Stormers 2010

[Blue]

De Waal at 10, Grant at 12.

That's doesnt inspire. Neither are in any way creative. Pretty much what you see is what you get players.

 

[PaarlBok]

PB, where do you expect the Stormers to finish in the competition?

If they dont make the semis I'll be disappointed

 

[PaarlBok]

De Waal at 10, Grant at 12.

That's doesnt inspire. Neither are in any way creative. Pretty much what you see is what you get players.

Ever heard of the name Lionel Cronje? You going to find out very soon.

 

[PaarlBok]

PB, where do you expect the Stormers to finish in the competition?

If they dont make the semis I'll be disappointed

The reason for my optimism.

The Stormers will play for the first time in many years as a team. Luke Watson may have played some good games for us but he sure wasnt good for team spirit. Pretty sure he was a poison in this regard and one reason why Schalk did not perform in the Stormers jersey like he did in the green one. Already the right signs coming from the camp and you can be sure he'll lead from the front.

The Stormers / WP tight 5 will be one of the best in the compition. They'll have a good scrum (expecting Wikus Blaauw to keep on destroying THs like he did in the CC) , one of the best lineouts with Bekker, Fondse, van Zyl and the youngsters Steenkamp & Muller, probably one of the best sets of losies with Schalk, Vermeulen, F Louw, Koster & kie and

a backline with sting with the addition of Habana & Mossie.

They have backup depth of real talented youngsters now age for S14 rugby and their structure cycle completed.

 

[Blue]

Paarl I hope you're right. I really hope so. Problem is you may have to rely on a rookie TH and a rookie at 10. If they come through you'll be ok.Your starting front row goes down and you are stuffed.

Problem is the Stormers have a monkey on their back and have never really believed they can win. Maybe that changes, Time will tell.

I hope Cronje comes through and is an amazing ten but for years and years we have talked up young tens in SA and they all failed.

 

[PaarlBok]

Brock Harris maybe a rookie in years but I am sure he goes in his third year now. Also saw they are experimenting with JD Moller in TH and JC Kritzinger in LH. Lets hope the Smith twins will be the real next thing. For once Rassie and kie hold on to great young talent these days. Speaking of it I see Rossouw de Klerk also on the up for the Bulls. Watch that kid, he is going to be a goodie.

 

[PaarlBok]

Stormers will also play the Cape Cobras in a cricket match on sunday. Should be interesting, know Schalk Burger is usefull cricketer and can hit a ball many a mile

The first choice players fared a bit better in obtaining a tie in a 20-20 style cricket match against the Cobras at Newlands on Sunday. Schalk Burger - who played some good cricket before concentrating on rugby - was man of the match.

 

[PaarlBok]

Cricket action between the Stormers and Cape Cobras last sunday

http://www.zoopy.com/video/317b/cape-cobras-vs-stormers-in-cricket-showdown?browse=3nlo

 

[Ishmael]

Schalk's been really quiet recently and to be honest it strikes me as add to have a player with his disciplinary record assuming the captain duties. Having said that, the Stormers are looking like a pretty good prospect this year, particularly in the back five of the scrum. Habana will add plenty of strike power out wide as well.

It's always really interesting to watch the progress of the Saffa teams in the S14 because they're so unpredictable year to year. My predictions for this year:

1. Bulls - I think teams will work out how to play them this year and after losing Habana I think they'll struggle to execute their kick-and-chase plan. Don't think we'll see them in the semi's.

2. Sharks - Always a strong outfit in recent seasons but tend to struggle at the last few hurdles. The inside backs are going to be a problem one again and while their forward muscle will be too strong for a lot of teams in the bottom half of the table, several of the teams from Aus/NZ are assembling big packs this year and will be too organised in the backs for them. Might scrape into the semi's but no further.

3. Stormers - Not sure here. They look to have a very strong pack but not entirely convinced by their backline. If some of the youngsters perform like the Saffa pundits are predicting then they're in with a good shot at the semi's.

