Nothing friendly about Sarries test
19 Jan 2009
Saracens will provide the perfect preparation for the Stormers ahead of a demanding 2009 campaign.
The Stormers failed to qualify for the play-offs in 2008 and coach Rassie Erasmus subsequently admitted that a fifth-place finish was bittersweet. It was hard to stomach losing out of a semi-final berth due to an unfavourable points-difference, but if one looked at how far the Stormers had come under new management, one had to agree that progress was being made.
Never one to stagnate, Erasmus decided to implement several changes to the 2009 pre-season schedule. The Stormers coach conceded he made an error by agreeing to one warm-up game in 2008 against Boland, and pointed out that the Stormers only got going in the third game of last year’s tournament because of his mistake.
The Cape franchise are set to play Saracens and Boland in the next two weeks, but it is the first fixture that should attract the greatest interest. Eddie Jones comes to Cape Town with a full-strength team boasting several South African big names (Cobus Visagie, Wikus van Heerden and Brad Barritt) as well the likes of Chris Jack and the inform Kiwi flyhalf Glen Jackson.
With all respect to Boland, the friendly in Wellington should be nothing but an opportunity for the Super 14 side to stretch the legs, sharpen up certain areas and rack up the big numbers. The game against Saracens, however, should indicate how this Stormers side will fare in 2009.
The difference between the build up to this season and the last is that several combinations have enjoyed the opportunity to settle. Adriaan Fondse and Andries Bekker complement each other in the second row, while Springbok team-mates Ricky Januarie and Peter Grant will have strengthened their halfback partnership after a solid 2008 season. Jean de Villiers and former Sharks centre Gcobani Bobo gelled in midfield last year while the back three of Tonderai Chavhanga, Sireli Naqelevuki and Conrad Jantjes proved a potent attacking unit.
Erasmus has opted to bring in a few more recruits in an attempt to better his squad, and given that Jantjes is currently injured, retired Springbok fullback Percy Montgomery is set to fill the gap. Duane Vermeulen was a great buy, as the Cheetahs No 8 boasts all the brute force of a traditional No 8 not to mention the ball skills of the less-conventional, modern-day back rower. Vermeulen is also a great option at the tail of the lineout, an attribute that may eventually oust Luke Watson from his starting position in the Stormers lineup.
If training drills are any indicator, Schalk Brits may be utilised as a hooker-cum-loose forward for the second year running. Schalk Ferreira is back in the fold but may be employed as utility front ranker, as word from the Stormers camp is he could be used as a hooker if required.
Keeping with the front row, Brian Mujati has recovered from injury as has loosehead JD Moller. Moller was crocked in the game against the Hurricanes last season, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against a scrumming veteran in Cobus Visagie. The challenges in this year’s regional competition are unlikely to match that of the former Bok tighthead.
Despite the success of De Villiers and Bobo in midfield, there is talk that Naqelevuki could step in at 13. The Fijian has all the bulk and the pace required to make an impression on attack, but as showcased when he played centre in the Absa Currie Cup, defence is a completely different story. Gurus like Jake White and Brendan Venter have spoken about 13 as the backline’s key defensive position, and in this aspect Bobo leaves Naqelevuki in the shade.
Erasmus told the media the rules on substitutions should be relaxed allowing both coaches to experiment with different combinations in the second half. Nick Koster, who debuted for Western Province as a loose forward in 2008, was running on the wing during last week’s practice sessions. It could be that Erasmus gives the youngster a run here on Sunday, or even begins to groom the kid for what’s becoming a specialised No 22 position where the player slots in as a back or back rower according to the situation. Epi Taione did this for the Sharks last year and several other franchises have begun to experiment in a similar manner.
Stormers spokesman Frikkie Erasmus also informed keo.co.za on Sunday night that Tongan Sevens recruit ‘Alipate Fatafehi has extended his stay in Cape Town and will be available for the Saracens clash. Fatafehi can play wing, centre or fullback, and considering the Stormers are a bit short on quality reserves for Naqelevuki and Chavhanga on the wing, a strong showing in a match situation this Sunday could keep the Tongan with the franchise for longer than initially expected.
By Jon Cardinelli
71 Comments
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19 Jan 2009, 14:14 pm
#50 Robzim:
Sometimes the replies I enjoy the most = no reply.
19 Jan 2009, 14:18 pm
pussies!
19 Jan 2009, 14:21 pm
I reckon the Stormers will have enough decent props in JD Moller, Brian Mujati, Wicus Blaauw and JC Kritzinger.
In addition they have appointed a specialist scrumming coach in Johan van Wyk (former WP hooker).
19 Jan 2009, 14:24 pm
#53 WP Till I Die:
yeaah right..waatch CT propss go backwardds
Moller?? come on
19 Jan 2009, 14:28 pm
#54 greatest13gerber:
Remember the match between the Stormers and Hurricanes last year? Probably not, since you’d rather drink cyanide than watch the Stormers, methinks.
In any event, the Stormers scrum (predominantly thanks to Moller) dominated the much-vaunted Hurricanes scrum.
19 Jan 2009, 14:35 pm
How true.
There is indeed nothing friendly about the pommy Sarries, but then again there is nothing scary about the Stormers too.
19 Jan 2009, 14:36 pm
#55 WP Till I Die: G13G is your typical BB supporter, and only comes onto this site to get a reaction out of other bloggers. Atleast WP produce their own props (with the exception of Mujati) instead of poaching from other unions!
19 Jan 2009, 14:38 pm
Can anyone please tell what time this game will start on Sunday?
