Three try flurry saves Stormers
21 Apr 2006
Three tries in four minutes midway through the second half propelled the Stormers to their third away victory of the Vodacom Super 14 when they downed the Reds 24-20 in Brisbane.
The dance of the desperates never promised much, and errors plagued both side’s attempts to play constructively. The Stormers were further hamstrung by poor decision making – particularly at halfback – and a defensively frail back three. But for their four minute purple match, they did not threaten the Reds line with any conviction.
Credit, however, has to go to under-fire Stormers coach Kobus van der Merwe. His tactical decisions have been questionable this season, but tonight in Brisbane he got it right.
Last week the substitution of Naas Olivier after 50 minutes was a major contibuting factor to the defeat to the Chiefs. Now the same move was the catalyst to victory.
Olivier endured a disappointing first half, and the simulatenous injection of Peter Grant at flyhalf and Joe Pietersen at fullback sparked the Stormers, and 13-3 became 13-24 in minutes.
The momentum, so convincingly wrenched from the Reds, was never going to be conceded and a late score through veteran centre Ben Tune was a shade less than consolation.
The performance, coming after two consecutive defeats, was vital in the context of the Cape side’s season. The quality of the opposition was not great, but with the Crusaders, Sharks and Bulls to come, the Stormers knew that a win was crucial.
The confidence boost and familiar surroundings could well prove the cocktail that lifts the Stormers to a late season charge, ensuring respectability and – more importantly – time for the existing coaching staff and management.
Van der Merwe is a realist, and will know that the victory does not camouflage some home truths. Tonderai Chavhanga is not a fullback, he possesses neither the defensive ability or positional sense to inspire the most brittle confidence. His place is on the wing.
Jongi Nokwe, who later atoned through an 80 metre try, produced another wobbly with ball in hand and Rayno Benjamin was just plain appalling.
De Wet Barry, slated for the defeat against the Chiefs and caught up in the captaincy storm that followed, was immense in his return to jersey 12. Barry is not a 13 and if Van der Merwe cannot accomodate him as a 12 then he cannot accomodate him in the starting side.
Jean de Villiers underlined his split rugby personality further by again providing flashes of genius on attack, before fading to a ghost on defence. It was his awful attempt at a first-time tackle on Drew Mitchell that saw the Reds out to their convincing half time lead.
The Stormers return to Cape Town with renewed hope, but it is vital that perspective is maintained. The Reds in Brisbane are an entirely different prospect to the Crusaders in Cape Town, and it is the fixtures with the champions, semi-final chasing Sharks and arch enemies the Bulls that will decide whether the Cape side’s campaign will be deemed acceptable.
At this stage of the season, however, the Stormers will take what they get. Victory, no matter the opposition or the circumstance, is good enough for now.
THE MOMENTS THAT MATTER
78 mins: Consolation for the Reds through Ben Tune. Huxley converts. (Huxley 2/5)
60 mins: De Villiers inches from an intercept score. He knocks on unfortunately and it’s a Reds scrum.
58 mins: Stormers on fire! They score their try of the season with awesome work from De Villiers, Benjamin and Barry. Great support lines and handling sees Gerrie Britz under the poles. Grant converts. (Grant 3/3)
56 mins: Nokwe atones for a poor game with an 80m try. His control in dribbling from his own line is impressive and he has the pace and composure to score. Grant converts from in front , and the Stormers snatch the lead. (Grant 2/2)
54 mins: Stormers coach Kobus van der Merwe introduces Peter Grant and Joe Pietersen and it has an immediate impact. Strength in contact from Grant and fine touches from Pietersen see Brits make the scoring pass to Van Niekerk. Grant converts. (Grant 1/1)
51 mins: Andries Bekker is penalised for mountaineering, a call captain Barry and Bekker contest to no avail. Huxley to push the Reds out further … he’s missed an absolute sitter. (Huxley 1/4)
48 mins: Benjamin having a shocker. He knocks on again after a well worked Watson/Brits blindside move.
43 mins: 5m scrum sees Van Niekerk carry the ball strongly. It comes back to Olivier but he takes the wrong option and knocks on in heavy traffic.