4. Cheetahs - Once again I think they'll figure in the bottom half. They'll knock off a few big names and give a few others a real fright but over the whole season they won't have the consistency or depth to trouble much higher than 7th.

5. Lions - After last season i thought the Lions were really building to something. But after losing Ludik and Alberts (two of their best players last year) I think it's going to be a dire year for them. Also, did I see somewhere Jacque Fourie has moved to one of the other Saffa sides? If so, then I think it's curtains for the cats.

There we have it. I'll be back here at season's end to check how woefully inaccurate my predictions were. Good luck you billtong biting bastards.

 

[PaarlBok]

Look like Alberts and Luddick may end up playing neither for the Sharks or Lions at the moment. Saru will only allow them to play for the Sharks IF the Lions issue their release and this look like wont happening at the moment.


Regarding Schalk's captaincy, well myself follow his play from young schooldays and he led all the teams from early days. He wont be your hard talking type of captain and leads through his play. He will be the first to acknowledge he have to work on his ref talking but he sure wont back down in his play. Thats the only way he know to play the game and I have full confidense in his abilities as a leader.

I dont agree on your view of the Bulls, they'll cope pretty quick with Habana's loss and they have gain the all important Gary Botha. It will be all important from a SA point of view that the Stormers and Bulls play well because they face the same opponents week after week. Both have a good fixture list.

The surprise of our teams will be the Cheetahs (Tin Ears). The probably have the most depth this year of all our teams and start off with a longies home run before touring. If they build up steam they will be some good value. They are the biggest rugby puzzle , they play fantastic away from home in our CC (beat the Sharks last year in the semi in Durban) but they never brought that form to the S14. Just maybe 2010 they'll do that.

The Sharks and Lions have tours of hell.

 

[Ishmael]

It'll be a real shame about Ludik and Alberts. Quality players.

It's all well and good Schalk being a lead-from-the-front type but to put it bluntly he's a thug and though I've never met the guy it doesn't look like he's got too much between the ears. Is there a professional rugby captain anywhere in the world with a disciplinary record like his? Not only does it not send a good message to the rest of the team but his players will walk out every match wondering whether they're captain's going to be on the pitch for the whole game.

Re the Cheetahs, the thing with Saffa rugby is that CC form rarely seems to carry over to S14 for whatever reason. The Cheetahs are always there or there abouts in the CC but disappear int he S14. Who are their likely centres this year?

 

[PaarlBok]

Re the Cheetahs, the thing with Saffa rugby is that CC form rarely seems to carry over to S14 for whatever reason. The Cheetahs are always there or there abouts in the CC but disappear int he S14. Who are their likely centres this year?

They start off with the same combo they had last year with Bosman & Corne Uys (x Stormers)

Their backup will be the SA 7s specialist youngsters Robert Ebersohn & Phillip Snyman , JW Jonker ( he plays now for them a few season) and the Griquas player Barry Geel.

The one big plus for them this year is that Griquas had a very good CC and nearly ending above them in the CC log. You lot wont know much of their players except if you watch them nearly beat the BIl in the Royal colours in the first match. Players like Sarel Potgieter (he played a few last year and surely end the season as one of SA top scrummies) , Riaan Viljoen a very good versatile player (played 15 for a few minutes for the Bok dirt Trackers) as example.

Then mustnt count out the Os factor they have. Os joining their coaching staff last year and sure means they'll have one of the strongest scrums in the compo. You watch Wiaan du Preez & WP Nel have a dig this year.

Anyway my c worth.

 

[PaarlBok]

Coetzee & Schalks views on where the Stormers are at this very moment

Superrugby

Stormers confident but not arrogant

For Stormers coach Allister Coetzee, the most challenging task awaiting him in the next two weeks is to keep his team’s feet rooted firmly to the ground and the expectations of the demanding Cape public at a realistic level.

The Stormers could not have asked for more from their two matches in the Neo Africa Tri-Series played at Newlands last week. They thumped the Western Force 54-12, and were probably better than their 29-14 win over the Sharks would suggest.

