expects referee Mark Lawrence to 'lay down the law' in a game where discipline will be key.

Speaking at the Stormers High Performance Centre in Bellville at the beginning of his team's preparation week for the semifinal, Coetzee said: "The Waratahs weren't that good early in the competition when we met them here [at Newlands] and they were still trying to adjust to the modification of the breakdown laws, but they've grown ever since.

"They're a top side, with quality players, a side loaded with Wallabies, with a big pack and solid defence.

"The Waratahs got criticised by their spectators [in Sydney] for not playing attacking rugby but if you look at the tries they're been scoring in the last couple of games, they've really put it together. They're in form, a quality side and we have to be up for this one.

"They're not scared of playing away from home, they enjoy travelling," he added.

Coetzee expects a tight, tough encounter.

"This is a semifinal...[the team which wins] is going to be the side with the best discipline at the end of the day, the lowest error rate. You get one chance; you've got to take it.

"We've got quite a lot in common - sides that pride themselves on set pieces, a good line-out and very good scrum," said the coach, and he was happy with the appointment of Mark Lawrence as referee.

"Mark Lawrence really focusses a lot on scrummaging and rates himself as one of the refs with a lot of scrummaging knowledge so it'll be good that he's in charge of this game because there will be a lot of confrontation and competition at scrum time this week."

The Waratahs are coming off two excellent performances ahead of the semifinal, beating the Chiefs 46-19 in week 13 and then scoring an impressive 32-16 win over the Hurricanes last Friday in what amounted to a quarter-final.

"They played very well against the Hurricanes," said Coetzee.

"Kurtley Beale was fantastic; his individual brilliance stood out. They've got a good backline - Luke Burgess, Berrick Barnes, Tom Carter and Rob Horne...Drew Mitchell has been in sublime form this season and Lachie Turner is also an exceptional rugby player.

"We all think they've got a great pack of forwards by they've got real quality at the back too."

The coach added: "What's very impressive about them is the way they kick. Berrick Barnes is an accurate kicker; they've got Kurtley Beale who can kick the ball well and they've got Drew Mitchell with a left foot that can put the ball on a tickey - so they've got options all round the field and both sides of the field.

"They've got pace and power and that's what we've got to front up to this weekend."

Coetzee expected the collisions to be huge this weekend "but fortunately that's the part of the game that this Stormers side enjoys the most - because of our defensive record, because of the way we keep the attack out from our tryline. The guys enjoy the confrontational part of the game."

He believed the Stormers would not suffer from having played three physical games in a row and would "make sure the players are nice and fresh again this weekend".

The Stormers were aware that some opposition teams - and perhaps the Waratahs in the semifinal - believed that kicking rather than running at the Stormers was the only way to beat them, on the philosophy, said Coetzee that "if you can't go around a team and can't go through them, you have to go over them".

"In no defensive system can you plan to plug all the holes - it's impossible - but you have to make sure everyone is alert and aware and as a team they have to collectively take care of that," the coach commented.

"We are very fortunate to have an experienced wing like Bryan Habana reading those situations well and having Gio Aplon playing wing with the experience of playing fullback who can read that, and also Joe Pietersen at fullback - and all three of these players have got the pace to turn around and scramble well."

By Len Kaplan

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