Glasgow Warriors devise plan to tackle Stormers as update given on Rory Darge's Six Nations hopes

Glasgow Warriors will face a unique challenge when they look to extend their current winning streak to six games against the Stormers on Sunday.

Glasgow players in training at Scotstoun yesterday ahead of Sunday’s visit of the Stormers. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Assistant coach Nigel Carolan has revealed that the team have had some uncomfortable experiences whilst preparing to take on the South African side’s ferocious blitz defence – but he is confident that the players will be ready to claim their biggest scalp of the season so far come kick-off time.

“The Stormers are so different to every other team you play against, not only are they the reigning URC champions but they defend in a way which is different,” he explained. “They bring an unbelievable amount of line-speed, it’s almost reckless, and you really need to earn the right to find the space. You do that by taking them through a number of phases and then opportunities will open up.”

“It is a great challenge which is really focussing the minds of not only the coaches but also the players.”

“We’ve challenged the ‘other team’ to create that picture and simulate as much as possible how hard that line-speed comes during our training runs this week,” he continued. “The defence comes so hard at you that it puts you in a position where you have less time on the ball and have to make quicker decisions. The execution of skills has to be on the money, but when you see the space and you get the ball there, there can be a lot of opportunity as well.

“These opportunities are not necessarily there on the first or second or third phase, but as you take them through the phases the space starts to open up – through them, around them, in behind them.

“We saw when the Stormers played [and lost] at Cardiff a few weeks back that it is very difficult to maintain that level of line-speed for every phase, and eventually they get a bit clustered, the backfield gets compromised, and space opens up. We just have to be patient, take them through the phases, and then identify opportunities as they arise.”

Carolan pointed out that the teams recent run of positive results is particularly pleasing because it has been achieved whilst rotating the squad regularly, meaning that there is now a surfeit of players competing for selection who are all match-fit and in-form.

Better still, a number of key men who have been side-lined through injury in recent weeks are making good progress towards their return-dates, creating some really positive selection headaches, especially in midfield.

“You have Sione Tuipulotu, you have Stafford McDowall in the form of his life, you have Huw Jones, who had tremendous games against Bath and Perpignan and is raring for his next opportunity, and you have Sam Johnson, who has been injured since Sharks [in mid-October] also knocking on the door and training well,” said Carolan.

“So, you have four guys all looking for selection in the two centre slots and we can play any combination of the four. They don’t have bad games, so it is difficult to manage their expectations of game-time – but it’s not a bad headache.”

“Meanwhile, Rory Darge is back running so not too far away,” he added. “We’ve very hopeful that he’ll be back within a month. Hopefully he will return early Six Nations.

“Scott Cummings is progressing his rehab as well. Zander Fagerson is doing very well too. It might be too late for us for this block of games, but hopefully Scotland will benefit from their return.”