‘We’ve achieved nothing yet’
10 Feb 2010
The Stormers aren’t buying into the hype that they’re overwhelming favoruites to beat the Lions this Saturday.
First they won the Tri-Series, and then their second trophy in last week’s hammering of Boland at the new Cape Town Stadium. Hell, they even won the Newlands challenge when they beat the Cape Cobras in a cricket match. There’s a buzz around the Stormers which isn’t unbelievable. Three trophies in the space of a month. Give it up for the boys in blue.
Believe the marketing hype, and you’re bound to believe the Stormers are destined for greater things in 2010. The more educated Cape supporter will tell you to be careful. They’ll remind you that neither the Stormers nor WP have won a big competition since 2001.
If you can’t find a Stormers supporter willing to admit to their side’s past failings, ask one of the thousands of Bulls or Sharks fans residing in Cape Town. They’ll tell you that when it comes to the Super 14, the Stormers are pre-season champs and in-season chumps.
Nobody is more aware of this perception than Allister Coetzee, the new Stormers head coach. The media have gone huge with the pre-season success, but Coetzee and his captain Schalk Burger have worked hard behind the scenes to ensure the squad doesn’t become windgat. It’s this kind of attitude that’s got them into trouble before, and it’s why Coetzee laughed off talk that Saturday’s match against the Lions represents a soft start.
‘Talk is cheap – that’s the only message to my players in preparation for Saturday,’ he told keo.co.za. ‘There’s no easy game and we still have to go out and win.
‘We’ve achieved nothing yet, so there’s no need for arrogance. We all know that there’s a thin line between confidence and arrogance. Nobody wants to be caught off-guard, especially against an unpredictable side like the Lions. It’s going to be all business.’
The Stormers head into this year’s competition with two new senior Springboks, Jaque Fourie and Bryan Habana, at their disposal. Many have questioned the pair’s move to the underachieving Cape franchise, but Coetzee explains their value lies beyond their playing ability. Fourie and Habana will be called on to exercise their leadership skills as early as Round 1.
‘We are looking to our senior players to show some composure in the tight games, and that’s what we expect from Jaque and Bryan this Saturday. There are a number of leaders within the team, which is a good sign.’
While the Lions struggle at Super 14 level, they do usually save their best performances for the Stormers and WP. They beat WP at the back end of the 2009 Currie Cup, a defeat that cost Province an ‘easier’ semi-final against the Cheetahs, and also denied them the bonus point for four tries in the 2008 Super 14.
The Lions aren’t going to qualify for the play-offs, but they have every chance of punishing an overconfident team. Fortunately for Coetzee, the Stormers have worked hard to tick the humble box in the build up to Super 14 proper. Win or lose, they will now be judged by the rugby showings and not made to remember their pre-season promises.
By Jon Cardinelli
413 Comments
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10 Feb 2010, 14:14 pm
You guys need to get some sleep
10 Feb 2010, 14:14 pm
You don’t have to tell us that weepee. we KNOW that
10 Feb 2010, 14:15 pm
Whats the superbru code?
I’m going to clean up
10 Feb 2010, 14:15 pm
@Treehugger:
Seems like it hey, how are you ?
10 Feb 2010, 14:16 pm
@WP_:
pool code : wrenlest
10 Feb 2010, 14:18 pm
@Blouste: Shot boet
10 Feb 2010, 14:18 pm
There are other pools aswell if you are interested in winning some prizes…
10 Feb 2010, 14:19 pm
Any truth in the rumour smits jersey going to have a truck device installed so that when turbo reverse engaged the scrumhalf and 8 th man can get due notice?
Shame, costing Kanko his career….wonder how he feels…..
Go Sharks
Go Barney.
10 Feb 2010, 14:21 pm
@grant10: Yaaaawwwwnnnnn……
10 Feb 2010, 14:25 pm
hehehehe
Things are getting better and better…
Now for the rugger to start !!!
10 Feb 2010, 14:25 pm
@grant10: Wow, that’s good one.
Dont think about taking up stand up comedy… Ever
10 Feb 2010, 14:26 pm
@Blouste: What pool are you in
10 Feb 2010, 14:27 pm
@Blouste: oh I just seen
10 Feb 2010, 14:32 pm
@Blouste: Oh you’re the captain. Accept there please boet.
10 Feb 2010, 14:36 pm
@grant10:
I assume that was humour….
in which case put that club bag in the bag and don’t use it again…
Barney costing Kanko his career?
now that is humour…quality..
an 8 year old inside a 50 year body…
10 Feb 2010, 14:37 pm
The person the Sharks miss the most is Brad Barrit. Complete team man. Maybe not a super-star or even bok material, but made everybody around him play well. Hard, Gutsy, great hands. Remember him and Waylon in 2007 with Jacobs coming on as impact. Yet we discarded him for a superstar. Frans is a great test player, but at S14 level I’d rather have Barrit.
Before people go ballistic, here is my reasoning. Steyn is a better test layer, no doubt. But he is a defensive kicking player. What good is slotting 50m penalties in the S14? This is more important in the cauldron of test match rugby. Barrits passing and linking game is much better, and is better suited to running rugby. Also Barrit was a team journeyman, not a superstar, with a super-ego. Also looking at the Sharks squad, how good would it be to have a Barrit in there at 12. Many people point to Frans at 12, but the Sharks hardly scored any trys in the S14 with Frans playing 10 or 12. This is a fact. Look it up. All this said Frans at 15 would be awsome, learning from the old man, but having followed Frans for a while, I bet he would be shouting for the 10 jersey with the Argie out and that my friends would be a disaster.
