Sharks, Stormers tipped for S14 success
19 Jan 2009
Former Springbok assistant coach Alan Solomons believes the Sharks or Stormers could become the second South African winners of the Super 14 while his outlook for New Zealand’s franchises is bleak.
Solomons, who currently works as a high performance consultant for the IRB, coached the Stormers to a semi-final in 1999 and was also the assistant to Nick Mallett during a golden period for the Springboks when they went 17 Tests undefeated. In addition, he has also coached Ulster to the Celtic Cup title.
Speaking to keo.co.za from Belfast, Solomons predicted that the quality of the Sharks’ squad and their coaching staff meant they had the best chance of winning the tournament, but he noted that the Stormers were an emerging force who would build on their improvement in 2008, and challenge for the title this season.
“My money is on the Sharks and Stormers to make the play-offs and then for one of them to kick on from there and win the whole thing,” he told this website.
“South Africa are currently in a golden cycle in terms of the calibre of players we’re producing or currently have playing the game at Super 14 level, and the Sharks in particular have the bulk of those elite players. They have the depth in talent, and in [John] Plumtree they have an outstanding coach. Their strength lies in the fact that they can rotate their squad and still field an unbelievable unit.
“The Stormers did well under Rassie [Erasmus - head coach] in 2008. I liked the brand of rugby they played and they’ve made some good signings between now and then. They’ll build on what they achieved last year and if they can get into the semi-final anything can happen on the day.”
Solomons noted that it would be a defining season for Bulls coach Frans Ludeke, who last year failed to mount a successful title defence with the Pretoria franchise.
“Last year was tough for Frans. He had just taken over the defending champions and replaced Heyneke Meyer, who had built that squad of players over a number of years,” he said.
“He struggled to put his unique mark on that side, which makes 2009 a defining year for him. He did well in the Currie Cup, but the measure of the man will come in the Super 14. He’ll be helped tremendously by the return of [Victor] Matfield though. I think people underestimate his impact from a playing and leadership perspective. It’ll be huge.
“There’s a question mark about how they’ll go, but I certainly think they’ll finish in the top half of the table. That said, if they play to their potential consistently they have the ability to win the tournament.”
His outlook for the Lions and Cheetahs was less optimistic however. Solomons identified a lack of depth as the primary challenges they would have to overcome if they hoped to be involved at the business end of the tournament, but he didn’t foresee them finishing in the top half of the table.
Meanwhile, Solomons noted the mass exodus of players from New Zealand to Europe would continue to hurt them.
“You could probably pick a very strong All Blacks side from the New Zealanders playing in Europe,” he said. “Their franchises have suffered with some top players deciding to move north and [Dan] Carter’s and [Robbie] Deans’s departures will certainly make the Crusaders vulnerable.
“Neither they nor Australia have the depth of talent we have to combat an exodus like that. When I was coach of the Stormers [between 1997 and 2000] the New Zealand blokes would often tell me that a fifth New Zealand franchise is not sustainable because they simply didn’t have the quality of players to fill five.
“This all points to a successful year for the Sharks and Stormers. I’m very positive about their chances. In fact, if they manage to keep their core of their sides together over the next four or five years, they could well dominate in the manner the Crusaders have.”
By Ryan Vrede
415 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
19 Jan 2009, 15:36 pm
greetings from a cool overcast dubai.
i’ve said it before, s14 2009 will be the most open yet at least 8 of the teams are in with a realistic chance;
in specific order;
hurricanes
sharks
crusaders
brumbies
stormers
blues
chiefs
sorry bulls, waratahs and the rest, just don’t think your squads or coaching staff are up to it.
19 Jan 2009, 15:38 pm
#151 charo:
sorry, should read “7 of the teams”
19 Jan 2009, 15:40 pm
never write off NZ teams…
I will agree with him on the Sharks winning the whole thing…
Stormers will do well, but will fade away as usual…
Bulls will be a little bit better than last year…but won’t get into the semis.
Sharks vs Canes final
Donno what to think of the Aussie sides this year.
19 Jan 2009, 15:41 pm
I just can’t believe that none of you folks are expecting the Cheetahs to win the S14 this year. Yes they have a tough draw. Yes they have very little depth. Yes they have no money.
