IF THE Waratahs needed a warning sounded to the Stormers ahead of today's big Super 14 showdown at Newlands, it was provided by their fiercest and oldest rivals in Brisbane yesterday.
No one in the Stormers team would have doubted before this week that the Waratahs are a formidable unit. They are well coached in the traditional manner of the Australian outfits, and as Stormers skipper Schalk Burger put it during the week, they are extremely strong in first phase and it is difficult to get at them.
They have been significantly boosted in the off-season by the arrival of some newcomers, most notably Berrick Barnes, who looks set to interchange this season between flyhalf and inside centre with the equally versatile Kurtley Beale.
That the Waratahs have been the most physical Australian side for some time now is not something the Stormers will need reminding of.
But while the Waratahs' pedigree is well known, there was a smattering of encouragement that came the Stormers way when the Waratahs struggled to beat the Reds in the opening round.
Any hope, though, that the result, with the Waratahs extremely lucky to win, might mean the Waratahs are making a slow start to the new season should have been swept away by the Reds' emphatic victory over the Crusaders yesterday.
There have been many one-off shock results in the history of rugby, and the Reds have pulled off a few, but yesterday's 41-20 win matched or eclipsed almost anything that has gone before.
Then came last week's first competition game against the Lions. If you were a Stormers fan and left Coca-Cola Park at halftime, you would have done so with a big grin on your face and nodding your head. If, however, you arrived late and watched only the second half, you would have been excused for shaking your head sadly for sticking to flat beer and taking a rather cynical view of life.
All week the Stormers have been talking about the need for 80 minutes of intensity, which is only stating the obvious.
Against this particular Australian team, the marker needs to be laid down early in terms of making sure they are fronted physically, almost as if they might be Kiwis or the Bulls. Burger, Duane Vermeulen and Tiaan Liebenberg will be playing a big role in ensuring that this happens. Peter Grant, Jaque Fourie and company will be ensuring that the Waratahs backs know when they are tackled.
Some have questioned the selection of Ricky Januarie for this game given Dewaldt Duvenage's excellent box kicking at Coca-Cola Park, but it was probably the right call. Januarie is one of the best defenders around among scrumhalves in this competition.
If past encounters between these sides are anything to go by, there probably won't be much in it at the end, with home-ground advantage maybe giving the Stormers the slightest of edges.
Stormers: Joe Pietersen; Gio Aplon, Jaques Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Bryan Habana; Peter Grant, Ricky Januarie; Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw, Schalk Burger (capt); Andries Bekker, De Kock Steenkamp; Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, JC Kritzinger
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Eusebio Guinazu, Anton van Zyl, Pieter Louw, Dewaldt Duvenage, Lionel Cronje, Sireli Naqelevuki.
Waratahs: Soseni Anesi; Lachie Turner, Tom Carter, Kurtley Beale, Drew Mitchell; Berrick Barnes, Luke Burgess; Wycliff Palu, Phil Waugh (capt), Ben Mowen; Kane Doublas, Will Caldwell; Al Baxter, Tatafu Polota-Nau, Benn Robinson
Replacements: Damien Fitzpatrick, Sekope Kepu, Hendrik Roodt, Dave Dennis, Josh Holmes, Daniel Halanghu, Rory Sidey.