S15R8 Crusaders vs Stormers @ New Christchurch Stadium, Christchurch

[PaarlBok]

Stormers in top form and the biggest challenge this year laying in waiting. Saders are pretty desperate for a win after their close loss against the Brutes.

Usually the hardest game on tour for the SA sides is the first one. The Stormers have past this test but this is something totally different.

This game will show if this young Stormers side have it between the ears, mentally. Cant remember IF any SA side have won there in the past and a BIG BIG challenge for them.

The Saders show they have the forward mongrel to take this Stormers side, they sure have the backs and a make or break game for them.

BIG game this and Mount Everest ahead of my team.

 

[spectator]

This will be the game of the year so far and I'm backing the Crusaders to win a very physical clash. Hopefully they soften up the Stormers enough for the week after.

 

[AngrySeahorse]

Despite the history for SA sides 1st game on tour being tough I don't think the Stormers will get the Saders at a better time than in the upcoming round. Both teams have had to travel from SA but the Saders are coming back from a tour & they looked buggered at times during the Bulls game.

The one pleasing thing from that Bulls game though was the improvement of the Saders side, there were still errors but much less than previous weeks. This gives me an indication that this could be a close contest.

Stormers have been playing great Rugby. I've said it numerous times that they are the form team. Based on form (& I know form can mean sweet FA but indulge me) & taking fatigue into consideration I'd put the Stormers as favourites (though I'm sure the TAB will have the Saders as fav's).

The head says Stormers. The heart says if any team can come back from a tour of SA then win at home against the form side - its the Saders, after last year I believe anything is possible.

@spectator, I really hope your right about that prediction. I am serious & not sarcastic when I say I hope for the sake of the Oz conference that the Saders do as you said & really get stuck into the Stormers.

 

[PaarlBok]

The Stormers have enough depth. Maybe they should start youngsters like Carr exct and keep the experiense lot for the second half. If they would drop a game it should be this one if they dont drop this one, the Reds will be mince meat for them the next week.

Start with JoeP, Habs, JP, JdV,vd Heever, Grant, Louis, Vermeulen, Kolisi, Carr, Steenkamp, Etsebeth, Malherbe, Tiaan, Ginga and get Bekker and kie from the bench.

 

[PaarlBok]

Maybe a bench with Aplon, de Jongh, Duvenhage, Harris, Fourie, Bekker, Elstadt will be able to launch a onslaught in the second half.

 

[whatty]

Pretty dam sure that if they were to rest players needing it, this would be the game. However given a serious chance to defeat the Crusaders at home may vitalise tired body's.

 

[Cave Dweller]

Do they need to rest players with a International break coming up? I seriously believe it can break up a teams momentum.

 

[Hawko]

Do they need to rest players with a International break coming up? I seriously believe it can break up a teams momentum.

Its a long time till the international break - that starts at round 15, we are only in round 8.

 

[Brisbok]

Do they need to rest players with a International break coming up? I seriously believe it can break up a teams momentum.

The form their team is in should result in quite a number of their players being selected for National duty. So how much break will they really get?

I agree with your second point though. For some teams it will be beneficial as it will allow them to work on the areas where they are struggling. For other teams who are playing well, it could seriously halt their momentum. Not to mention the possibility of one or two of their key players picking up injuries in the international games.

 

[rugbysmartarse]

although it's an away game for the stormers they will have the benefit of a full weeks training and no travel. They looked bloody tough last week, and I'm not going to be tipping against them again this week.

 

[PaarlBok]

Sport24

Wing Gio Aplon and loose-forward Nick Koster are the only two players on the doubtful list for the Stormers’ second Super Rugby tour match against the Crusaders in Christchurch on Saturday.
Aplon sustained a hip pointer injury shortly after half-time during the Stormers’ excellent opening tour victory against the Highlanders in Dunedin at the weekend.
Coach Allister Coetzee said after the 21-6 win that the Springbok’s condition would be assessed during the week, but Aplon has let it be known via Twitter that he is recovering fast and is no longer feeling the pain that he was.
Should he miss out, however, the Stormers do have a ready replacement in the shape of former Bulls star Gerhard van den Heever, who has impressed during the time that he has been working with the Cape franchise.
Presumably JP du Plessis, the exciting young centre who returned to the Cape from Melbourne during the off-season, would then slot into Van den Heever’s place on the bench.
Koster’s readiness to play could have an impact on Coetzee’s thinking when it comes to the selection of the pack. Rynhardt Elstadt did well on the flank in his second successive outing there against the Highlanders, but there is talk of Andries Bekker perhaps getting a rest this week by playing off the bench.
If Koster is ready to take up the No8 position, Duane Vermeulen could move back to the flank and Elstadt in to partner Eben Etzebeth in the second row.
Deon Fourie also played well when he came on in the second half and might be in line for a start. Coetzee has said that he wants his freshest 22 to be up for the Crusaders match.
However, changes would be a big call for Coetzee to make after the last two wins over the Bulls and the Highlanders, particularly as this match assumes extra significance for his team.
After losing twice to Crusaders last year, once in league play and again in the semi-final, both matches at Newlands, the Stormers will want to win this one and the next game against the Reds (who also beat them at Newlands last year) to erase any thoughts of there being a psychological barrier for them to overcome after 2011.
It has been a long time since a South African team last won in Christchurch so a victory to the Stormers would be another massive step forward psychologically.
And of course there is also the not insignificant consideration of the big blow that such a result would deliver to a Crusaders team that is starting to lose too often for comfort in the early part of this Super Rugby season.

Stormers havent won there, will make history if they do.

