Stormers must stay sensible
11 Mar 2010
Forget an expansive performance. Aggressive defence, clinical lineout work and an abrasive breakdown display will set the stage for a win over the Hurricanes.
Ever the diplomat, Allister Coetzee said the Stormers will keep the ball in hand on Saturday. For those desperate for the Sevens-style touch rugby showcased in the Lions vs Chiefs fixture, this may be cause for excitement. For those who took note of Coetzee’s comments earlier in the week, it’s clear the Stormers will keep with a more sensible approach.
Ball retention is the Stormers’ priority, and this means the Cape franchise will look to make better use of their possession than they have in previous weeks. The decision-making hasn’t been great, as players have often kicked when the run was on, or run from their own territory when the clearance was more prudent. They’ve also dropped the ball at crucial moments, and a number of try-scoring opportunities have gone begging.
Against bottom-four teams like the Lions and Highlanders, it’s not a big deal, but you can’t squander chances against teams like the Hurricanes. The Stormers missed out against the Brumbies, and they’ve no doubt taken a lesson from that error-strewn defeat.
You can’t set out to beat a team like the Canes with an all-out attack. As disjointed as the Kiwis are at the moment, they have the individuals capable of turning the spilled passes that have characterised the Stormers backline’s season into try-scoring chances. They are lethal on the counter, but are limited if you tighten your approach.
The Stormers defence has been nothing short of magnificent. They’ve conceded two tries and 48 points in four matches. The miserly Crusaders are a distant second with seven tries and 84 points conceded. The Stormers’ line defence has been impresssive, but so too has their defence at the breakdown. Schalk Burger and Francois Louw have worked well together under the new laws, and pose a big threat to the Canes at the tackle.
The lineout is another strong point, and after two tries earned through powerful mauls that would’ve had northern hemisphere critics out of their armchairs, why would they want to move away from what works? Sure the Canes pack has several All Black individuals, but as the early rounds have proved, they’re not nearly as dangerous as a unit.
Coetzee wants his backline attack to keep striving for that elusive synergy, and has even uttered the Peter de Villiers phrase of ‘when we come off, we’re going to be one helluva force’. You have to appreciate what the Stormers are trying to do in their quest to become the complete team. Their scrum is steady, their breakdown and lineout is thriving, their defence is top of the competition and their kicking game, although still lacking distance, is working. The backline attack is the only concern, but now is not the time to ‘keep trying’.
The Canes thrive in broken play, so why give them the opportunity of scooping a knock on and scoring at the other end of the park? The Stormers have already beaten the Waratahs, they should have beaten the Brumbies and are favourites to beat the Hurricanes. An ugly win will suffice when you’re playing the top teams. As it is in Test rugby, you shouldn’t increase the risk by persisting with something that is yet to come off.
The Stormers’ finishing requires work, but these ambitions need to be placed on hold for the time being. The Canes are too great a counter-attacking threat, and as any coach will tell you, you don’t play to the opposition’s strengths. As Coetzee himself has said, the Stormers want to starve the Canes of possession, and that begins with respecting your own ball. This means playing tighter, smarter rugby.
Whether it rains in Cape Town this Saturday or not, the humidity afflicting the Mother City at present is hardly conducive to an expansive spectacle. These conditions will suit the hosts in what some may call a more conservative approach and others may call a winning one. As a team, the Canes have shown nothing to suggest they’ll trouble the Stormers at home, but of course, this all depends on the Cape side staying true to their winning formula.
By Jon Cardinelli
367 Comments
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11 Mar 2010, 13:03 pm
Joe Peterson imo is a brilliant player, that outjie has a hand off of somebody double his size. I hope he gets a crack at test rugby even if it is only against Italy.
11 Mar 2010, 13:04 pm
@5t0rmer54eva: Don’t be too hopeful , I dont think the Boks will play much Currie Cup with next year in mind…
11 Mar 2010, 13:05 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
I think we can win the CC with this team.
11 Mar 2010, 13:05 pm
WP Vodacom cup side to play EP on Saturday:
15. Jurgen Visser 14. Dylan Des Fountain 13. Frikkie Welsh 12. Tim Whitehead 11. Fabian Juries 10. Willem De Waal 9. Conrad Hoffmann 8. Bradley Fortuin 7. Yaya Hartzenberg 6. Pieter Myburgh 5. Stephan Greeff 4. Rynhardt Elstadt 3. Buhle Mxunyelwa 2. Hanyani Shimange (C) 1. JD Moller
I’ll be attending just to see how Mxunyelwa goes against Nodikida
11 Mar 2010, 13:06 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
we would be the shiz
11 Mar 2010, 13:06 pm
@wp_boytjie: The truth u speak!!!
