Nothing soft about these Stormers
28 Mar 2011
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, says the Cape franchise has shown why they can win Super Rugby.
This was what the Stormers’ preseason hype was about: a team that could create as well as defend; a team that plays with inspiration, intelligence and integrity.
The opposition was not the best, but the timing of the match — sandwiched between a Stormers visit to Pretoria and Durban — made it a game that had the potential to end in heartbreak for the Cape-based franchise.
I had questioned the Stormers’ mental ability to get up for the Australians after the effort put into the win against the Bulls in Pretoria. If there was a week when a Stormers no- show could be expected (and excused) this was it.
But this is the Stormers, after all, and they are a team known to give you the opposite of what you expect: they not only pitched up, but they played their most complete match of the season in destroying a team who a week earlier had been almost as harsh on the Lions in Johannesburg.
Newlands, as a playing surface, is nice and soft, but clearly it isn’t because the players are soft. The Stormers, for two seasons, have been one of the most physically imposing teams and one of the stingiest defensive units. The criticism has been that the players had lost the art of attack and the obsession not to leak a try came at the expense of scoring any. Until Saturday’s half-century the Stormers had scored just two tries in 320 minutes of Super Rugby. They trebled that against the West Australians.
The most impressive aspect was that they proved to themselves that they could attack and still maintain the resolve to defend. Few teams have the mental capacity to want to tackle when leading by 30 points in Super Rugby, but this Stormers side is of the rare breed that prides itself in defending their goal line, regardless of the score.
This was the performance of a team with the potential to win the tournament. It had everything and naturally it also came with a reminder that for the Stormers to be contenders in two months, they will need luck with injury, particularly for Peter Grant at flyhalf.
Grant’s understudy, Gary van Aswegen, playing for Western Province in the Vodacom Cup, showed tremendous temperament to beat Griquas with the last kick of the match, but he is no Grant at this juncture of his career and the Stormers rely on Grant as much as the Crusaders do on Dan Carter .
Grant was my man of the match and so far he has been the Stormers’ man of the season. He kicked nine from nine, controlled play and used his mind as much as quick hand speed to bamboozle the Force.
Jean de Villiers continues to improve and he again looks like the stallion that left for Munster 18 months ago and not the carthorse that returned. His captaincy has also matured into authority and clarity.
Andries Bekker and Jaque Fourie were two other standouts and Duane Vermeulen, at No 8, would play for any other country if he played overseas. The national selectors have never shown an interest in him and it must confuse the hell out of the Stormers’ opponents.
If life was swell in Cape Town, it was simply sorry at Loftus, where the Bulls stumbled to victory against a Lions team getting progressively worse. I had the Bulls to win by 14 points or more as the value bet of the weekend and at 30-16 with two minutes to play it seemed a good option.
But this was no vintage Bulls performance and there was no brutal backlash; only the confirmation that the Bulls will struggle to make the top-six play-offs this year. They were as poor as they were a week earlier against the Stormers. They have problems and are champions in rapid decline.
The Lions, all huff, puff and passion for the first three weeks of the competition, are now looking like the circus lions of last year. They still play with ignorance and disregard for the merits of game management.
They confuse enterprise with recklessness and until they understand and respect the principle of game management, they won’t be successful.
78 Comments
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28 Mar 2011, 13:43 pm
@brains_trust(brains_trust)-40: Shame, I was refering to you kakking on Slong for warning that it’s to early to talk the team up after one or two decent performances. Of course I know it is the same team. The same old chokers of the past ten years.
28 Mar 2011, 13:50 pm
Mossie will run circles around Sonny Bill
28 Mar 2011, 13:56 pm
@Beeno(Beeno)-45: Totally agree with you about Spies. When has been so effective and so unstoppable? When has space, so maybe he couldve been a great wing or even #13? But then again, in Bulls and Bok rugby there is not often very much space created for the backline is there…?
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-47: But I agree Spies and Kanko have had their chance to step up to be international superstars at their positions and they havent. We definitely need Vermeulen AND Alberts in the Boks.
