Stormers stymied by plodding duo
7 Mar 2011
JON CARDINELLI says that Allister Coetzee needs to face facts: Ricky Januarie and Conrad Jantjes just aren’t good enough to command starting positions.
You could see it on the faces of Coetzee and Stormers captain Jean de Villiers after Saturday night’s game. The Stormers beat the Cheetahs, but the quality of the game was so poor that both Coetzee and De Villiers wore embarrassed looks as they took their seats to front the media.
There wasn’t much to be said in the positive, other than they had obtained the necessary four log points. Mission accomplished. Or not.
They said that there was no excuse for such a poor performance. You have to wonder if this utterance was intended to placate the media and public, and if it was made with the hope that after a few more games, the Stormers would hit their straps.
If you’re like me and you find the statement to be rather redundant, you will also be asking what the Stormers are going to do differently in the coming week.
Some may argue that two wins are all that matter, and that you don’t change a winning team, but the reality is that the easier matches are over. This week they’ll face a team ranked two on the combined log, and next week they’ll travel to Loftus Versfeld. The Highlanders and the Bulls will be much tougher to topple than the Lions and Cheetahs.
The Stormers are struggling for synergy, and their handling errors and poor ball security are inhibiting their ability to build attacking momentum. These are new problems that have crept into their game since the start of the campaign, but one thing that has remained consistent is the quality of service at scrumhalf.
Ricky Januarie continues to cost the Stormers momentum by arriving late at the ruck and then taking an age to reach down, pick up the ball and float a pass to his flyhalf. Coetzee went as far to admit Januarie wasn’t at his best against the Cheetahs, and when he spoke about the team lacking energy, he must have had Januarie in mind.
While Januarie troubles defences around the fringes, he no longer has the precision nor the pace to be the key link in a professional rugby team. He’s been shown up by Dewaldt Duvenage in previous seasons, and one wonders what he did in the Currie Cup that made Coetzee and company revise their premier halfback dynamic.
Duvenage was the first choice scrumhalf in 2010, and his distribution, accuracy and kicking game helped the Stormers qualify for the Super 14 final. He complemented Peter Grant, and because the Stormers still had Joe Pietersen on their books, they had some solid kicking options.
They lose a tactical kicking option by starting Januarie, and this in turn places additional pressure on Grant. Conrad Jantjes hasn’t filled the kicking void left by Pietersen, even though he possesses a cannon of a boot. In fact, kicking is just one department where Jantjes has underperformed since coming back from injury in mid-2010.
The serious leg injury that sidelined him for 14 months has had lasting effects. Jantjes shuns the contact situations, he’s lost a lot of pace and no longer offers a counter-attacking threat from the back. The predictability of the Stormers’ back three was exposed by the Cheetahs last week, as Jantjes, Bryan Habana and Danie Poolman made numerous errors and were easily marked when they decided to counter-attack.
The good news for the Stormers is that Gio Aplon is on the mend and should be back for the Highlanders clash. Aplon must start at No 15, as his ability to punish poor kicks with sniping runs from deep will force the Highlanders to think about their tactics. Aplon is also the kind of player who will lend the side some pace, energy, and enthusiasm.
The forward effort needs sharpening, and ball retention is going to be crucial, but the backline is also under pressure to fire. One try in two matches is a damning indictment on the Stormers’ attack, and while they have some potent centres and a good flyhalf, they need to involve a sharp scrumhalf and dangerous fullback if they’re going to maximise their scoring potential.
364 Comments
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7 Mar 2011, 18:45 pm
@BringItHomeBoks(bokfan1)-325:
Fair observation but tends for simplicity
All Habana does now is to change his Cheetah like stealth prowling tricks for easy interceptions, that entitlement about him you implied is for anyone to see.
The strength of the opposition got something to do too with the Stormers’ fortunes, and the refereeing is the most important factor: under Pro Legote the match was devoid of any fair, competitive value, so not much one could take away from it
7 Mar 2011, 18:46 pm
another behind the closet ex lions poefieboy, no thank you Ethienne Reyneke can stay in poefieville pompom land, thank you very much Rassie and AC. If you gonna recruit saffa’s then bring back Schalk Brits who you gleefully let go when you started off on your merry go round the rosemary bush buying and selling spree.