Although the Force were under-strength and the Sharks are clearly struggling to get into the new season and have a couple of problems they need to address, the emphatic nature of the victories should have been a confidence booster for the players involved.

The coaches would also have noted with some pleasure the various components of the team coming together. The forwards continued to build on the improvements made by Western Province in the last Currie Cup season, and were completely dominant over the Sharks towards the end of the match last Friday.

The backs, with Springbok recruits Jaque Fourie and Bryan Habana in the team, looked potent with their wide range attacks, with the forwards and three-quarters combining in encouraging fashion in scoring six tries in the first half against the Force and again for periods of the Sharks game.

What was particularly impressive though was the way the Stormers were able to change their game in the second half against the Sharks. Instead of running it wide, they employed a short driving game going into the last quarter, and it paid handsome dividends. If nothing else, this Stormers team has proved that it has more than one way of playing and winning.

And yet to suggest that they have the winning touch might be a bit premature, something readily acknowledged by both Coetzee and skipper Schalk Burger. Pre-season games have a funny knack of giving a false hue to what might follow in the season proper, and all the Stormers leaders are mindful of this.

“We have reason to be happy with that performance and again I would say we ticked all the boxes. It is only the pre-season still, but at this stage I would say everything appears to be coming together nicely,” said Coetzee.

“But we must be careful of getting ahead of ourselves. This is just the pre-season, and we know that the teams we played against wouldn’t have shown all their moves.”

Coetzee added that there was a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

“We don’t want the team to be arrogant, but we want them to be confident in their abilities. We also want the guys to enjoy it and have fun, for if we don’t, it could be a long season,” said the coach.

Burger was quite forthright on his views on where the pre-season games stand in the general scheme of things.

“These are just warm-up games, they don’t mean much and are really just practice sessions, so it feels a bit weird that we should even be having a press conference about it to be honest,” said Burger after the Sharks game.

“We played a good game but at the end of it all it means nothing, there were no log points up for grabs and the real thing starts when we play the Lions in the opening Super 14 match. Last year the Bulls lost pre-season games, in fact I think they lost all their pre-season games. But look where they ended up, they won the Super 14 with something to spare.”

Round 1 against the Lions and 2 against the Waratahs all important and ggod to read the captains view. This year they need to start with a boom.

 

[PaarlBok]

The Stormers will play Boland in a historical rugby match on the brand new Cape Town Stadium on saturday. 40,000 Sold out on monday. That have to be a record for a warmup match.

http://www.computicket.com/web/event/cape_town_stadium_rugby_festival/96220018

Stormers site

"Everything is geared up for the first clash against the Lions, it will be a helluva game and we want to make sure that everyone has had 120-plus minutes of game time."

Coetzee on Monday also announced a 28-man squad for the Boland match. The Stormers will be without prop Wicus Blaauw and lock Andries Bekker. The coach said Blaauw picked up a bit of a shoulder niggle this weekend and it would be unwise to play him.

"Andries has some stiffness, that's why he's not involved, and I'm happy with what I've seen from De Kock (Steenkamp), and it's important to give (Anton) Van Zyl 80 minutes."

Centre Dylan des Fountain is also back after a long absence due to injury. "Dylan makes a welcome return. He is fully recovered and we are looking forward to seeing him in action," commented Coetzee.

Fullback Joe Pietersen is also getting a breather this weekend. Coetzee explained the exciting youngster had a bit of a bump on the thigh and they just want to make sure with him, and he's had enough game time too.

The Vodacom Stormers squad v Boland:

Props - JD Moller, Eusebio Guinazu, JC Kritzinger

Hookers - Deon Fourie, Callie Visagie

Locks - Martin Muller, Anton van Zyl, Rynhardt Elstadt

Flankers - Schalk Burger (capt), Pieter Louw, Pieter Myburgh, Yahya Hartzenberg, Conraad Britz, Duane Vermeulen

Scrumhalves - Bolla Conradie, Ricky Januarie

Flyhalves - Willem De Waal, Lionel Cronje

Centres - Frikkie Welsh, Paul Bosch, Tim Whitehead, Juan de Jongh, Jaque Fourie

Wingers / Fullback - Bryan Habana, Sireli Naqelevuki, Gio Aplon, Fabian Juries, Dylan des Fountain

 

[PaarlBok]

Stormers team for saturday

Stormers site

Coetzee announces team for Boland
- Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Allister Coetzee, head coach of the Vodacom Stormers, on Wednesday announced his team to play a Boland Invitational IV at the new Cape Town Stadium on Saturday 6 February.