10 Feb 2010, 14:38 pm
Kanko’s career is nothing. John Smit at tighthead was one of the major reasons for the recent banking crisis.
10 Feb 2010, 14:40 pm
next to get the blame….Beast….
Then the weak locks
Then the loosies not assisting…
Never Barney Turbo reverse….Never!
Go Sharks
Go barney!
10 Feb 2010, 14:40 pm
John Plumtree -
“People are making a song and dance about our scrum, so we’ve got to show them different,”
10 Feb 2010, 14:41 pm
@WP_:
Been done.
10 Feb 2010, 14:41 pm
Dance *****, dance.
10 Feb 2010, 14:42 pm
“The more educated Cape supporter”…an oxymoron if I ever read one. Remains a myth in SA.
10 Feb 2010, 14:43 pm
@grant10: What are you saying? That the sharks will suffer for pretending that JS is beyond reproach and cannot improve. I agree. If they keep pretending that he is perfect and one of the biggest problems they have, they will not improve. Let’s face it. Barney is overweight, slow and tires too easily, never mind that he is clueless at 3, and for such a great leader he was losing control of his sharkies in the warm up againt the Stormers. Jannie Du Plessis swearing moment comes to mind.
10 Feb 2010, 14:43 pm
Anyone playing Superbru? I’m in the Sport 24 pool under Stormersboy. Look for me somewhere towards the top. Just like my team…
10 Feb 2010, 14:43 pm
Sing *****, sing.
10 Feb 2010, 14:44 pm
@grant10: I think you should book into an insitution.
10 Feb 2010, 14:44 pm
@Dantalian: Smit at tighthead set off tremors leading to the earthquake in Haiti. I think you could also blame the Asian Tsunami on Smit as well. Would’ve never happened if he stayed at 2.
10 Feb 2010, 14:44 pm
“He demands so much of himself and the team and we have a really good working relationship.”
10 Feb 2010, 14:45 pm
@stormersboy: Yes I like that attitude bud.
10 Feb 2010, 14:46 pm
@KZN King Shark: Stayed at 2 and out of the sea.
10 Feb 2010, 14:48 pm
Fact or fiction though Stormersboy ?
10 Feb 2010, 14:50 pm
@grant10: Jeez did I just see that right? Grant posting a comment with zero mention of the Sharks or Smit? That is AMAZING!!!! I’m speechless!
10 Feb 2010, 14:50 pm
@grant10: Shut up will you Butler.
Geez… You’re an annoying sod
10 Feb 2010, 14:51 pm
@grant10: What do you know about scrums? You think Carstens is a better 3 than Smit.
Its always the same old song and dance with you.
Ask your little friend JR, the Ratel is in no mood for myths, rumours or hearsay today. So keep on moving.
10 Feb 2010, 14:51 pm
@Dantalian: He was turbo reversed into the sea setting off seismic vibrations of epic proportions!
10 Feb 2010, 14:52 pm
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): *Huge applause and cheers*
10 Feb 2010, 14:54 pm
@The one:
No need to get personal boet.
Make your point and move on…
10 Feb 2010, 14:55 pm
@Blouste: Thanks mate
10 Feb 2010, 14:56 pm
@Blouste: THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING MY AVATAR – COLOURED FRIEND…..THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING!!!
10 Feb 2010, 14:56 pm
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): Personally think a lot of our probs are to do with losing Percy and Butch James. Could’ve had Frans and Stefan rotating at 15 but if we had kept Butch and Barritt we’d be in good hands. No.12 for me is the biggest problem. Adi is a 13 and we don’t have any decent 12s.
10 Feb 2010, 14:57 pm
@grant10:
I see you are still pissy because your boy Luke is not playing in this year S14 so you keep on taking shots at JS to get a decent night sleep.
10 Feb 2010, 14:58 pm
@WP_:
No prob…
10 Feb 2010, 14:58 pm
@stormersboy:
Good for you !!!
10 Feb 2010, 14:59 pm
@KZN King Shark: 12 is an issue, but we need a new 10 for the future. Butch is the past. Ruan/Meyer must step up this year. Barrit would have been good to have at 12.
10 Feb 2010, 14:59 pm
oh well done…
I really don’t see how beating Boland is any feat… the only thing I was happy about is the Force game, they kept errors down… Sharks game it was sky high again
10 Feb 2010, 14:59 pm
@thesaint: Pretty much the same as being a Sharks supporter!
10 Feb 2010, 15:00 pm
OK, so the attempt to take John Smit back to prop is not working yet. I think it is too late in his career to attempt this. But writing him off like this?
Steady on, jul nesbeskuiters.
Currently, as prop, he’s about average or just above in the S14.
As hooker, he’s still damn good.
As captain? I think he has the silverware to prove himself in this department?
Please let me know if anyone disagrees with the last statement.
10 Feb 2010, 15:01 pm
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR): He knows nothing about scrumming. Nada. Zip.
10 Feb 2010, 15:01 pm
@Ratel Brussow (MSIUR):
All I know is that the Ratel is a little prick !! Oh yes and that JS is not a 3 !!
10 Feb 2010, 15:02 pm
@The one:
not cool to use people’s real names…
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