7 Mar 2011, 18:56 pm
Hondo looking to discredit anyone of color anywhere in SA and especially Stormers rugby, new target behind Jantjes and Januarie is IRB winger wonderboy Bryan Habana
If its not Beast or Gurthro or Chili or Maku or Januarie or De Jongh or Aplon or JPP or Kirchner, then it’s gotta be Habana, the first anti black agenda laced garbage that this tool can pull out his racist haversack he’s gonna try lay it at the black or colored players door, while turning blind eyes to the blond pale faced bimbos like Olivier Spies Potties FdP and the rest who actually the ones who let the saffa sides down week in and week out . Poor delinquent idiot forgets who’s who in the zoo in this fair land of ours, he’s the uitlander cast off alien who actually don’t belong here, so he’s in fact the dumb fck quota, and not the other way around.
7 Mar 2011, 20:05 pm
@skopiskoobidoo(ilanjo)-352: I don’t think Britz would start ahead of Tiaan Liebenberg but he would be a great impact player.
Ernst Joubert is also playing some great rugby for Sarries.
7 Mar 2011, 20:45 pm
yeah BH I rated Ernst Joubert very highly when he was at the Lions here, nobody appreciated his quiet businesslike tough man work rate as much as he was worth he should have been a Bok way back and we would have another Juan Smith in our midst.
Schalk Brits was always too flashy for SA type hard core rugby but fits in well there where one needs to break up the stoggy English game with a little lateral flair. Liebenberg is a great hard grafting hooker we had another here who went to France Willie Wepener from Lions, now we left with Bismark, Smit, Chili, Maku, Burden, Strauss, Fourie and couple unproven young uns. Stormers need another Liebenberg but I like little Fourie who really makes hay from sunshine when games loosen up. Not sure this Reyneke is any better, I’d certainly stick with Fourie till Liebenberg comes good again.
7 Mar 2011, 20:53 pm
100% agree with you KEO. Jantjes is terrible average and yokozuna Januarie should go to Japan to play rugby or sumo. Duvenage at 9 and give Lionel Cronje a chance at fullback.
By the way, the new shirt of the Stormers es una MIERDA. Play with the black shirt again please
7 Mar 2011, 22:01 pm
Reynecke was a great prospect. Was really disappointed to see him leave, along with that Vosloo flanker chap. I reckon it won’t take many games for Reynecke to become the first choice hooker. His competition, Fourie, is jut too lightweight and doesn’t have enough bull terrier in him.
7 Mar 2011, 23:17 pm
@BringItHomeBoks(bokfan1)-325:
Agree on Fourie and De Jongh.
I believe De Villiers should play at 14 and should have, with De Jongh at 12, this would mean de jongh had game time and de villiers would be made to prove his worth to the team so that when Aplon returns then de villiers would move to 2 again.
I cannot fault the committment of De villiers, the try saving tackle last week was brilliant, but he is predictable, he needs some creativity.
9 Januarie
10 P Grant
11 Habana
12 Juan De Jongh
13 Jaque Fourie
14 Jean De Villiers
15 Conrad Jantjes
20 Duvehage
21 Lionel Cronje
22 Danie Poolman / Tim Whitehead
Habana is always committed. He fights for the team with flair and passion even though he has only been at Stormers a year. It is brilliant that Habana is on the wing for Stormers. He needs the space, all the forwards taking the ball up wears them out, then they dont get to the breakdown quickly enough which leaves the players isolated. Rynhard Elstadt & Deon Fourie are the biggest contributers for this. I believe Tiaan Liebenberg is sorely missed and I would play all 3 of Ntubeni Fourie & Reynecke all in a rotation role for the next few games to find the most useful player for how the Stormers go about their game. Stormers need to spread the ball wide, Habana, Poolman & Jantjes had no go-forward ball out wide to work with, habana had to do his best with working off of Lions & Cheetahs mistakes to make rare counter attacks that didnt pay off.
I just hope this week gets it sorted, the Highlanders look great this season which is good for the competition.
Stormers need Blaauw, Liebenberg, Burger, Van Zyl, Fondse, J Fourie, Aplon & Lionel Cronje back in the squad pronto. Also believe Elgar Watts should be given a crack from the bench soon.