In the words of Barak Obama, “YES WE CAN!”
19 Jan 2009, 15:42 pm
That was Ned’s View for today. See you next week. Replies Welcome. Adios from Abu Dhabi
19 Jan 2009, 15:52 pm
#147 KingPaul:
Bulls
1.Guthro/Engels
2.Rallapelle/Kuun/Maku
3.Kruger/Gerber
4.Bakkies/Rossouw
5.Matfield/Steenkamp
6.Stegmann/J.Burger
7.Wannenburg/van Velze
8.Spies/Potgieter
9.Du Preez/Hougaard/Adams
10.Steyn/Francis/Brummer
11.Habana/Mametsa
12.Olivier/Julies/Dipenaar
13.Jaco Pretorius/Nel
14.Ndungane/Delport
15.Kirchner/Mangweni
No union has that much quality
Just up to Ludeke to use it
19 Jan 2009, 15:55 pm
#140 KingPaul:
Hou op om jou te bekommer oor die Bulls…worry eerder oor julle light 5 en die span vol loosies. Ek sien DJ Trassie gaan sy loosies sommer oral indruk…Lobberts op slot, Koster op vleuel en AJ ook slot…
19 Jan 2009, 15:56 pm
#156 mshiniwami:
Bulls
Frans Ludeke
No union has so little quality
Just up to the admin guys to see it
19 Jan 2009, 16:00 pm
#156 mshiniwami:
JVDW is also coming back apparently…he made a huge difference in 2007 when he came on from the bench.
Hooker and flyhalf is my worry for the Bulls…if Steyn gets injured, Francis havent played much.
19 Jan 2009, 16:02 pm
#154 Loosehead: Now thats what I call positive thinking!! lol.
19 Jan 2009, 16:02 pm
#154 Loosehead: ahahahahahahahahaha – ewig die optimis. Ek love dit.
Ek dink dit gaan n tawwe stryd wees tussen ons en die kak leeus om te sien wie eindig 14de.
Die enigste upside vir ons is dat Conrad Barnard nowhere to be found is. Ek sien uit om te sien hoe vaar die jong latte soos Petersen, Basson (n top talent) en Coenie Shrek Oosthuizen
19 Jan 2009, 16:03 pm
In recent times, at the beginning of every season, people predict that this will be the year that the Stormers will make their big comeback. Every year those
predictions come to nought when the Stormers yet again show lots of promise but under perform.
As a passionate supporter of them I’ve learned to live with disappointment, but I just can’t help to feel that this year those predictions might come true. In Rassie as coach and Jean as captain I think that we’ve finally hit upon a winning combination. When the season starts I’ll be there at Newlands cheering them on.
Go Stormers!
P.S. Cheetahs and Lions, please try to do your bit as well
19 Jan 2009, 16:03 pm
#158 Skim:
Wikus Blaauw, Mujati, Boken Harris, JD Moller…what depth!!!
19 Jan 2009, 16:10 pm
#147 KingPaul: hahahaha. You wish KingPaul. Steyn not going to play flyhalf. Inside centre for the whole season.
Sharks by 7 come the 14th. Just too much talent in the Sharks squad and the coaching team.
Anyway who ever wins that game will be off to a great start. Go Sharks.
19 Jan 2009, 16:10 pm
#163 Supa Die Bloubul: Hey! Los ons uit…dis ‘n teer sakie….
19 Jan 2009, 16:12 pm
#165 Skim:
en so ook ons coach!!
19 Jan 2009, 16:12 pm
#158 Skim:
That may be true,but im looking at it from their player resources point of view.
Ludeke hasnt covered himself in glory granted.I am not a fan.especially his stint as Lions coach was particularly atrocious.
19 Jan 2009, 16:14 pm
#159 Supa Die Bloubul: the second coming. haleluja.
19 Jan 2009, 16:14 pm
#162 siener:
Siener
Mate I hear you.
I think the positive for them is the fact that they will not have to start from scratch. They are used to the management team, the coaching style and expectations.
So that should help.
What one would like to see now is that they do the talking on the park. They could for instance, ask Allister Coetzee to switch his phone off so that he will never be available for comments.
