Defence guru Norman Laker has lifted the lid on Ruhan Nel’s influence as the Stormers’ defensive system clicked into gear in Pretoria.
While Laker was quick to credit the collective effort in Saturday’s statement 32-19 north-south derby win over the Vodacom Bulls, he made it clear that Nel’s influence runs deep.
“I’ve known Ruhan since 2017 … we’ve won the Currie Cup and the URC together. He understands what’s happening in my brain and I understand what’s happening in his brain. It sounds funny but it’s true.”
That understanding built over years and trophies, was evident in the way the Stormers organised themselves in Pretoria. Structure, spacing and decision-making all clicked, with Nel acting as the conduit between plan and execution.
But his impact didn’t start on Saturday.
Laker revealed that even during his time on the sidelines, Nel remained embedded in the system – studying, analysing and contributing behind the scenes.
“He also understands how much work goes into it behind the scenes. During his time off he was looking at games and helping us analyse. He understands what it takes to analyse teams and to defend properly against them.”
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That extra layer of understanding has turned Nel into more than just a midfield defender, he’s effectively an extension of the coaching staff on the field.
And in the crucial 13 channel, that matters.
“He also gives the group a lot of confidence when he’s defending at 13 … the 13 and 15 always need to have the same mindset … whether it’s Warrick [Gelant] at 15 or Damian [Willemse], they’re constantly communicating with Ruhan which makes it quite easy to give confidence to the rest of the group.”
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Photo: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
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