PaarlBok
Rod McCall (65)
Did this for TSF and thought I'll copy mine for TYS.
History
Rassie Erasmus start a year back from zero with this team and have a three year plan in place. Well he took them within a whisper of a semi spot in 2008 and only one try short. In the end injuries to Schalk Burger, JD Moller and Conrad Jantjes costing them. Debt and experience costing them.
Player Loss
The Stormers loose Liebenberg, Skeate & van der Merwe(France) & Robbie Diack (Ireland) . These ones wasn?t run XV players , so not that big of loss.
Players Gain
Rassie bought experience with Percy (France), AJ Venter (Sharks) & Willem de Waal (France) and some fine talent in Duanne Vermeulen (Cheetahs), Hilton Lobberts (Brutes) and maybe the Tongan Alipate Fatafehi
If you compare the two I add much needed experience and grunt.
New Talent
Debt is very important in S14 rugby and myself think that?s one of the main reason Rassie lay his hands on the Stormers franchise. He invited 15 youngsters in the start squad to give them exposure but I?d love to see youngsters like Koster, PJ Vermeulen, Newman, Hoffmann, Fourie, Blaauw, Kritzinger, Pieter Louw, Joe Pietersen & Dylan des Fountain grab their change during the S14 with both hands if given a change.
Possible Run On XV
Jantjes*, Sereli, Bobo*, Jean*, Chavangha*, Grant*, Januarie*, Vermeulen, Louw, Schalk*, Fondse, Bekker*, Mujatsi*, Brits*, Moller
Rassie will try to kick off 2009 where he left off in 2008.
Possible Dirt Trackers
Percy*, Pietersen, de Fountain, Newman, Alipate Fatafehi/Human, de Waal, Bolla*, Nic Koster, Pieter Louw, Luke Watson*, Hilton Lobberts*, AJ Venter*, Wikus Blaauw, Adries Fourie, JC Kritzenher
A good mixbag of experiense and youngster in this lot.
* Springbokke
Players to Watch:
Jean de Villiers : Not only is he their captain but also their playmaker.
Schalk Burger: The lighter of the Stormers fire.
Ricky Januarie: Tough little customer.
Andries Fourie: This little Energade bundle of energy wont stand back and made a huge improvement in our CC champaign.
Andries Bekker: our tower in the lineouts.
Positives
The Stormers still have growth within their best group of players. Players like Jantjes, Januarie, Bekker & Mujatsi has made their jump to national level and others like Grant, Watson, JD Moller, Schalk Brits, Chavangha, Fondse, Francois Louw, Bobo & Sereli sure have develop in fine S14 players. Add their top stars like Schalk Burger & Jean de Villiers you sure have one hell of a team. They only need to go one better to be in the top lot. The Stormers is the one SA team that like to play the quick , wide game. In fact I think that?s the ingredient they bring to the Springbok table. ELVs will be much easier in its second year for them. Rassie Erasmus is one of the best young SA coaches and has shown his worth. The Stormers defense was one of the best in 2008.
Negatives
Still the Saffers questions their Tight Five. Myself think they can turn that around in 2009 and no one better then in round 1 against the Sharks. They have one tough tour in 2009 and plays three semi teams (Saders, Tahs & Canes) away this year. That may hurt their aspirations and will be their biggest test. WeePee and Stormers lost their winning culture aome time ago. They lost ou on CC aspiration now two years in a row and the Stormers left it to late in 2008.
Calender:
Sharks (h), Reds (h), Blues (h), Bulls (a), Lions (h), Saders (a), Tahs (a), Brumbies (a), Canes (a), Highlanders (a), Chiefs (h), Force (h), Cheetahs (a)
Prediction:
The Stormers is serious semi contenders. Nothing less will satisfy the faithfull Stormers supporter like myself.
History
Rassie Erasmus start a year back from zero with this team and have a three year plan in place. Well he took them within a whisper of a semi spot in 2008 and only one try short. In the end injuries to Schalk Burger, JD Moller and Conrad Jantjes costing them. Debt and experience costing them.
Player Loss
The Stormers loose Liebenberg, Skeate & van der Merwe(France) & Robbie Diack (Ireland) . These ones wasn?t run XV players , so not that big of loss.
Players Gain
Rassie bought experience with Percy (France), AJ Venter (Sharks) & Willem de Waal (France) and some fine talent in Duanne Vermeulen (Cheetahs), Hilton Lobberts (Brutes) and maybe the Tongan Alipate Fatafehi
If you compare the two I add much needed experience and grunt.
New Talent
Debt is very important in S14 rugby and myself think that?s one of the main reason Rassie lay his hands on the Stormers franchise. He invited 15 youngsters in the start squad to give them exposure but I?d love to see youngsters like Koster, PJ Vermeulen, Newman, Hoffmann, Fourie, Blaauw, Kritzinger, Pieter Louw, Joe Pietersen & Dylan des Fountain grab their change during the S14 with both hands if given a change.
Possible Run On XV
Jantjes*, Sereli, Bobo*, Jean*, Chavangha*, Grant*, Januarie*, Vermeulen, Louw, Schalk*, Fondse, Bekker*, Mujatsi*, Brits*, Moller
Rassie will try to kick off 2009 where he left off in 2008.
Possible Dirt Trackers
Percy*, Pietersen, de Fountain, Newman, Alipate Fatafehi/Human, de Waal, Bolla*, Nic Koster, Pieter Louw, Luke Watson*, Hilton Lobberts*, AJ Venter*, Wikus Blaauw, Adries Fourie, JC Kritzenher
A good mixbag of experiense and youngster in this lot.
* Springbokke
Players to Watch:
Jean de Villiers : Not only is he their captain but also their playmaker.
Schalk Burger: The lighter of the Stormers fire.
Ricky Januarie: Tough little customer.
Andries Fourie: This little Energade bundle of energy wont stand back and made a huge improvement in our CC champaign.
Andries Bekker: our tower in the lineouts.
Positives
The Stormers still have growth within their best group of players. Players like Jantjes, Januarie, Bekker & Mujatsi has made their jump to national level and others like Grant, Watson, JD Moller, Schalk Brits, Chavangha, Fondse, Francois Louw, Bobo & Sereli sure have develop in fine S14 players. Add their top stars like Schalk Burger & Jean de Villiers you sure have one hell of a team. They only need to go one better to be in the top lot. The Stormers is the one SA team that like to play the quick , wide game. In fact I think that?s the ingredient they bring to the Springbok table. ELVs will be much easier in its second year for them. Rassie Erasmus is one of the best young SA coaches and has shown his worth. The Stormers defense was one of the best in 2008.
Negatives
Still the Saffers questions their Tight Five. Myself think they can turn that around in 2009 and no one better then in round 1 against the Sharks. They have one tough tour in 2009 and plays three semi teams (Saders, Tahs & Canes) away this year. That may hurt their aspirations and will be their biggest test. WeePee and Stormers lost their winning culture aome time ago. They lost ou on CC aspiration now two years in a row and the Stormers left it to late in 2008.
Calender:
Sharks (h), Reds (h), Blues (h), Bulls (a), Lions (h), Saders (a), Tahs (a), Brumbies (a), Canes (a), Highlanders (a), Chiefs (h), Force (h), Cheetahs (a)
Prediction:
The Stormers is serious semi contenders. Nothing less will satisfy the faithfull Stormers supporter like myself.