Let the head coach do the talking…
19 Jan 2009, 16:16 pm
#166 Supa Die Bloubul: Haha!! Right, wapenstilstand…. Kan in elkgeval nie wag virrie Super14 nie. Gaan groot wees.
19 Jan 2009, 16:18 pm
#168 the peanut gallery:
haha..dont start!
19 Jan 2009, 16:19 pm
#156 mshiniwami: No other union has that much money…
That is a lot of depth, but there is of course the perception (fair or not) that the Bulls buy players rather than developing their own talent. How many of those players learnt their rugby there and how many were brought in from somewhere else? How does that compare to the Stormers and the Sharks?
19 Jan 2009, 16:19 pm
#170 Skim:
Hierdie is die beste tyd van die s14…almal is nog positief oor hulle kanse…
19 Jan 2009, 16:22 pm
#173 Supa Die Bloubul: Ek **** jou, maar hierdie jaar het ek RERIG ‘n goeie gevoel. Die Tjarks, die Bulletjies en my geliefde Province. Eks nie so seker oor die tjeeters en transvaal nie….
19 Jan 2009, 16:26 pm
#172 siener:
Well, what do you look at? Where the player was born? Where he went to school? Where he first played proffesional rugby? LEts look at Jean Deysel for example:
He was born in the Free state, then studied in Gauteng and played for the Lions and now he plays in Durban. But no-one knew him before he played for the Sharks, so I would call him a Sharks player although he played about three games for the Lions. Same with Kockett.
Or Wikus: He went to school in Pta, played for the Lions and then the Bulls..is he a Lions or a Bulls player?
Think WP buys the most, but its a profesional era. People often blame the Sharks for buying Free state players…but a lot of those players were made by the Sharks. Pienaar, Steyn went to school in Free state, but no-one knew them before the Sharks made them.
19 Jan 2009, 16:27 pm
#174 Skim:
Cheetahs en Leeus sal nie bo 10de eindig nie…
19 Jan 2009, 16:31 pm
#157 Supa Die Bloubul: Nee ek moet worry oor die Bulls. Hulle het laas jaar so baie logpunte afgestan in die S14 dis g’n wonder net een SAspan het dit gemaak tot die semis. Gelukkig speel julle die jaar tuis teen die Reds, so daai een kan julle maar bank.
19 Jan 2009, 16:32 pm
#176 Supa Die Bloubul: daar stem ek 100% saam met jou. Al waaroor ons verskil is wie van die Stormers/Bulls hoogste op die log gaan eindig.
19 Jan 2009, 16:34 pm
#177 KingPaul:
Ons moet dit in 2007 op ons eie doen want die Stormers het omtrent nokkol gewen, so julle moet ook maar (nie dat julle n kans staan nie).
Soos die Reds, speel ons julle ook weer op Loftus. Wat was die vorige tellings daar? 75 -14 en 43 – 10 ne?
19 Jan 2009, 16:35 pm
#178 KingPaul:
By my is daar geen twyfel nie…Bulle gaan…
19 Jan 2009, 16:37 pm
#178 KingPaul:
Op n ernstige noot..Shakrs het n moerse span, maar ek weet nie ovan die Bulls en Stormers nie…Bulls gaan toer in rondte 4. As ons drie wenne in die eerste 4 rondtes kry, sal ons goeie momentum he. Verloor ons twee in SA is dit verby.
19 Jan 2009, 16:39 pm
#175 Supa Die Bloubul: Very true, this is a grey area.
As you say, this is the professional era and and money talks.
One thing that I don’t like though is that the rich unions can potentially get away with having poor development programs and still do good at the top level because of bought talent. In the long run that is not good for the game.
19 Jan 2009, 16:46 pm
#182 siener:
I am also pi$$ed because Nicky Openheimer is driving a better car than me!
Fkn rich ^&%(^.
The Rassie wiepie stormpies are going to be shown up this year! Sharks by 25 in first match!
19 Jan 2009, 16:47 pm
#179 Supa Die Bloubul: hahaha, jy het vergeet dat ons in 2007 die Blues op Nuweland gewen het om julle ‘n kans te gee om die semis te maak. Maar nou ja, soos ek jou ken het jy dit vergeet, net soos daai 2000/2001/2002 seisoen van julle. Toe julle nie EEN game kon wen nie. Nie eers die Lions was al so sleg nie. hehehe
#180 Supa Die Bloubul: Nope, Stormers gaan hoer eindig, en die Bulls trap op Loftus.