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-49: Spies’ defence AND his attack are poor. Even when has a Bulls prop behind him driving him on, he doesnt go forward! Against the Lions nogal. It is a shame because he is a great talent and powerfully built, but he has had his chance and not set the world alight. Contrast with players like Juan Smith who go forward no matter what is in front of them, and tackle like demons. As @Beeno(Beeno)-45 suggested, maybe he doesnt have the heart for forward play? It must be something a person is born to do or not, personally I wouldnt like to be a 6,7 or 8
28 Mar 2011, 13:56 pm
@Boo_Habana(suffer_guy)-52: Agree. And Aplon and De Jongh
28 Mar 2011, 13:56 pm
@Die Griek(Die Griek)-51:
A lost Bull on the Province forum.
Run off to Benoni china youre not wanted here with your sour blah blah k*k
28 Mar 2011, 13:59 pm
@BringItHomeBoks(bokfan1)-53: i would like to be a 6. Not a 7 or 8, these are hard bugger positions and they take lots of contact.
28 Mar 2011, 14:03 pm
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-49:
Is he really that powerful outside the gym though? He looks it sure, and Spies-lovers defence is always “he is an amazing athlete, and look how big he is!”. But all i ever see is Spies being driven backwards, unless he has a 30m running start. But from a standing start, the defences fling him around like a rag doll.
Size means nothing if you dont have heart and natural strength, ala Alberts and Vermeulen. Look at Juan De Jongh, only 85kg’s odd but tackles like a monster. If i had a choice who would be the last defender in a RWC semi when SBW breaks the line…. Big Spies or Little De Jongh, I’d choose De Jongh without blinking an eye lid. And that’s a problem, the lack of faith based on visual evidence of our Bok number 8.
28 Mar 2011, 14:21 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-57: You make a good point.
28 Mar 2011, 14:22 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-57: I guess the good thing is he is still fairly young for a number 8 and his best years should be ahead of him. He needs to work really hard on developing more to his game then he currently has, because right now its not looking good.
28 Mar 2011, 14:30 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-57: As the saying goes – Its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.
Not only does Aplon MAKE his tackles, he also goes forward despite his “size issue”. I remember all the drama when he was selected for Tri Nations last year – Aplon was one of the few Boks to make tackles and break them. It was mostly the big “senior” Boks who played badly.
De Jongh makes tackles and also goes forward – often against multiple tacklers (think of Habana’s try against the Bulls when De Jongh broke through).
Brussow is another example of strength and mental strength/aptitude defying appearances. Keegan Daniels is another that springs to mind.
As there are those examples above, so there must be examples on the other end of the spectrum – massive or very athletic players who are not as good or strong as they look. Spies might just fall into that category. Its a shame, he has shown glimpses of brilliance.
Plus, how much of a “athletic” specimen does a team really need? Vermeulen hunts down wingers (in his socks!). Bakkies caught Rococoko, hell even Os caught a few wingers
28 Mar 2011, 14:36 pm
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-59: But then so are Vermeulen and Alberts young (if not younger than Spies) and they are already better than him! So why not develop them rather and invest in them for the Boks? Spies has played lots of Tests, he has been solid in some, brilliant in a few, disappointing in some. Im not saying he is terrible and if there were no better options in SA then I would say ja, no, well fine.
But we have other outstanding options and form should be taken into consideration. Its like with Habana – as much as I love the guy, he has not been playing well. If the Boks had a test this coming Saturday I would not feel he should be at 14 because there are better options currently on form.
If Spies, Habana, Smit etc are playing back to their best by August then by all means they deserve to defend SA’s title and bring it home, and I hope they are! But if they are not, then there are better options, no?
28 Mar 2011, 14:43 pm
i’ll try here… does anyone know of a website where i can get comprehensive stats on the S15 games? the ESPN scrum website offers really good team and individual stats (like tackles made/miss, metres gained, etc. for each player) on all international games, but not so much for Super Rugby… anyone got a source?
28 Mar 2011, 14:52 pm
no worries, my question above has been answer
28 Mar 2011, 15:05 pm
@BringItHomeBoks(bokfan1)-61: Yes agree 100%, I’m just saying that Spies himself really needs to focus on developing more to his game, because he’s wasting his talent right now. On current form he is nowhere near the Bok Jersey on merit.