42 mins: Stormers make a few metres through one-off runners, and the Reds concede the penalty. Barry instructs Olivier to go for the lineout, which is knocked on by the Reds. 5m scrum.
39 mins: Luke Watson makes a scrambling cover tackle that saves a certain score. Stormers’ line again broken with ease.
38 mins: Benjamin with an appalling clearance. The back three continue to struggle.
30 mins: Jean de Villiers AGAIN misses a routine tackle, he makes a pathetic attempt on Mitchell and the Wallaby flyer is through. Appalling, unacceptable defence. Huxley misses the conversion. (Huxley 1/3)
29 mins: Benjamin knocks the rolling ball. It’s not getting any better for those wearing 11,14 and 15.
26 mins: Great chase by Barry and fierce contesting by Burger wins the Stormers a vital penalty against the run of play. Big moments from the two Boks. Olivier has the chance to reduce the lead to two. He pushes it. (Olivier 1/2)
23 mins: Stormers back three on the ropes. Probing kicks behind Benjamin are also finding acres of space. Reds unlucky not to score from a maul when they’re pinged for accidental offside.
19 mins: Back three again appear shaky. Chavhanga takes the ball back into his 22 before clearing, thus the lineout is from where he kicked it. Reds showing a willingness to exploit Chavhanga and Nokwe’s brittle defence
18 mins: Reds not helping their cause by terrible tactical kicking. Second kick out on the full in 4 minutes.
16 mins: Simple high ball spilled by Nokwe.
14 mins: Good incisive attack by the Stormers. Barry and Chavhanga make good ground, but Nokwe is crowded out.
11 mins: Stormers retain possession well and get it within a metre. Reds pinged and this time Barry opts for the three. No problem for Olivier. (Olivier 1/1)
9 mins: Kickable penlty, and the Stormers opt for the lineout. Brave play.
7 mins: Naas Olivier’s attempted clearance is charged down, and from the resultant scrambling ruck De Wet Barry is pinged for hands. Gives Huxley the simplest chance to extend the lead, and he does. (Huxley 1/2)
6 mins: Reds inches away from another linebreak, this time in the Stormers 22. It’s tips of the fingers stuff for Drew Mitchell, and he just can’t hold on. Again, Stormers seem defensively frail out wide.
3 mins: Stormers start badly, as is now routine. They kick away a lot of possession early and concede a soft try to the rampaging Rodney Blake from close out.Julian Huxley has the chance to convert, but he pulls it. (Huxley 0/1)
SCORERS
Reds
Tries: Rodney Blake, Drew Mitchell and Ben Tune
Con: Julian Huxley
Pen: Huxley
Stormers
Tries: Joe van Niekerk, Jongi Nokwe and Gerrie Britz
Cons: Peter Grant 3
Pen: Naas Olivier
By Chris Hewitt
423 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [8] 9 » Show All
21 Apr 2006, 13:39 pm
Well that cements the Cats as the last SA team
21 Apr 2006, 13:39 pm
Provvas
Want to put money on the Bulls vs Stormers game?
Kom groot bek?
Of is jy te besig van al die buk?
21 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
CSI,
Thanks for the commentary, Much appreciated as always.
However, the fact that the Stormers beat the lowest of the Oz teams will be lost on the Stormer’s fans. They will still proclaim they have the best 15 in the country, especially now You will probably pick this up from the comments in this thread if you have had the time to read them – which I doubt. You have to live in the Western Cape (as I do) to understand the hype and total BS that goes on there amongst the supporters and the press (radio and paper).
Cheers.
21 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
Is this the most inept Stormers team ever?
http://sarugbyview.blogspot.com
Last year the fans booed Gert Smal after a dismal Super 12.
If there was any fairness, this year the fans would lynch the players.
Jean de Villiers played as though his mind was somewhere else today. After last weeks pathetic defensive effort, today’s was shocking.
The Stormers wings have not got a clue about putting in a hit – and shy away from contact. The Stormers rush defense is worthless when the opposing team knows they merely have to break inside the opposing, rushing wing. He will not tackle and there is a better than even chance of slipping De Villiers’ shoulder-high effort.
The wings also need to look for work – they must have the worst work-rate in the super 14. Nokwe will not join a ruck, even if he is the second man.
