Jean: Cats still favourites
9 Feb 2006
Despite being depleted by injury, Jean de Villiers believes the Cats are still the favourites to start their Vodacom Super 14 campaign with victory on Saturday.
Speaking to keo.co.za, the Stormers first-choice 12 emphasised the importance of home ground advantage, and anything the Cape side pick up will be a bonus.
“Look it’s definitely not going to be easy, the Super 14 is the sort of competition where next week is your toughest game, and every side is capable of knocking each other over,” De Villiers said. “I don’t know why everyone is writing off the Cats. They have a very good side with a settled backline and exceptional loose forwards. They must be the favourites playing at home.”
De Villiers is quick to play down the battle of the midfield, but essentially which of the two Bok pairings emerge on top should have a major influence on the outcome.
“We’re not focusing too much on the opposition to be honest. We know if we play to our structures and ability we can beat them, but we will to perform very well.”
Wayne Julies and Jaque Fourie proved themselves as an extremely effective combination in the Vodacom Super 12, and whilst De Villiers and centre partner De Wet Barry have shared the midfield, this is the first time Barry will start in jersey 13.
Despite being shifted, Barry has welcomed his new role.
“Playing 13 is a big challenge for me, but one I am looking forward to tremendously,” Barry told keo.co.za. “The only consideration must always be the team, and I think that this way we are utilising our strengths as a backline in the best possible way.
“It is very different to playing inside centre, and I do have a little more space and time. It’s also very different on defence, a little tougher actually, and the running lines are different. I must say though that I’m enjoying adapting, I played 13 earlier in my career and it’s a nice change.�
40 Comments
9 Feb 2006, 12:34 pm
GROM, GROM!!!!!
9 Feb 2006, 12:35 pm
Cats are gonna kill the dragons, hey Grrr
9 Feb 2006, 12:36 pm
No no you’re favourites, oh no you are, nope you are, now come seriously you guys are favourites.
9 Feb 2006, 12:38 pm
Don’t know why everybody gets so worked up about the favourites and underdogs ****. The Cats will always be BAAS!
9 Feb 2006, 12:39 pm
Go cats … looking forward to a good hard game .. hopefully the cats will pull this one out of the bag, and with our forwards having the slight upper hand over the stormers I’m sure they will … just hope the weather plays along … hate siting in the rain …
9 Feb 2006, 12:41 pm
Red
Don’t know mate. Will have to wait and see… The Kietties…, ‘hulle het my al lang trane laat huil…’! So let’s wait and see. I hope they win because otherwise I’m going to get mega **** from all these Stormies down here!
9 Feb 2006, 12:42 pm
Paws
Still pissing down there???? Hope the weather gods smile down on us and in Bloemfontein.
9 Feb 2006, 12:43 pm
Yep Grrrr … raining Cats and dogs …
9 Feb 2006, 12:45 pm
Ha ha, raining cats… Hope it rains big Marius Hurter Cats on the Stormers!!
9 Feb 2006, 12:50 pm
Yep Grrr .. with you on that … I’m just glad that the Cheetahs and Lions have now spilt into two different franchises … there will be more pride, passion and determination in there respective teams … never mind the consistancy issue … I think we are in for a few pleasant surprises from our kitty cats this year …
9 Feb 2006, 12:52 pm
Grrr
Do you remember Alice in Wonderland? Well if you do you know that lion’s don’t have any heart…..:-)Ha Ha Ha
9 Feb 2006, 12:52 pm
Hi guys
Its also raining here in Bloem. Cats will win agianst the Stormers, we cant loose again against them! Fourie will run circles around De Wet, he going to run the wrong lines, or will come up to fast on defence 7 thats were Fourie will nail him!
KATTE !!!!
9 Feb 2006, 12:54 pm
I hoped that this year would be the year where we would stop telling the other teams that they are better, then when one of their players are interviewed they say no you guys are better,
The journalists could just draw up a standard “you are better” document and then just fill in the names.
I suppose it is better than saying “Ja you guys are so kak that only 2 of you would make the starting lineup of our team” and then losing…
Cheers
9 Feb 2006, 12:57 pm
i think the cats will win if it is wet. Grant is not a great kicking 10 and Greeff is the back up place kicker. if it is a tight game i think the cats will win. Hopefully the breezes will do well enough and win the game.
9 Feb 2006, 12:59 pm
Just hope our flyhalf picks his game up .. he dissapointed me last year … I was very dissapointed in his play, especially after being impressed with him a few years back at craven week … time for him to step upto the plate and prove himself …
9 Feb 2006, 13:01 pm
Chris,
I dont buy into Jean De Villiers underdog tag.Its all a smoke screen the boys from the bay are always competitive in JBG.I would love the Cats to win but wouldnt like to predict the outcome.
