Stormers’ scrum edge to end?

Cape Town – Arguably the best scrummaging unit of the entire Super Rugby field thus far, the Stormers might just meet their Waterloo when defending champions the Waratahs square up to them at Allianz Stadium on Saturday (11:40 SA time).

Put it this way: if the visitors manage to put a notable shunt on the bulky ‘Tahs eight, their supremacy in the phase will be almost beyond dispute in 2015 even if the Crusaders might be best justified for shooting up a hand in indignant protest – at least when referees aren’t being too harsh on Wyatt Crockett’s much-debated technique.

The Stormers have subsided in recent weeks to mid-table overall, yet all season long the Capetonians have asserted themselves fairly forcefully at scrum time: if I were one of regular starting props Steven Kitshoff or Vincent Koch, for instance, I might be reasonably miffed that the franchise find themselves outside the coveted six playoffs berths right now.