28 Mar 2011, 15:19 pm
@BringItHomeBoks(bokfan1)-61: I agree with you but unfortunately I don’t think the selectors or the Bok coaching staff share our sentiments. Players can’t ride off the back of ’07 those days are gone.
28 Mar 2011, 15:20 pm
@Dazzler(Dazzler)-57: Excellent point and I agree completely.
28 Mar 2011, 15:20 pm
Try ruggastats
28 Mar 2011, 15:43 pm
On Friday on Metrofm, PDV made mention of the fact that he wont allow provincial coaches to dictate his springbok team, he was referring to a question about his preference of Adi Jacobs and also mentioned that Guthro and Beast are ahead at loosehead for the Boks, referring to Smit
28 Mar 2011, 15:45 pm
@HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-64: I understand what you’re saying and agree.
@foreverrugga(foreverrugga)-65: Nope the selectors probably wont
I hate to talk bad about the okes as they do things on the field I am nowhere capable of, and they have brought us Bok supporters lots of joy over the years, but form must count for something, and Boks need playmakers
28 Mar 2011, 16:47 pm
we’ll see
28 Mar 2011, 18:21 pm
when you play at home and with Pro Legota as the referee, the skies are the limit
But they play well since Grant and DD are in the lineup
28 Mar 2011, 19:57 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-68: I have no doubt in my mind that talent and form mean absolutely nothing to Peter De Villiers, Gary Gold and D ick Muir.
It is terribly sad to know that Spies, Smit, Habana, Januarie, Steyn will all be in the final 22.
28 Mar 2011, 19:58 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-68: Well Adi added quite a bit on attack when he came on on Saturday. The three Stormers centres are still ahead of him – but rather him then Olivier.
Smit, eish – the difference in energy vitatlity and impact bewteen him and Beast on Sunday was HUGE. The Aurahe carries did nothing in that first to stop the Crusaders. And he was subbed later cause hes not up to scratch just yet. Will he get there? He should be playing 2 in any case but Bismarck is on fire atm.
28 Mar 2011, 20:12 pm
On the strength of this last weekend I would put the Stormers as favorites, way ahead of the Sharks. It’s very simple:
1. The Stormers gang-tackling defense remains very organized as compared to the Sharks, and it concedes very few yards per phase. The Stormers hold the gain line on defense better than anyone, just as they did last year. If the Sharks play the same defensive plan that they did in Twickenham then the Stormers back three will be running in a few tries – going around Mvovo in particular was all too easy.
2. The Stormers this weekend demonstrated the ability to construct an intelligent breakaway attack with an impressive ruthlessness in finishing. By contrast the Sharks looked good on attack only when punching up with their forwards. That won’t work against the Cape Town heavies.
3. Set pieces, malls, place kicks? Stormers have it, if this last weekend is to be believed. If the Sharks leave 9 points on the table against the Stormers then it’s game over. The Sharks were monstered by the Saders scrum, and were far from solid at the lineout.
Yes, Lambie would make a difference (as he would have in London), and home advantage will also favor the Sharks. But unless Plumtree comes up with something special for a game plan the result will go the Stormers way.
29 Mar 2011, 03:45 am
yes Funkyzoo I agree with a lot you say
I do feel they played the best side (Crusaders) this weekend
Stormers defense is not going to let in the tries like Crusaders did.
Also the backs are starting to pay really well ( well should with all the boks there )
So we wil see this weekend
I think the travel and hard game V Saders not good for Sharks
Stormers have short flight to Durban and very confident
I see a Stormers win
29 Mar 2011, 04:06 am
@SodaJoe(SodaJoe)-72:
Yeah I have said that too Sad but true
29 Mar 2011, 04:08 am
Plater ratings: http://livescores.smh.com.au/rugby/super15/player-stats.html?refresh=1301364401610
29 Mar 2011, 06:53 am
Keo, you forgot to mention that your prediction at the beginning of the season that the Bulls will again be kings of the S15 was not only ****, but dumb as well if anyone watched the Bulls laden Boks in the 3N and EOYT. Th Stormers have the least players in the Boks from the three top sides and this makes them more likely to succeed. The Bulls players have been contaminated by the Bok coaches and do not have sufficient time to recover before the WC, we all no how slow things are in good old PTA.
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