My team for highlanders would be:
1 V D Linde
2 Ntubeni
3 B Harris
4 Steenkamp
5 Bekker (captain)
6 Flo
7 D Vermeulen
8 Nick Koster
9 Januarie
10 P Grant
11 Habana
12 De Jongh
13 De Viliers
14 Tim Whitehead
15 Jantjes
16 Ettine Reynecke
17 JD Moller
18 Elstadt
19 P Louw
20 Duvenhage
21 Lionel Cronje
22 Danie Poolman
7 Mar 2011, 23:27 pm
@Markel77(Markel77)-356:
No need for black shirt. Only criticism of new shirt is that the colar should be blue and the sponsor shouldnt be allowed to put yellow and red on a prdominatly blue and white jersey.
I believe the colours of the stormers should be blue, white and red.
a home kit as the present and an away kit which is red and blue jersey, blue shorts and white socks. It goes with the colours
8 Mar 2011, 00:16 am
Stormers won’t solve their no. 9 problems this year.
The youngster that they should be looking at is Nic Groom. He came off the bench in the warm up game against Boland and got man of the match for his performance. Why he isn’t even in the final squad is beyond me.
8 Mar 2011, 00:30 am
Poolman impressed my highly at 14 I’d start him again
I also play Cronje straight into 15
Cronje
Poolman
De Jongh
JdV
Habana
Grant
Duvenhage
Vermeulen
Elstadt
P. Louw
Bekker (c)
Steenkamp
Vd Linde
Fourie
Blaauw / Moller
Harris / Malherbe
Ntubeni
Van Zyl
Koster
Januarie
Van Aswegen
Whitehead / Engelbrecht / Bosch
8 Mar 2011, 14:52 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-351: Very good points Hondo – I was probably still letting off steam a bit when I wrote that… just cant believe how Stormers playing has regressed! After last season I thought they had turned a corner (although even last season it was a close game against the Cheetahs). Its like watching the Boks Tri Nations campaign from last year. After promising so much, you watch the wheels come off in a slow-motion horror movie, and you cant do anything about it
8 Mar 2011, 14:56 pm
@Rhys7(Rhys7)-358: Totally agree about having “Blaauw, Liebenberg, Burger, Van Zyl and Fondse” back – the firs 2 especially!
Aplon come back to 14, and Jean must play his way back into the team on form I think. I agree his try saving tackle was good, and on defence he is still great, but there is no spark and no creation of space of movement from him or any of the backline players. As #12 he should be trying to suck in the defence, and while I agree a pop-pass is dangerous in his position, even an early pass would be ok, but 99% of the time its a crash-ball!
They need to watch the videos of their games from last season and see how they played – beautiful passing and interplay between the whole team. Not just in one game, but EVERY game. Their defence was impeccable (this at least still seems to be the case to a degree).
One ray of sunlight is the return of Grant and his improved kicking out of hand! That boy must be back up Bok Fly half!
9 Mar 2011, 09:00 am
@capo(capo)-329:
I am a weak man capo and couldn’t resist taking a look at what was potting in gestapo land.
Must say thanks for Openside and Zaer for the support which by now is considerable.
Mods and lackeys are clearly getting hysterical as some one posted my messages here on the supersupporter board. They are frothing and foaming at the mouth!!! Not used to getting told a home truth or two. little egoes mightlily bruised!!! Bwahahahahahahahaahaha one has to feel for them, but it i sgood medicine that the ydesparately need.!!!
Sorry Moz you had to take all that abuse from dear old fireman. The guy needs councelling as he has severe problems, seems consumed with venom for some reason.
As I said if you enjoy the board there please don’ t get banned over me. For the long term they have to improve governance drastically as the yare coming out of this very badly as is plain to see. Exreme partiality, dictorial attitudes and dishonesty will get them nowhere. The reason the yar ehaving all this opp
if ou barlee wants any advice on how to put matters right he can email me as I am, as always, willing to help.
I am content that these twits at least know from a number of sources that they are disgustingly partial and dishonest. It has been a hard lesson for them to learn and the yhave been badly exposed. For the sake of all those remaining I hope they mend their ways fast.
Now I suppose more bleatings from the nutters wh owill hav ebeen most put out at having been forced to rread this post. Still wonder who the supersupoorter posters are on this board and why they are too scared to identify themselves. Come on I won’t bite your head off. Reveal who you are – what names do you use to post on supersupporter?
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