I just wanted to point out the conditioning of Marius Hurter is unbelievable.This conditioning is down to the time spent in the UK preparing for the rough and tumble of the premiership.We should be learning something from Marius how to be in peak physical condition.Has anyone seen the Cats this year can you tell me if the conditioning has improved since last year.??
9 Feb 2006, 13:06 pm
Question for anyone:
Does Kuduclub.co.za broadcast(stream) all the the super 14 games live or can you only stream them afterwards?
Sky doesn’t quite do it for me.
9 Feb 2006, 13:08 pm
THE LAW to cut Pearl Rose in half with a tackle that only THE LAW can perform……
SSSSSSTTTTOOOOOORMERRRRRSSSSS
9 Feb 2006, 13:08 pm
I agree with JDV.
I rate the Cats as a better team. Besides Him and Schalk, there are no gamebreakers in ******** team.No frontrow, pack, fullback, flyhalf…
9 Feb 2006, 13:09 pm
The cats cant beat the stormers we’ve got there number at home and at ellis park
9 Feb 2006, 13:10 pm
The cats will get relegated this year.
9 Feb 2006, 13:16 pm
jean div … a few years back the stomers/WP could not beat the Cats/Lions no matter how hard they tried … think it went on for 5-6 games like that .. then the tide turned and now the stormers have had our number for about 5-6 games … but the tide can and will turn again .. Cats to be the dark horse of the tornament …
9 Feb 2006, 13:17 pm
londonshark
Kuduclub rugby wise is only available in the States\Canada
Sky is your only option for the ruggers in the UK.
9 Feb 2006, 13:22 pm
You guys say this every year
9 Feb 2006, 13:25 pm
Bonus points , mmm that’s very important for any team this year. I recon if the stormers can score a few bonus points early in the tournament it will be great for us. But i think they going to be in for a big suprise on Saturday.
9 Feb 2006, 13:27 pm
yep .. but this year there is only one strong union in the cats, not two .. more focus and consistancy … and home games are home games for nearly all the players, not just 50% of them …
and anyway … win or lose … the s14 champ or for that case the relegation demon is not determined in week 1 …
9 Feb 2006, 13:33 pm
I think you guys will do worse now tha tthe cheetahs have there own franchise, u guys have no decent loose forwards like Juan Smith
9 Feb 2006, 13:39 pm
Jondood,thanks.
Well thats ******* useless. What the hell is the point then??
9 Feb 2006, 13:41 pm
its the fear of failure – at least the underdog can walk away and say – well, we were never expected to win.
there’s nothing worse than being odds on favorite and losing. just ask the bulls or the all blacks.
9 Feb 2006, 13:45 pm
Cats have good depth in loose forwards and strange enogh, locks this year … Cats and Cheetahs much better off apart …
9 Feb 2006, 13:48 pm
Juan Smith will make a difference he’s brilliant. I wish he would come to the stormers
9 Feb 2006, 13:53 pm
Juan Smit is very good … but only came into his own once the boks season started … new season .. we’ll see how all the players go … just hope the ball handling skills are up to scratch .. not knock on after knock on as is always the case in the start of the season …
9 Feb 2006, 13:58 pm
I think the games on the weekend will be scrappy. first match of the year. There will be nerves and this relegation bullshit
9 Feb 2006, 13:58 pm
Hobo, the Lion is in the Wizard of Oz, not Alice in WL……………..but I hope you’re right about the heart thing
9 Feb 2006, 14:06 pm
Dan … the Lion had no courage in the wizard of Oz .. think it was the tin man that wanted the heart …
9 Feb 2006, 14:09 pm
jean .. fear you might be right … but one can always hope …
9 Feb 2006, 14:48 pm
Chaps
What is the Cats V Stormers stats looking like?
Now that you have answered that, face the front.
Stormers 5 to match the cats 5.
Backs to break into and open the pussies up nicely.
9 Feb 2006, 15:01 pm
snoop … not through the mid field … maybe out wide on Humans side, otherwise no go … if anything de Wet will leave open one or two gaps when he comes up to soon for a big tackel …
9 Feb 2006, 15:54 pm
Paws,
Maaaaaaaaaaaaany moons ago that I was a laatie – when you’re right, you’re right
9 Feb 2006, 20:07 pm
ahh, tell us another one Jean, the cats haven’t beaten the stormers in ages, playing the underdog’s a bit much.
he is right tho that the cats have an exceptional 6 and 7 (ya wikus and baywatch), but not the proper no 8 to complement them. Reckon the cats must buy either Jacques Fourie or Pierre Spies.
stormers are crazy to play barrie at 13, i’d fancy Jacques Fourie to contain him. the other way around and i’d back the stormers. If Barry was at 12, rckon the Stormers to win, but since he’s not, home ground advantage and the return of Ash Willemse, cats to shade it. Yoh yoh yoh…
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