Stormers take spoils in Cape clanger
11 Mar 2011
JON CARDINELLI reports on another tryless bore at Newlands that was eventually won 18-6 by the Stormers.
During the build-up to this fixture, I heard that Newlands had been described as Super Rugby’s new House of Pain. By the end of Saturday’s match, I had to agree. The statement is true when you consider the fixtures staged at this venue over the past three weeks have been painfully boring, error-strewn, and short on tries.
If this was a boxing fixture and not a rugby match, there would be plenty to report. Both the Stormers and Highlanders weren’t afraid to get physical, with off-the-ball scuffles lending the match some much-needed excitement. But to be honest, the hand-to-hand combat was also a let-down, even though it resulted in yellow cards for locks Andries Bekker and Jarrad Hoeata in the 36th minute. Even that couldn’t separate two teams in dire form.
What did separate them was the accurate place-kicking of Peter Grant. The Highlanders were just as ill-disciplined and mistake-prone as the hosts, but had their opportunities as well. Robbie Robinson missed two penalty-attempts in the first half, and fluffed another after the break. It was because of these misses that the Highlanders turned down goalable opportunities later in the game.
The Stormers’ set-pieces were inconsistent for the second-week running, and while they effected some handy turnovers, they also conceded far too much possession at the rucks. On attack, they made unforced errors and took bad decisions. When they did breach the Highlanders’ defence, they didn’t know how to finish.
Grant gave the hosts some breathing room with two more penalty-goals, and at 15-6 up, you would have expected the Stormers to capitalise. Instead, they continued to turn over possession, and only some desperate defence stifled the Highlanders’ late surge. It was a fine tackling display full of resolve, but then you have to ask how they had come to be in a situation where they defended for most of the fourth quarter. Their ball retention was abysmal.
While the Stormers’ problems on attack persist and their discipline continues to cost them possession, they have somehow managed to maintain the winning habit. After three rounds they remain unbeaten, which is crazy if you think about how poorly they’ve played and the fact that they’ve only scored one try in 240 minutes of rugby.
609 Comments
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12 Mar 2011, 12:12 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-597: Well, then you should probably up the dosage of your medication.
Of course, a more interesting question is why did they let you out of the home in the first place?
12 Mar 2011, 12:23 pm
@Windhoek.Lager(Windhoek.Lager)-601: I am on medical parole, like Shabir.
I am rather sick though, death bed even… but in for a spot of golf later at ‘The Club’
Waff waff waff.
12 Mar 2011, 13:19 pm
@goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-600:
OUR captain, GYGT………. OUR captain
12 Mar 2011, 14:31 pm
Incredible defense by the Stormers. Not so much organizational defense (although that was good too) but man-on-man the defense throughout the team was phenomenal. We were smashing them back! Our loose forwards were immense! Those Highlanders are surely going to feel it in the morning.
Gio Aplon I’d never seen much of at Super or Currie Cup level – only at Test level. I have to say, I take back everything bad I’ve ever thought about him. His tackling was incredible for one of the smaller players on the field – what an example for the rest of the team! And his snipping runs were a breath of fresh air – not since Brent Russell have I seen that.
I’ve seen Aplon play at Test level and he looks okay but not particularly electrifying. Well today I saw how good he can be and if he could play like that at Test level consistently then I think he’d be right up there with the best 15′s in the world.
Of course I’m not saying he’s better than Francios Steyn because Steyn offers us something different and is also a phenomenal player. I guess we’re incredibly fortunate to have both these players at our disposal.
12 Mar 2011, 15:04 pm
@nama1(nama1)-568:
Haven’t followed cricket since 1996
That is unless it Test matches during the X-mas break,
All that ODI/Limited Over cricket is a match fixing anyway, no one can resist the kind of dough on offer by the indian bookies.
12 Mar 2011, 15:17 pm
@nama1(nama1)-568:
Nama,
Enjoy the circus:
“Livid coach defends Habana”
“The players don’t play for stats … . They (he means Habana -Hondo) are there to EXPRESS themselves and if they make errors it’s simply part of the game.”
Hehehe,,,
12 Mar 2011, 21:27 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-605:
“Haven’t followed cricket since 1996″
I’m not surprised at all. Germans don’t understand cricket, do they? I’m surprise you follw rugby. Isn’t soccer your sport? I mean, your country did win “more world cups than I would care to know”
Unlike Bafana!!!
12 Mar 2011, 21:42 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-605:
Never, never ever again talk about quotas in cricket. By your own admission, you don’t follow the sport.
Three test over the Xmas period just don’t cut it to have an opinion.
We all know that your opinion don’t count for much on this site but after your admission here about your interest in cricket, you will be an even bigger fool if you raise your opinion wrt cricket on this site.
Stick to Ricky, Mvovo, Habana, Aplon, Beast, Gurthro, Kirchner etc.
At least you have a valid point if you do that…………………. SOMETIMES.
13 Mar 2011, 05:47 am
The Stormers have to play the following if they want to start smashing teams:
1. CJ
2. Fourie
3. Brock the kock
4. Eldstadt
5. Bekker
6. F Louw
7. Vermeulen
8. Koster
9. Duvenhage
10 Grant
11. Aplon
12. Jean
13. Jacques
14. De Jongh
15. Cronje
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