Having sid all of that, Benjamin looks far better chasing a man down from behind.
Chavanga tried hard and does make some good tackles. But crucial errors liking taking the ball over the 22 before kicking out are unacceptable at this level.
Joe van Niekerk seems to think he is above putting in the hard yards and threw two shocking passes. His second half performance was altogether different. If he can improve his backfoot game to be as good as his frontfoot one, he will be an awesome player.
Naas Olivier is a great prospect, but his line kicking tonight was shocking.
Speaking of kick, the Stormers think it is a four letter word. They have no idea how to receive them and their pathetic use of them gifts opponent’s possession. All that was needed to be said, was said here.
De Wet Barry is a different player at 12 and looked much like his old self. Besides putting in a massive defensive effort, his distribution looked slick tonight.
For once Kobus van der Merwe’s substitutions were spot on. At the 50 minute mark, the injection of Pietersen and Grant made all the difference and some slick passes by both got the Stormers going.
The new attack raised the defence to, and the Stormers did well to hold out the Reds in the final 20 minutes.
If there is any mitigating factor, then it is that it is very difficult to reverse momentum. When you’re under the whip, everything seems to go wrong. Hopefully this victory will give them some forward momentum.
Not a lot to cheer about. This was a pathetic Reds team. All that can be hoped is that the Stormers will use the momentum.
21 Apr 2006, 13:40 pm
Well well so Stormers were the MOST SUCCESSFUL SA team on tour this year in Auz and NZ…
Peter Grant stays useless..cant even kick a ball out from a critical penalty!
I am glad the Showpony performed for once in a half!
21 Apr 2006, 13:41 pm
hoop nou net Benjamin word weggejaag, Chavanga skuif vleuel toe en Pietersen bly!!
De wet did well and the loose forwards came to the party in the second half!!
Well done Stormers!!
21 Apr 2006, 13:42 pm
OCO
You right, I agree with what you just said and you’re welcome.
21 Apr 2006, 13:42 pm
Wie sou nou kon droom dat die Stormers gaan wen , ook maar lekker gesukkel daai laaste 10 minute.
21 Apr 2006, 13:43 pm
CSI – Sharks are looking much better this season, but you can never undersestimate the Blues.
21 Apr 2006, 13:43 pm
Wel gedaan Stormers!!
Daai rugga in die begin van die 2de helfte was goed. Het by die koffie shop gelyk soos d()()s so wat ek vir julle skree.
21 Apr 2006, 13:44 pm
I think JW phoned his Boks at half time and told them if they didn’t improve they’d be playing in the CC.
21 Apr 2006, 13:44 pm
jondood hou op jou fantasie op die bord sit….jy bly die holbuk storie opbring…..seker jy het ‘n groot behoefte vi dit….dis seker hoekom dit al is waaroor jy praat…Hahahaha I laugh in the face of the bulls… Money?? Won alot on the stormers today….so Hell ya!! how much can you afford???
21 Apr 2006, 13:45 pm
STORMERS!!
what a game! De wet played very well, so did the forwards.Chavanga needs to go to wing and pIETERSEN to full back.
Stormers must keep playing a fast game and the will be better off.
21 Apr 2006, 13:45 pm
Provvas
Lets put 5k on the game
21 Apr 2006, 13:45 pm
lol Provvas, “trek daai ding uit jou hol”, too funny. FOKIT man, our team has won, lets fokin swear and carry on jislaakit man.
only joking, its friday, relax and as you say, up the stormers, not up the bum, mind.
21 Apr 2006, 13:46 pm
B4theGame, Peter Grant useless? Did you watch the game? He made a linebreak that led to one of the tries!
21 Apr 2006, 13:47 pm
No bloody wonder it is raining in Cape Town !!!
**** beats **** in this game but hey, a stormer win is a win.
21 Apr 2006, 13:47 pm
Provvas
You laugh in the face of the Bulls ? If so, then take Jondood’s bet. I mean, what have you got to loose ?
21 Apr 2006, 13:52 pm
ek het die ding uitgetruk, maar nou wil ek poep Provvas. geluk stormers. lol.