 

[PaarlBok]

Stormers team:
15. Joe Pietersen 14. Gerhard van den Heever 13. Juan de Jongh 12. Jean de Villiers (captain) 11. Bryan Habana 10. Peter Grant 9. Dewaldt Duvenage 8. Duane Vermeulen 7. Rynhardt Elstadt 6. Siya Kolisi 5. Andries Bekker 4. Eben Etzebeth 3. Brok Harris 2. Tiaan Liebenberg 1. Steven Kitshoff.
Replacements: 16. Deon Fourie 17. Frans Malherbe 18. De Kock Steenkamp 19. Nizaam Carr 20. Louis Schreuder 21. Burton Francis 22. Gio Aplon / JP du Plessis.

Excellent team. Malherbe probably had to start but at least his impact from the bench was great. Carr in Koster place a huge improvement. Great team this.

 

[spectator]

It is a very strong team PB. Will be a cracker of a game this weekend, that's for sure.

 

[PaarlBok]

It is a very strong team PB. Will be a cracker of a game this weekend, that's for sure.

Saders will always be the favourates, even on Newlands they are the favourates. They are even the favourates if they were to play Wales there. So its a big test for the Stormers youngsters. If they get it right, they sure will gain a lot of confidense. Myself think the bench have lots of woema and will be the most important part of the Stormers gameplan. Malherbe has been huge all year but in this game they need to start him from the bench in the 2nd half. Carr will be a great impact player for this game and probably the closest player we have to Schalkie. The Saders pinch a few turn overs from the breakdowns against the Brutes and we'll need to confront them the same way we did with Thomson. If we have a lead or is close at half time I think we will have a very good chance to make history. We need to up the pace in the second half in this game.

 

[Ruggo]

Tough one this one for your lot Paarl. Saders just have that abillity to front up and they will have done their homework after your Highlanders game. I think they will match you up front and you will have to play a bit wider. I think the Stormers are an even chance though. They look bloody good to date.

 

[PaarlBok]

Tough one this one for your lot Paarl. Saders just have that abillity to front up and they will have done their homework after your Highlanders game. I think they will match you up front and you will have to play a bit wider. I think the Stormers are an even chance though. They look bloody good to date.

History dont look that good:
History1996: Saders 16-16 WeePee Jade Stadium
1997: DNP
1998: Saders 37-25 Western Stormers Jade Stadium
1999: Saders 19-28 Stormers Newlands
2000: Saders 47-31 Stormers Trafalgar Park
2001: Saders 28-49 Stormers Newlands
2002: Saders 41-21 Stormers Jade
2003: Saders 51-13 Stormers Newlands
2004: Saders 24-9 Stormers Jade
2005: Saders 51-23 Stormers Newlands
2006: Saders 17-28 Stormers Newlands
2007: Saders 36-11 Stormers Jade
2008: Saders 22-0 Stormers Newlands
2009: Saders 11-7 Stormers Jade
2010: Saders 14-42 Stormers Newlands
2011: Saders 20-14 Stormers Newlands
Saders 29-10 Stormers Newlands

But then we add some talented youngsters, if they get it right it will be a massive mental boost for them going forward. Coetzee qouted that the young ones love these challenges.

Die Burger

Die Crusaders het 11 spelers in hul beginspan gehad wat die Stormers verlede jaar in ’n halfeindstryd op Nuweland geklop het.

Hulle is nou sonder Brad Thorn (slot), Sonny Bill Williams (senter) en Richie McCaw (flank), maar het Dagg by.

Luke Romano is egter ’n heel bruikbare slot in Thorn se plek, terwyl Matt Todd al voorheen gewys het dat hy in McCaw se afwesigheid opgewasse is.

Maar, soos die Stormers se breier, Allister Coetzee, al gesê het, “leef” sy spelers vir sulke uitdagings.

 

[Ulrich]

The Highlanders coach warned the Crusaders this week of the Stormers' tackling technique, mentioning that the stormers hold players up and drive them back.

I reckon the Crusaders will take heed by going into the collisions as low as possible and falling down and creating chances by recycling quickly.

Sadly I feel this week we will lose.

 

[qwerty51]

Without Thorn to give the Crusaders a dominant scrum the scrum battle will be even. The tall Stormers pack will no doubt look to target the worst lineout throwing hooker in the comp and should steal plenty of ball or force l/o turnovers. Physical match but with the added travel I think the Stormers will snatch it late for a famous victory.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Without Thorn to give the Crusaders a dominant scrum the scrum battle will be even. The tall Stormers pack will no doubt look to target the worst lineout throwing hooker in the comp and should steal plenty of ball or force l/o turnovers. Physical match but with the added travel I think the Stormers will snatch it late for a famous victory.

Mealamu doesn't play for the Crusaders......

In terms of tackling and advice from the Landers, firstly a number of the Landers forwards were far to upright when carrying the ball last week and became easy targets for the Stormers.

Two main things I want to see this weekend from my team is greater accuracy in the tackle and Fruean running more direct- not in a smash it up fashion, but straightening the line rather than drifting out.

 

[The Red Baron]

Mealamu doesn't play for the Crusaders......

I was confused as well. However, I thought he was talking about the Waratahs.

Banter aside, this match is going to be brutal. The Stormers have certainly fronted up so far, and have bashed teams into submission. Their attack is looking a lot freer as a result. The Crusaders will be desperate to win this one though. They haven't hit their stride yet, but I sense that they are starting to build.

Funnily enough, the Stormers should go into this match fresher than the Crusaders. Both teams had tough encounters last week. However, the Stormers have had time to settle in NZ, whereas the Crusaders have only just come back home from their SA tour.