Stormers looking to set the record straight against the Sharks

The Sharks surprised everyone last weekend with a 30-19 United Rugby Championship victory over the then-unbeaten Stormers outfit at a sold-out DHL Stadium, and De Jongh has praised Durban side's management for their impressive victory.

"Firstly, you have to give credit to the Cape Town fanbase for coming out in their numbers for a sold-out fixture," De Jongh told SportsBoom.co.za.

"There were some massive matchups, Springbok scrum-halves Cobus Reinach and Jaden Hendrikse going head-to-head, and fly-halves Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Jordan Hendrikse testing each other.

"JP [Pietersen] has done a great job since taking over. A lot of people were expecting a dominant Stormers performance, but he made a smart call by strengthening his bench with a 'bomb squad'. That helped the Sharks take a slight lead into half-time," he explained.

"It's brilliant to see JP stepping into this role. He has done his time with the academy, U19s and U21s. Players know him, and guys like Siya Kolisi have played alongside him at Springbok level. There's a lot of respect.

"There is clearly a fresh environment and renewed energy. You can see it even from the outside, the videos on YouTube and Instagram. Once you have the change room on your side, you can only move forward. What you don't want is lose the change room, as we have seen with the All Blacks and at the Bulls.

"You can see the fight in this rejuvenated Sharks side. People have been writing them off, and their position on the URC log hasn't helped. The Stormers weren't at their best, but credit to the Sharks, they won key battles."

The Sharks did magnificently to take victory away from home, and De Jongh believed they revealed issues within the Stormers' attack that need to be ironed out.

"The Stormers battled with their lineouts, scrums and some of their attacking moments," he stated.

The Stormers' captaincy situation has also been a talking point, with several leaders rotated due to injury and rest. Young fly-half Feinberg-Mngomezulu recently took on the role but has endured a mixed run, conceding a yellow card and showing a dip in form across two outings.

"There are two ways to look at it," continued the 37-year-old. "It's great to see him given leadership responsibility early in his career; he's done it before with junior sides. But he's a high-risk player, and with risk comes errors.

"When a leader makes errors, it can be difficult for the team to fully buy into what is being implemented. It will challenge him, but he is maturing with every game.

"The most important thing as a captain is form. You also have extra responsibilities, decision-making, whether to kick for poles or touch. Hopefully, the coaches and senior players keep him calm and focused on the basics."

Despite the concerns over captaincy, there remains a strong leadership team within the squad when all are fit.

"Guys like Salmaan Moerat, Neethling Fouché and others are leaders. It doesn't really matter who wears the armband," said De Jongh.

Adding further leadership capabilities to the Stormers squad will be the return of Springbok captain Kolisi to the Stormers set-up ahead of next season.

"Siya will be a massive asset," De Jongh said.

"John Dobson talks about making Cape Town smile and 'Project 2029'. With Siya coming back, that experience will be huge, both on and off the field. He has done so much for the country, and his presence alone will grow the Stormers brand.

“His family is in Cape Town, and hopefully he will be happy here. Even though he is on the older side, his leadership and influence will be massive.”

As for next Saturday's game in Durban, De Jongh expects a fierce Stormers response, saying: "It won't be easy for the Sharks this time. They came (to Cape Town) with massive hunger to topple the top team. The Stormers will fix things like their lineouts and scrums.

"This match will be decided in the final five minutes and because of the context, I believe the Stormers will edge it. They will be hungry."