21 Apr 2006, 13:58 pm
jaslaaikit Jondood…how long will you have to work to pay off such a bet??? Dammit!!
I’ll have to work at least five years!!! You know… What about a handicap for the stormers….seeming you like that 75 – 14 score….I think we should hand the Stormers about 50…..then I’ll bet 1K…hahahahaha
No honestly…..Lets just wait and see where the teams are after nextweekend….i believe it will make a difference….
21 Apr 2006, 14:00 pm
Ja Cab…….seriously I dont think we will do any better for the rest of the season……realising we only beat the teams beneath us on the log….so drink jouself plonkers this weekend…..cause next weekend you will be doing it for different reasons….
Force het al twee driee gedruk!!!!
21 Apr 2006, 14:00 pm
Provvas , im gonna be at that game and im gonna give the Bulls ****!
21 Apr 2006, 14:04 pm
OCO – post 353 – Capetonians are just very proud of their city – it is reflected everywhere – in their tourism promotion, investment and trade promotion, educational traditions, everywhere. it is a study in regional marketing and an attitude that has garnered many international marketing awards.
21 Apr 2006, 14:07 pm
Does Lazarus play for the Stormers?
21 Apr 2006, 14:08 pm
Brumby Jack – that would Ezekiel of the dry bones revival.
21 Apr 2006, 14:09 pm
provvas, dont know maybe the stormers have turned the corner, sounds like they had a 3-minute period when they captured their old form.
21 Apr 2006, 14:10 pm
Provvas
Ja, lekker grootbek voor die tyd ivm Jondood se weddenskap. Jouself doodgeskrik toe Jondood 5k begin praat.
Talk is cheap; it’s the money that buy’s the whiskey.
21 Apr 2006, 14:12 pm
Stanley from Tshwane
Looks like those quota stormers(your words) are alot better than those white quotas from tshwane at least they know how to beat the rubble reds.
21 Apr 2006, 14:13 pm
5k will buy a lot of whiskey, yoh some big gamblers on this thread.
21 Apr 2006, 14:17 pm
redox, i wouldnt be gloating over a win vs the Reds… The bulls are far superior to the Stormers at the moment… even if by some miracle we beat them at newlands, they will still end up higher on the log and have bragging rights…
In other words: Stormers are still ****! One win means nothing!
21 Apr 2006, 14:19 pm
provvas
Typical backtracking response.
If you cant front up now then, **** off.
21 Apr 2006, 14:22 pm
jondood ek het uitgewrk wie amazon is.hy was bekend as baksteeno ja daai moerse tries waaroor hy so spog moet jy maar met n knippie sout vat….
21 Apr 2006, 14:26 pm
There’s a good little piece on rugby365 by Jan de Koning about contracts and how this may be influencing the way certain springboks are playing. Apparently the “top 20″ have been contracted and will not take part in the Currie Cups etc in order to preserve them for international duty. With this in mind, it could certainly explain the woeful displays of some of the Springboks in this years S14.
21 Apr 2006, 14:29 pm
bliksem
Did you get my email?
I sent it to your webmail account.
21 Apr 2006, 14:31 pm
no jondood i didnt.try again please.tui@webmail.co.za.
21 Apr 2006, 14:32 pm
jd – http://www.keo.co.za/2006/03/31/force-0-stormers-0-ko/ – post 487 – just a reminder
21 Apr 2006, 14:37 pm
bliksem
I resent the mail.
gecko
We can make arrangements closer to the time. Either way it will be good to have a few drinks.
21 Apr 2006, 15:04 pm
WPW ,
Agree with u a scappy win against the rubble reds is hardly anything to celebrate but if the stormer playing a few black guys means they are imediately inferior or a quota side as per stans comments above and they can beat the reds then sure a majority white bulls side should massacre them.Yes?
21 Apr 2006, 15:14 pm
redox – the whites ARE the quotas in the bulls team.
21 Apr 2006, 15:18 pm
Baffling with BS again!!!
Win – mission accomplished.
