After a thumping 35-0 win over defending champions Leinster last Friday, the Stormers are eager to build on their opening-round momentum when they host the Ospreys at Cape Town Stadium on Friday.

SMITH: Green and gold is my target

One of the standout weapons in their attacking arsenal is back on display: the rolling maul. Stormers forwards coach Rito Hlungwani revealed the maul’s effectiveness against Leinster, from which the team scored twice, and confirmed it will remain a key part of their game plan.

“We want to have two or three ways of scoring tries because at the end of the day it’s all about putting points on the board,” Hlungwani said.

“We will definitely use the maul as much as we can, especially when it’s working. But we still want to score from counter-attacks or other moves. We need to have that element of deception.”

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The Ospreys, however, will provide a stern test. The Welsh side went toe-to-toe with last season’s beaten finalists the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus in their season-opener, before being blown away in the second half. Nonetheless, Hlungwani stressed the importance of focus and respect for their opposition’s pack.

“It’s a team that never goes away. They’re a team we can’t take lightly, they’re going to challenge us. So it’s important for us to really be focused and ready to try and improve on our last performance. They’ve got a strong pack – there is no weak pack in this competition – so we’ll be ready for a tough challenge up front.”

While the Stormers’ maul impressed in round 1, Hlungwani acknowledged that there is room for improvement.

“Probably just our timing. Timing in the lineouts, timing in how we link up with the backs, and that usually comes from playing more games. Just that transfer of the ball between forwards and backs I felt could’ve been more clinical. We want to be better – you have to continuously improve.”

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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images