London Irish vs. Stormers has the makings of a contest of the round in the Champions Cup

Those who attend the Champions Cup encounter between London Irish and the Stormers at Brentford Community Stadium are in for a treat.

You may even argue that such a contest merits a more impressive venue than the small West London field.

Forwards coach Rito Hlungwani admits that the Stormers are cognizant of the necessity to finish off opponents when they have them on the ropes.

“When we exited the game, one of the things we said was that we cannot lose our spirits or our heads due to this loss. But the only thing we should seek is to learn from it,” the former second row remarked.

“We must learn how to end these games, how to close them out… There were a few things within our control that we did not accomplish, and we spent many hours in meetings discussing how to perform specific tasks more effectively.

“However, this is not necessarily a major concern for us. We have recognized several factors from the Glasgow game, which were likely different from the Cardiff game, but which we have learned from and wish to better.

The Glasgow Warriors outperformed the Stormers pack defensively and offensively in the lineout and maul.

Although a portion of their mauling difficulties may be down to problems hitting jumpers in windy circumstances. They desire a response from this department.

“The greatest disappointment from a forwards’ perspective was the level at which we were pummeled. “We were let down by the fact that we did not adhere to our structure, our system, and the manner in which we connect,” Hlungwani added.

London Irish against. Stormers: Champions Cup statistics and historical context

“We had more mauling opportunities than in any other game, and as I told the players, I walked away from the game believing that Glasgow did a great job stopping us. After evaluating the game, we realized how poorly we executed the goals we had for the maul.

“It was entirely our fault… We were inadequate when it came to mauling. Typically, we seize this opportunity, particularly in the 22. The attempt to maul so much is never a problem for us, but the execution was a major issue that we have since addressed. We will never feel that we are mauling excessively.

The Stormers have a diverse attack and will counter-attack when the opportunity presents itself.

London Irish are also famed for their ingenuity, routinely producing 70-80 metre specials.

Enjoy the highlights of their Cape Town meeting as a reminder of what these sides are capable of.