11 Mar 2010, 13:06 pm
Stormers by at least 8. Their defence will be their biggest weapon. Also the Brumbies loss taught them a serious lesson. Canes are like any other NZ side- they do not like to be pushed around in an aggressive manner…shame. Also stormers need to carry playing off ten.
11 Mar 2010, 13:08 pm
@5t0rmer54eva: agreed 110%
11 Mar 2010, 13:16 pm
@SpringbokSarah: In the words of Marty the Zebra “We’ll be krakelakin!!!” If u got kids u’ll know Marty.
11 Mar 2010, 13:18 pm
Stormer optimism? Do you guys never learn?
11 Mar 2010, 13:18 pm
@mxhosa: Who’s Jurgen Visser?
11 Mar 2010, 13:20 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
The first Madagascar was fantastic, but the second one was a cross between Disney Channel and a bad African-American movie. Shudder. Gotta love those penguins though.
11 Mar 2010, 13:23 pm
@Die_Valk: Now those guys are krakelakin!!! They are definitely not lakin in the krakin.
11 Mar 2010, 13:24 pm
@Die_Valk: Moto Moto is the man!!!
11 Mar 2010, 13:25 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
I have to admit that was funny as hell.
11 Mar 2010, 13:25 pm
@Die_Valk: I’ll take Stormer optimism over Bulls arrogance any day.
11 Mar 2010, 13:26 pm
@Die_Valk: But they do have a great team this year….. the Bulls I mean
11 Mar 2010, 13:26 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
Sorry mate, never seen him play, but I’ll tell you about him on Sunday though…
11 Mar 2010, 13:26 pm
I have a feeling that two losses are coming up for the Stormramme. Hope I’m wrong.
11 Mar 2010, 13:29 pm
@mxhosa: Make it Monday. Bright and early.
11 Mar 2010, 13:30 pm
@Die_Valk: U think the Cheetahs are gonna klap the Stormers??
11 Mar 2010, 13:31 pm
@mxhosa: What’s the stats on Mxunyelwa?
11 Mar 2010, 13:36 pm
The Cape Town air must be special as there are no supporters in this world that is more optimistic. I will be rather ashamed as their trophy cabinet has been empty for the last nine years. Not even a final for the last nine years in senior rugby. Here is a list of SA teams that has played in finals from 2002 onwards:
1. Bulls (S14, CC, Vod Cup)
2. Sharks(S14, CC)
3. Cheetahs(CC, Vod Cup)
4. Lions(CC, Vod Cup)
5. Griquas (Vod Cup)
6. Leopards (Vod Cup)
The conclusion: The Stormers are the 7th best team in South Africa for the last nine years and they think they will extraordinaly jump from this hole to a S14 championship team!
11 Mar 2010, 13:36 pm
Have you guys seen Yaya Hartzenburg??
He was devastating for WP against the SharksXV!!!
11 Mar 2010, 13:40 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
Well being a Cheetah I have to think so, but in truth I feel confident because I have never seen the Cheetahs play like they did.
They have always had this mentality of being underdogs and having to play extremely well just to be able to cope with the big teams. And if they could cope they always let their lead slip and relied on a comeback.
Against the Hurricanes that changed. They not only beat them, but buried them.
That gave me the exact same feeling that I had when Fabregas and Vermaelen (who is god) scored late against Stoke. I think they made a breakthrogh, and I’m confident they can build on it.
11 Mar 2010, 13:41 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
Age: 23
Height: 1.87m
Weight: 130kg
2005-2007 Border Bulldogs u21
2008-2009 Border Bulldogs CC
2010 Maties Vasity Cup
11 Mar 2010, 13:45 pm
@Die_Valk:
Your team did play well yes…
As they did last year against the Crusaders…
But last weekend against the Landers, they were just piss poor…
Consistency is the keyword…
11 Mar 2010, 13:45 pm
@Horings: You forgot your Blue Bulls team saw their arses for quite a few seasons before getting it right
This is their wonderful history before becoming something:-
Year Place Played Win Draw Loss PF PA Diff BP Points
1998 11th 11 3 0 8 249 306 -57 4 16
1999 12th 11 1 0 10 203 447 -244 3 7
2000 11th 11 1 2 8 231 395 -164 3 11
2001 12th 11 2 0 9 241 378 -137 3 11
2002 12th 11 0 0 11 232 500 -268 1 1
2003 6th 11 6 0 5 320 354 -34 5 30
2004 6th 11 5 1 5 302 320 -18 6 28
2005 3rd 11 7 0 4 301 229 72 6 34
11 Mar 2010, 13:45 pm
@mxhosa: He be a big one!!!
11 Mar 2010, 13:50 pm
@Karen: Dankie Karen….u da best!!!
