The Blues have undergone some sort of metamorphosis in 2020 and the Stormers know they are facing a different beast at Newlands on Saturday.
Coach Leon MacDonald’s team from Auckland finished last year at the foot of the New Zealand Conference.
But after two wins from four outings, with the latest being a win over the Bulls at Loftus last weekend, they are showing signs of big improvement.
In fact, Stormers assistant coach Dawie Snyman is convinced it’s not the same team.
Dawie Snyman. Picture: CHRIS RICCO/BACKPAGEPIX
He explains: “They’ve worked a lot on their set pieces - they’ve got one of the best scrums in New Zealand.
“Their kicking game has also changed quite a bit from the previous year - where they have been kicking off the cuff and instinctively, you can see they’ve got a definite plan now in the way they are kicking. They put you under pressure and are defensively a well-organised team.
“On attack as well, they are organised.
“It’s a well-coached side and it’s going to be a tough challenge on Saturday.”
Snyman adds: “They are [also] physical - it feels like every time we play against them there’s a bit of argy-bargy.
“They’ve also got fans here and it’s great for us to play in front of a strong crowd - even if it’s not all in support of us.”