Perhaps a few lessons to Kobus v/d merwe:
Chavhanga again no good at Fullback and both wingers were shockers.Joe Pietersen did well and showed the need for positional savvy in the try to Joe van Niekerk.Benjamin couldn’t catch a cold and Nokwe has no desire to get into contact. Barry at 12 solid defence and good enough to have a hand in most good things on the night.De Villiers missed a few easy tackles and save a moments inspiration to put Britz in for a try was largely woeful.It seems the Stormers fall co-incided with the breaking of the established centre pairing and neither Barry or Joubert have benefitted.De Villiers seems to have a tackling flaw in grabbing for the shoulders and is easily discarded.The pack is capable and the loosies a quality unit.The Stormers woes are in the back division and the fact that Grant played so much better may have a lot to do with Barry at 12.
21 Apr 2006, 16:08 pm
Nokwe, Benjamin and Chahnga are in the side to make up the quota numbers, you can see they have no idea how to catch a spinned ball coming at their right side at a slight forward, they will not withstand any mild tackle so they developed a self preservation techniques serve both to pretend as if they ARE tackling while in fact evading the hit either by missing their man or spilling the ball.
Hundreds of replays that I ran don’t lie!
21 Apr 2006, 16:13 pm
Benjamin was complete and utter ****. Considering he’s a 7′s Bok! Much like the equally inept and **** Jongi Nokwe and the clueless Chavanga, these 3 grace the pages of all our rugby magazines regularly. How we can “write guys up” long before they’ve proven themselves at international level such as Super 14, remains beyond me. Boland should sell Nokwe to The Cats and hope they will still be offered 1 million Zim Dollars.
21 Apr 2006, 16:21 pm
So many of our best players are missing out on playing Super 14. And we insist on developing at this level. Anybody can have a bad day at the office, but for f…sakes – imagine if Fabian Juries and Breyton Paulse were the Stormers wings as opposed to these overpaid pretenders. And please, don’t let a long rang dribbling exhibition buy Nokwe a reprieve. I thought a vein would burst in my head. Our back three would have been out of their depth in any Intervarsity.
21 Apr 2006, 16:26 pm
reds choke again. It will be interesting to see if they retain Drew Mitchell for next season.
21 Apr 2006, 16:28 pm
With Eddie Jones at the helm, they can only improve. Good coach.
21 Apr 2006, 16:37 pm
i hate to say this but i think the force are going t obeat the cats in joburg
21 Apr 2006, 16:37 pm
Loki
Think u need to calm down sounds like u may pop a few veins if u dont this happens when your forced to watch 5 sa teams play rugby in one weekend i had the same problem two weeks ago watching the cats lose to the rubble reds , take a few panados and sleep for a few hours i think that may help.
21 Apr 2006, 17:52 pm
I thought Peter Grant pulled the game right for the weak front . Thought The Wet Barry did not play too badly either .
Jean was having an absolute shocker , dropping balls and all , but suddenly came good with that run away when I think it was Jerry Brits who went over for 5 .
21 Apr 2006, 18:15 pm
Mascot – #373
No problem. Cape Town is stunning and Capetonians should be proud of it. I love it when I’m home – even in Winter!
However, as you note, CT has won many international awards based on what is there to offer. However, the supporters of WP/Stormers plus the WP journalists would be sued for wrongful advertising if they were in that game (which, in part, they are).
Stormers are not performing and may celebrate their ‘best’ overseas points thus far but one has to take it in the context of the opposition.
Let’s face it, Stormers have had the best of the draw, IRO overseas opposition, of all the SA teams.
As they say, “the prrof of the pudding is in the eating” – plus a lot of other adedges – and the Stormers, with all their ‘Boks’ are going nowhere. It’s an indictment of the Stormer players, not the geographical location.
21 Apr 2006, 18:20 pm
Rastafox,
Agree with you, Barry and Joubert are the best centre pairing Stormers have. problem is, what do they do with JdV?
Also Grant pulled them out the fire. He started as the ‘Wunderkind’ and fell out of favour with the ‘WP faithful’ but showed his calss today. Probelm is that when the Stormers loose, they pick on the ‘outsiders’ to vent their fury – they will never accept defeat is because of WP players in the squad. Been there, heard that (private box at Newlands). Time for WP to call a shovel (shoddy play) a f***ing shovel! Then they may be on the right track. Same goes for JW.
The best SA team would have equal (more or less)representation from all provinces.
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