A time when reserves have to equate to 20 000 people

Captain Steven Kitshoff was effusive in his praise of his team’s replacements after his team’s solid 30-13 win over the Toyota Cheetahs in what turned out to be the DHL Stormers’ last ever appearance in Vodacom Super Rugby.

There’s nothing odd about that. Or there wouldn’t be if he was referring to the ‘Bomb Squad’ type contribution he himself was part of when the Springboks won last year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan. The difference was that Kitshoff wasn’t praising the reserves for any onfield contribution, though they did bring that too.

Instead, he was lauding the men wearing Nos 16 through to 23 for their contribution in their new role during the times of Covid - that of cheerleaders and providers of crowd noise. I ventured to Newlands for the game - there were five journalists there in all - and can vouch for hubbub created by Messrs Mbonambi and company from the dug-out at the side of the field.

“The bench was incredible today and it helped us generate our own atmosphere on the field,” said Kitshoff of the support the starting team received from the players backing him up.

The Stormers players had only played once at home in Super Rugby Unlocked prior to the Cheetahs game. That was when they hosted the Emirates Lions in their first match, having had a bye in the opening round of competition.

Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi was still fit and led the team then, and he spoke afterwards about how weird it was playing in front of an empty Newlands.

“It was noticeable both in the game and when we were doing our warm-ups on the field beforehand,” he said. “Normally, in usual times before Covid, we get energy from the crowd when we do our preparations but before this game there was none of that and perhaps it contributed to us appearing to lack energy in the game.”

The Stormers, having struggled to beat the Pumas in Nelspruit before being outplayed at Loftus by the Vodacom Bulls in the meantime, have had to work on generating their own energy, and while both he and Stormers coach John Dobson agreed that it was eerie playing at an empty Newlands, that is something the team has started to get right.

“It is a bit weird playing in a stadium where we usually get such big support and it is empty but we just have to create our own energy and our own atmosphere on the field,” said Kitshoff.

“That is why after we score a try we run back into the huddle and almost overdo the high fives and the celebrations. It is all about creating atmosphere, about getting the guys energised. These are difficult times, the lack of noise in the stadium is strange, but I am really proud of the way this team has adapted to the changes that have been forced on us by the changed protocols (around Covid).”

Dobson believes that the lack of crowd in for the games is most noticeable when the team does something that would normally bring the Newlands faithful to the feet and send a roar of approval rolling up Table Mountain that resembles the sound of an earth tremor rolling past Cape Town from Langebaan in the early hours of the morning.

And moments like that came several times in the game against the Cheetahs, with the three tries, but particularly the last one, all being quite spectacular and the product of skilful execution.

“It really is eerie when there is no crowd in and I do feel sorry for the players, they have to make their own energy and to score a try like that and it is absolutely dead quiet must be really weird,” said Dobson.

The Stormers have the week off now because of the Covid forced cancellation of the scheduled final Unlocked game against the Cell C Sharks in Durban, and their next match will be the return north/south derby at Newlands a week later as the Stormers change into the blue and white hoops of Western Province for the start of the Carling Lager Currie Cup.

In a normal year, without Covid having an impact, that would have been a hugely emotional occasion for both teams - for the Stormers it would be the last time they host their traditional arch-rivals at Newlands, while for the Bulls it will be the last time they visit one of South Africa’s most iconic rugby venues. A full house would have been expected.

It will still be an emotional occasion for everyone involved, but it won’t be played in front of a big crowd. So those players who will expect to be on the reserve bench ought to be getting in some shouting practice in the meantime.