The coach selected a squad of 27 players, with Ricky Januarie, Willem de Waal and Dylan des Fountain getting their first starts this season. Januarie on Monday returned from Wales, where he played for the Ospreys.

De Waal and Des Fountain have recovered from long-term injuries. Fabian Juries, the recruit from the Cheetahs, will running out at fullback instead of his favoured wing position.

Several stalwarts, such as Jaque Fourie, Andries Bekker, Joe Pietersen, Brok Harris and Peter Grant will not be involved in the action on Saturday.

This will be the Stormers last warm-up game before they take on the Lions in Johannesburg next weekend in their first Super 14 match of the 2010 series.

Gates open at 14h00 and there is a whole line up of entertainment, including a Castle Cape Town Tens curtain raiser game: SA 10's Legends vs International 10's Legends at 15h00. Kick-off for the main game is at 16h15.

Please note that tickets to this fixture are SOLD OUT.

The Vodacom Stormers team is as follows:

15. Fabian Juries
14. Sireli Naqelevuki
13. Frikkie Welsh
12. Paul Bosch
11. Dylan Des Fountain
10. Willem De Waal
9. Ricky Januarie
8. Pieter Louw
7 Yaya Hartzenberg
6. Schalk Burger (C)
5. Anton Van Zyl
4. Rynhardt Elstadt
3. JC Kritzinger
2. Deon Fourie
1. JD Moller

Reserves

16. Callie Visagie
17. Eusebio Guinazu
18. Martin Muller
19. Pieter Myburgh
20. Conraad Britz
21. Bolla Conradie
22. Lionel Cronje
23. Tim Whitehead
24. Duane Vermeulen
25. Bryan Habana
26. Juan De Jongh
27. Gio Aplon

Bolands team
Boland vs. Stormers: Jacquin Jansen; Whalied Heyns, PJ Vermeulen, Lionel Cornelius, Cornell Hendriks; Dean Grant, Neil Papier; Zandré Jordaan, Hilton Lobberts, Franzel September, Grant le Roux, Johan Peacock, Rossouw Kruger, Ashton Constant, Janro van Niekerk ©. Reserwes: Raoul Larson, Clement Lewis, Sephelo Majaba, André du Toit, Wesley Kotze, Angelo Brinkhuis, David Hendricks, Manie Adams, Llewellyn Adonis, Danré Gerber, Jeremy Plaatjies, Hyron Thysse, Willie le Roux

 

[PaarlBok]

Was quite surprise they showed this match live on TV. Only watch the second half and from what I saw Lionel Cronje impressed me. Pieter Louw also had a good game and the Stormers look ready for the S14.

 

[Blue]

It'll be a real shame about Ludik and Alberts. Quality players.

It's all well and good Schalk being a lead-from-the-front type but to put it bluntly he's a thug and though I've never met the guy it doesn't look like he's got too much between the ears. Is there a professional rugby captain anywhere in the world with a disciplinary record like his? Not only does it not send a good message to the rest of the team but his players will walk out every match wondering whether they're captain's going to be on the pitch for the whole game.

Re the Cheetahs, the thing with Saffa rugby is that CC form rarely seems to carry over to S14 for whatever reason. The Cheetahs are always there or there abouts in the CC but disappear int he S14. Who are their likely centres this year?

Yep. Can't captain from the bench if you're watching only 14 of your mates. Bad choice but it was a case of who else? Should have been Bekker but he breaks all the time.

 

[PaarlBok]

Image taken from saturdays 40,000 crowd in the Slaapstad Stadium