19 Jan 2009, 14:47 pm
Comparing the stormer’s team to the crusader’s team, i don’t see much in it. If you must judge the team’s on paper.
19 Jan 2009, 16:34 pm
#56 RedLion roars again: Listen Red, we don’t need your types on a stormers thread…. :rolleyes:
19 Jan 2009, 22:46 pm
can’t see how rassie can leave louw on the bench. he is an excellent ground player. tackels all day long, and is excellent support player too. he has gotta play blindside.
burger will start at openside. end of story….but i still do think he is naturally an 8. everything about his game is 8.
don’t know enough about vermuelen. watched a cheetahs brumbies replay the other day. he is a busy player and can carry the ball well, but in that game he didnt strike me as effective in what he did when he got to work.
we all know watson has tremendous skills, its just that he is hard to fit into this trio. off field issues aside, he will form vital attacking part of this team.
koster has huge potential. interesting concept about developing a loosie on the wing. the last thing we need is another spies going soft and forgetting how to tackle like a loosie while he sits on the wing. alas in terms of gameplan this could be interesting as ball carriers out wide should have opportunities to break tackles and/or offload in the tackle to the other outside backs. and also bring a certain ruck ball security if play breaks down far from set piece.
looking fwd to seeing this work for rassie and stormers.
19 Jan 2009, 22:53 pm
Koster on the wing is a no no, wrong option, bad choice and waste of talent, even if the kid can run a 100 mts in 11 sec flat, he is still a No.8, why waste all that talent, leave him on bench and bring him on late
Watson, Louw, Burger, Vermeulen, Koster and Lobberts hanging around for good measure, more than enough loosie firepower.
I would even use Vermeulen and/or Lobberts at 4 with Bekker and Fondse (dunno wtf to do with AJ) at lock or rotate players according oppo game plan.
But I would NOT play Koster at wing… never.
Only problem Rassie has is no props, actually no front row to talk of.
19 Jan 2009, 22:54 pm
Maybe AJ can be converted to a tight head prop, just feed him plenty pap and bully beef, .. who knows.
19 Jan 2009, 23:15 pm
#63 yliad: i like koster on wing for only one thing strategy. but yes you are right, it will do nothing for his skills and physical development.
20 Jan 2009, 01:06 am
I love Rassie. I think he has a great rugby mind, but sometimes I think his mind actually needs a little too much stimulation. I dont like the idea of tinkering with Koster on the wing and Sireli at 2nd centre. It just doesn’t seem necessary, I mean ask yourself….is it really necessary to experminet like this with these 2?
20 Jan 2009, 02:08 am
#65 Yetirat: sireli plays 13 for his country and is very effective there. think rassie had to find out if playing sireli there to cover for bobo was viable and in the same breathe had to see if the current gameplan of having a massive monster on the wing in sireli can be carried on with koster covering the position if sireli is moved to 13.
imo rassie is really looking at what the ELVs allow for. there are big ball carrying wingers out there that really add something in terms of attack out wide, Gear and Tequiri come to mind.
looking at how the game is played and the value in having backline players who know how to secure ruck ball and having forwards who know how to throw a pass, step, kick and how to hold a defensive line. you gotta see the value in having a versatile player capable of growing into a kind of playmaker role. this doesnt have to be koster. but rassie is investigating….
20 Jan 2009, 10:55 am
Playing Koster wing is rubbish – the kid is young and hes no miracle man and has to specialise in one position if hes going to be a Springbok like so many expect. We cant not utilise talent ala Frans Steyn. White wings don’t feature in SA whatever the reason. Koster is predominantly a loose forward although he could play center (as he did at Bishops for some games). Stormers have a weakness on the wing and would have loved to have Matt Turner there
20 Jan 2009, 22:23 pm
#66 Tomsta:
Look what happened with Steyn being converted into a versatile player…
20 Jan 2009, 22:49 pm
It makes more sense to have a bigger player closer to the rucks/scrums. It woudl make more sense to use Koster as a centre then- but then centres also need to be playmakers.
But I do see that todays player must be everything- props must have sklills, backs must be able to ruck. And all of them must be as fit a mountain goat.
And all of them must have vision, or at least know what to look out for (i.e. where tehre has been a sustained period of play in one side of teh field, there is a good chance that there will be gaps towards teh other side). WP and Cheetahs in partiular suffered from always having a prop without brains sioomewhere in the passing sequence that did not know what to look for, or was not following the bigger game strategy, and always bashed it up when they should have passed, or ran sideways across the field when he should have straightened, thereby killing potential scoring. Juan Smith is notable for being one of these lack of vision types (and he really shouldn’t be as a Bok).
It is this lack of vision that affects team morale and a teams ability to score more than any other individual skills. Hopefully Rassie is drumming this thinking into the players.
21 Jan 2009, 03:51 am
This Koster thing is not gonna end up pretty.
Sure Bobo was a flanker as well once, but how often does this switch really happen, and with success?
It took the coaches almost 3 years to figure out where to play Ruan Pienaar, and many are still undecided on where to play Steyn. Is the same gonna happen with Koster?
Stormers has that Tongan chap that can cover wing… and if need be bring in Joe Pieterson.
Luke is gonna join daddy and be captain of the “new franchise” in 2 years in any case.
Be that as it may… not my decision… GO STORMERS!
21 Jan 2009, 03:55 am
hmmm, just thought I’d pop on and ask old potty-mouth skoppie a few questions so i can try to help him with some of his disorders – anyone seen him? – yliad is tat you potty? what name are you skulking under today potty?
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