#181 Supa Die Bloubul: Ons toer vanjaar weer saam, so ek hoop Rassie en Ludeke werk bietjie saam.
19 Jan 2009, 16:49 pm
#184 KingPaul:
Dream on!
Wat skree ‘n Tzaneener vir die verkoue brigade?
19 Jan 2009, 16:51 pm
#182 siener:
You have to look at each case individually. WP often buy players thats a first choice player in another team ex Vermeulen, Brits, Ricky etc. Sharks biy players, but make them ex Pienaar, Steyn, Deysel, Kockett.
Then some unions buys players which other teams wont use example Jaco Pretorius, Lobberts, Fondse, Jacques Louis Potgieter.
There is no rule about this..and its impossible to blame one spesific union for “buying players”. All unions have somewhere bought a number of players..whether its from craven week, Vodacom Cup, s14 or overseas…
19 Jan 2009, 16:54 pm
Sharks yes… Stormers… too many little poison apples in that squad to ever succeed
19 Jan 2009, 16:56 pm
#185 Cosa: hahaha, wie is jy jou skurk???? My family is wel Tzaneeners, maar ek is ‘n volbloed Capie.
19 Jan 2009, 17:02 pm
#184 KingPaul:
Hoeveel s14′s kon die Stormers al wen? Ek weet die Bulle het al gewen.
19 Jan 2009, 17:03 pm
What Planet is this guy on ?!
The ONLY SA team to win a S12/14 title to date won by default by virtue of the AB squad being withdrawn.
Now this genius reckons the lack of depth in NZ will deny them any chance of the title in 2009. Gee, unless Im mistaken that same depth saw the ABs go on a 6 match unbeaten run in Oct/Nov ’08 including Australia under Deans and the 4 Home Nations. And I dont recall NZ teams taken the Wooden Spoon for a while, perhaps SA teams will dominate that again, they have incredible depth in the deep !
Theres ONE things Safas ARE the best at and that is talking the talk. Noone else comes close. Anyway, since when have the Stormers EVER looked like genuine title contenders ?
Heres a suggestion, take it or leave………why dont you just let the RESULTS do the talkin ? for once. No doubt if they lose, they’ll wheel out the usual excuses; quotas, Lions, coaches…
19 Jan 2009, 17:06 pm
#187 seamus:
“little” poison apples
Luke??
19 Jan 2009, 17:08 pm
#189 Supa Die Bloubul: Jip, die Bulls het al ‘n S14 gewen. En as ek reg onthou is die USA die houers van die goue medalje in rugby. En Robert Mugaab is die president van Zimbabwe. My punt……..**** happens, live with it….
19 Jan 2009, 17:11 pm
#192 KingPaul:
Is jy die toerleier op die site wat jou naam na verwys?
19 Jan 2009, 17:12 pm
#192 KingPaul:
Wanneer gaan die Stormers se “**** happen”???
19 Jan 2009, 17:12 pm
“Sharks, Stormers tipped for S14 success.”
Here’s a real tip. Beware of the Bulls.
19 Jan 2009, 17:12 pm
Nope. Daai is of my skoonpa, of my swaertjie.
19 Jan 2009, 17:14 pm
#194 Supa Die Bloubul: Gaan lees post #190. Julle was lucky om die S14 te wen. Almal weet dit behalwe die Bull supporters.
19 Jan 2009, 17:16 pm
#197 KingPaul:
Ja, ons was lucky om die Reds met 92 – 3 te wen en nog meer licky om die Crusaders hulle grootse loesing van daai jaar te gegee het…
Gary Player het gese: “The more I practise, the luckier I get”
Wanneer word die Stormers “lucky”????
19 Jan 2009, 17:17 pm
#198 Supa Die Bloubul:
oops..tikfout..moet LUCKY lees.
Dis die Stormers wat licky is in die kleedkamer…
19 Jan 2009, 17:18 pm
#197 KingPaul: Ja, ons was baie lucky om na ‘n maande kompetisie met 1 minuut oor te wen. Amper soos bv. hoe lucky was Giniel nou net weer in die Dakar.
Pages: « 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.