11 Mar 2010, 13:53 pm
@Die_Valk: My wife is a Sharky so my 2nd team has to be the sharks, but actually the Cheetahs are. I don’t see u guys beating us though.
11 Mar 2010, 13:53 pm
@Karen: Still impressive after so many years.
11 Mar 2010, 13:55 pm
@Karen: Yes, but there is not really a difference between 3rd and 12th, because you have not won the big games if you finished within that region. At least we made it count when we had (and still having) our great team, while the sorry Stormers and Sharks had their glory years, but they did not really cash in on it.
Another thing: We won the 1998 CC while having our bad years i.e. we still won our big games, although we only had one chance.
11 Mar 2010, 13:57 pm
@wpw: Don’t know much about him, can’t find him on the WP website. What’s going on with Bax?
11 Mar 2010, 13:57 pm
@Horings: Like the second runner-up, senior vice chairman – 12th man – substitute – vice president…
11 Mar 2010, 13:57 pm
@Horings:
Exactly my thoughts. The Sharks, even more than the Stormers, blew their good years.
11 Mar 2010, 13:59 pm
@Karen: I also see you do not mention 1996 in your “history”. Kinda like the new governments’ “history” of our country.
11 Mar 2010, 14:01 pm
@Horings:
Our team is playing well and we are happy. Now this attitude of yours is the reason most SA supporters HATE the Bulls.
We are not being arrogant, we are just positive about our team.
What is wrong with that??
11 Mar 2010, 14:02 pm
@Horings: You guys drew against one of the worst S14 teams in a Currie Cup final…. China. Currie Cup doesn’t mean ****.
11 Mar 2010, 14:02 pm
Before having everyone screaming at me. The old governments’ history was also one-sided. Anyone will change its history to suit themselves!
11 Mar 2010, 14:02 pm
@wpw: Dislike WPW – you don’t want to be pulled in front of the Hate Commission now do you!
11 Mar 2010, 14:06 pm
@5t0rmer54eva:
Dont have a clue. Is Bax still playing for UCT??
Yaya has played age group rugby for WP for some time now. He also played U19/21 rugby for SA recently.
He is a flank forward and is quite a big chap.
11 Mar 2010, 14:07 pm
@wpw: A pity UCT didn’t take their chances on Monday. Really thought they could have pulled that one through.
11 Mar 2010, 14:08 pm
O noooo !!!!!!!!
You don’t like us BULLS supporters…
11 Mar 2010, 14:09 pm
Yes, your team was beaten by one of the “worst S14 teams” in a couple of semis. We were also beaten by them, but at least we were there! We won some of the big games.
The CC does not mean ****! Cool, then you have not won anything in your whole existence that is worth anything. At least we won two trophies worth something according to you! PS I was more enthusiastic about last year’s CC than the S14.
11 Mar 2010, 14:11 pm
@Horings: Nobody is screaming
Just the fact that everyone knows the Bulls have a good team at the moment but once apon a time your team was not impressive. I did not put 1996 or 1997 in there because they were playing under Northern Transvaal and not as the Blue Bulls.
Besides your TUKS side in Varisty rugby have not won anything – I think MATIES which are WP/Stormers are actually winning trophies so the cupboard is not that bare. We did also win a trophy or two with the uner21′s and u19.
Besides I am not starting a punch here it is just the Bulls have supporters who really tend to be arrogant but they forget when Heyneke Meyer took over before the second world war they were doing really bad. The Stormers beat the Bulls for 5 seasons running even in Dubai for two years in a row (warm up games).
Bill – I pop up now and again
11 Mar 2010, 14:16 pm
@Karen: You should pop up more! It adds flavour to the stew! You actually do know what I mean.
11 Mar 2010, 14:19 pm
Senior @Karen: I am talking about Senior Provincial Rugby!
Trust me I do remember those awful days as I felt I was doing a one man show supporting the Bulls. Oh the people laughed when I told them that we will be the first SA team to win the S12, just after Vidiri had scored 4 tries against us. Cannot remember the year.
Can you guys remember all those jokes? Wat het meer punte as die Bulls? A samoosa!
11 Mar 2010, 14:29 pm
what happened to all saffas merrily holding hands ans supporting each other’s teams?
where are the sharks fans to sing the praises of the indomitab-ull blue bulls..kzn king shark, rangerman?
11 Mar 2010, 14:30 pm
@Horings: So horings that how we feel when our team does not do great. But even if I have to be the last supporter sitting at Newlands waving my Stormers flag I will never support another team. That is why I find it hilarious the way some supporters trash each other on this site. Every team has its good years but then every team has its bad ones as well.
Every team has its arrogant supporters but what pisses me off is guys that have been supporting the Stormers for years suddenly become Bulls supporters just because they win. To me that is not a supporter at all.
Besides smile both our sides are at least up there in the top 4
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