Stopping Sonny Bill
Eddie Jones talks about how he'd coach a side to defend against Sonny Bill Williams and highlights his one weakness.
Williams has been the most talked about figure in this year's Super Rugby competition, and that trend has continued this week with much discussion centring on his personal duel with Jean de Villiers. De Villiers delivered his best attacking performance of the campaign last week against the Sharks, but he must also take credit for his defensive role in that victory.
However, comparing Meyer Bosman to Williams is akin to comparing Jonah Lomu to Phillip Burger, and the Stormers will realise that.
De Villiers repeatedly tackled Bosman and the ball simultaneously, which led to turnovers, dropped balls and Gio Aplon's try. Lionel Cronje's role will also be crucial in thwarting Williams, and the Stormers flyhalf proved his defensive abilities are not far off Peter Grant's (his one-on-one hit on Willem Alberts on his own line was massive at an important junction of the game in the second half).
'Because Williams is so big and strong, that makes him such a difficult prospect to contain,' Jones told rugbyxv.co.za. 'Without Dan Carter however, he is definitely less dangerous. Matt Berquist doesn't offer much of a threat as he doesn't attack the line as often as Carter.
'The Stormers' 10 and 12 will have to work really hard together. The first guy must go low and the second must tackle the ball. You can't present a staggered line, and the defenders on the inside must come up quickly off the line. They have to repeatedly double-team him.'
The Chiefs and Force couldn't produce the desired result against the Crusaders, but those contests did show weaknesses in Williams's game.
'Williams's 50/50 passes are definitely a flaw,' said Jones. 'He turns it over far too much for such a good player. That separates the good players from the great ones – the number of mistakes they make.
'Williams is too loose. Two or three turnovers early in the game and that can result in 15 or 16 rucks for the opposition.
'The scary thing is that if he was more selective with his offload, he'd be more effective.'
The wet and windy weather predicted for Saturday will also influence the success of Williams's offloads, while it will also affect the flow of the game.
'Both teams have quite similar philosophies. They stress field position and prefer to attack off opposition ball and unstructured possession. The Stormers now have the best defence in the competition, and they've taken over that mantle from the Saders.
'In the expected conditions, the scrums will be really significant, so that front row battle is something to watch out for. Whoever gets the edge there will get field position more easily.
'Also influencing the territory will be the role of the fullbacks. The selection of Conrad Jantjes over the last few weeks indicates they'll kick a lot. The Saders will also kick a lot from their own half, which makes the kick-return super important. Whoever wins that will allow them to score points in the opposition half.'
By Grant Ball
