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Super Rugby: Stormers have no plans to rotate team as winning run continues

Herschel Jantjies of the Stormers celebrate after scoring a try during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Hurricanes at DHL Newlands Stadium on February 01, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa
Image: The Stormers have won each of their first four Super Rugby games in 2020

Top-of-the-table Stormers have no plans to rotate their team and rest players after four successive Super Rugby victories, seeing their next match against the Blues as vital in their bid to keep their winning momentum on track.

"We are going to go full out, it's massive," said Stormers coach John Dobson ahead of Saturday's clash at Newlands, where the Cape Town-based side have won three times already this season and conceded just a single try.

"The Blues always box well here, we know what sort of game it's going to be.

"It will be physical, niggly, every cliche you can think of. But they've got some real x-factor too and I think it will be a classic South Africa versus New Zealand game.

"They are a much better team than their log position suggests."

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The Blues sit third in the New Zealand Conference after two victories and two defeats.

"We had a long discussion with the players about this and we are going full metal jacket," Dobson said. "If we can make it five from five, then we are in a really strong position."

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He said prescribed rest for international players and freshening up his team would have to wait.

Jamie Roberts (DHL Stormers debut) of the Stormers during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Hurricanes at DHL Newlands Stadium on February 01, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Image: The Stormers signed Wales international Jamie Roberts at the beginning of the Super Rugby season

"We do have a periodisation plan, but our goal was to try and win our first five matches, especially with four of them at home," said Dobson, whose side are the only team to have won all their games so far in this year's competition.

"Then we have a bye and then, theoretically, one or two easier games where we can create opportunities for other players. Then, hopefully, we can go on tour in a really good position points-wise and won't be under too much pressure."

The Stormers only travel to New Zealand and Australia in late April.

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - FEBRUARY 22: Damian Willemse of the Stormers offloads the ball in the tackle during the Super Rugby match between DHL Stormers and Jaguares at DHL Newlands on February 22, 2020 in Cape Town, South Africa.
Image: Damian Willemse has been running the show for the Stormers at fly-half

"We'll have Crusaders, Chiefs and Brumbies away, which are not easy games," the coach added after Saturday's 17-7 win over the Jaguares, last year's runners-up.

"I was much happier with our performance, even though the reasons why might not be all that clear to see," Dobson said. "We had to grind it out but I thought our processes were so much better; our set-piece was solid, ball retention good.

"I thought in terms of the stuff that we wanted to improve on, we were a quantum leap better."