Stormers focus on set-piece basics for Sharks rematch in Durban

The Stormers have made the rectification of their set-piece a top priority as they prepare for a high-stakes United Rugby Championship rematch against the Sharks at Kings Park on Saturday (5pm kick-off).

Following last weekend’s frustrating defeat at home at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, assistant coach Rito Hlungwani and loose forward Ben-Jason Dixon have been vocal about the need for the Stormers to rediscover their clinical edge at lineout time.

While the Sharks' defensive pressure was noteworthy, Hlungwane refused to use the opposition as an excuse for the Stormers’ failings. Instead, he highlighted a series of unforced errors — including skew throws, overthrows, and mistimed lifts — that effectively neutralised the Stormers’ primary attacking platform.

The Stormers' maul has been deadly in the oppositions 22, as they boast a great strike-rate scoring from a lineout drive. However, the Sharks competed well, which in turn put the Stormers' hookers under pressure.

"The Sharks had prepared really well, but two skew throws close to the try line had nothing to do with the opponent," Hlungwani explained. "So it's definitely the things on our side of the court which we want to improve on."

Dixon echoed this sentiment, noting that the post-match review had been a sobering but necessary process. Despite the 30-19 scoreline, the flanker believes the gap between the two sides is smaller than it the final score reflected.

"It’s a great opportunity to fix the things that were flagged," Dixon said. "One of those things was the line-outs. We want to fix those because we believe we're competitive and we can beat them in those areas."