Varsity Cup hero deserves Stormers chance
30 May 2011
JON CARDINELLI writes that the Stormers should be backing UCT match-winner Demetri Catrakilis ahead of problem child Earl Rose.
The Stormers find themselves in a dire situation. Gary van Aswegen is crocked, while Lionel Cronje won’t be back until the play-offs. Peter Grant’s ankle injury is reportedly so bad that he could miss the end of the league stage. It’s a situation that threatens to compromise their push for a home semi-final.
The Cape franchise has already tried to sign Springbok Ruan Pienaar and former Stormers star Joe Pietersen for the remainder of the season. Both attempts have failed, as the players’ European clubs have demanded exorbitant amounts for injury insurance.
There is good reason to panic as the Super Rugby season nears the knockout stage. The Stormers are without a flyhalf, and they are also without a recognised goal-kicker. Securing Pienaar or Pietersen would have solved the latter problem.
They’ve backed Kurt Coleman in the position, but it’s clear the youngster is not ready for Super Rugby. Coleman was a bundle of nerves in his first start against the Brumbies last Saturday. He avoided contact as much as possible, and his lack of confidence led to handling errors and poor game management.
He was substituted as early as the 50th minute, a big statement by the coaches considering the Stormers didn’t have another specialist flyhalf in their match 22. Scrumhalf Dewaldt Duvenage was asked to step into the unfamiliar position for the second week running, but a heavy knock reduced his flyhalf cameo to 15 minutes.
The decision to call up Earl Rose is a shocker. Granted the Stormers are desperate for an experienced player in a crucial position, but what has Rose done to inspire any sort of confidence in the Stormers’ management? And with his disciplinary record, surely his inclusion will do more harm than good.
His problems with the Lions are well documented and his value as a Super Rugby player has come into question in the last 12 months. After being ditched by the Johannesburg franchise, he’s made a comeback of sorts at lowly Griquas. But he wasn’t considered for the Cheetahs’ Super Rugby squad as the central franchise favoured Sias Ebersohn and even the limited Naas Olivier.
That was a big statement of no confidence, so why should the Stormers believe he has anything to offer? Rassie Erasmus has worked hard to install a new culture since arriving in the Cape in 2008, and a player with Rose’s disciplinary record won’t fit in.
He’s also not the kind of player to add value to the Stormers’ playing systems. He’s a defensive liability and his inclusion would allow opposition teams easy access to the advantage line and beyond. Team-mates at the Lions used to complain about his erratic attack, as he’s not one to stick to the game plan.
The Stormers have been forced to back their young flyhalves in 2011, and one wonders why they don’t continue to do so. Demetri Catrakilis was the standout in UCT’s successful Varsity Cup campaign and has all the skills to be a success at the next level. He’s already in the Western Province systems, so it would make sense to bring him through.
You would think that his performances in the Varsity Cup would have inspired some confidence in his ability. His subsequent showings in the Vodacom Cup have highlighted his consistency, and you would think that somewhere at Western Province and the Stormers, there’s a coach that has plans for his promotion.
But the selection of Rose begs the question. The Stormers are sending the wrong message to their younger contingent by favouring Rose over Catrakilis. The latter can do a job for the side in the short term, an experience that will have long term benefits for his own career and ensure the Stormers develop their flyhalf depth for future seasons.
There needed to be some forward thinking before hitting that panic button. Picking Rose makes no sense in the context of the Stormers’ current campaign and will have no long term benefits for 2012 and beyond.
The Stormers are in a desperate situation, but they’ve made a mistake in backing a potentially destructive outsider. They have also missed the opportunity to develop one of their own.
205 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] Show All
31 May 2011, 08:47 am
JC do you watch club rugby?
Catrukalis is not what you would like your readers to think he is. He is very limited. He played for False Bay last season and often cracked under pressure. He also only played 1 Vodacom Cup match. When WP was knocked out in the quarterfinal.
Please do some research before you write **** articles.
I however agree Rose is not the answer but Catrukalis is miles behind him. By the way Ish Dollie has now been called up to WP training squad for Currie Cup
31 May 2011, 09:17 am
@ Capeflats
As someone who has seen Catrukalis, what would you say are his strengths and weaknesses? I didnt get to watch a lot of Varsity Cup rugby.
Great news about Ishmael Dollie. I was wandering where he was.
Pity that Conrad Hoffman is no longer with the Stormers. This would have been the ideal opportunity for him to show off what he has. He has always been highly rated at scrum and as well as flyhalf.
31 May 2011, 11:01 am
@von Giba(von Giba)-183:
I hear what you are saying. I do not think that the drinking after the game and the prostitutes are part of the team culture. There are a number of Springboks who do not use alcohol at all – I think Bakkies might be one of those if I am not mistaken. I did not use alcohol when I played rugby, but there were fines meetings after the game and I had to down cooldrink.
I can remember that there was a story regarding Tyibilika, I think, who did not want to undergo the team initiation at the Boks because he believed it was degrading to him as a black man who was initiated into manhood. That was fine and accepted, but the fact that he did not pitch for practises became a problem – that is where the attitude thing emerged. The same happened to Rose – he did a disappearing act at practises.
Os Du Randt and Naka Drotske were widely criticized when they joined the Bulls for a short stint for their poor attitude. I remember some of the players saying that Os was lying on the grass while they had to practise. Os himself recognized that his attitude was rotten and he straightened himself out and became more of a legend than he already was – as did Naka.
There are certain things that are part and parcel to the game that have been there for a long time and whose roots can be traced back to white culture – as you point out. Some black players are seriously popular among their peers for their acceptance of these little traditions. I think Matthew Booth is respected for the fact that he does warm-up exercises that are based on rhythm and traditional dance. You know that white people battle with the rhythm thing and it is not in our culture to do it, but all the white players in the PSL do it anyway. They stand out like sore thumbs because they look ungainly and out of place, but they do it anyway because that is what it is about. It is about participation and the willingness to build a team regardless of where it comes from. As guys like Chiliboy and Mvovo become part of the team in an increasing way they will bring in their own flavour and the culture will evolve naturally. We must give it time. Changing the culture for the sake of changing it is going to do more damage than good.
I think in essence you and I agree on this. I do however contend with your assessment that players of colour are singled out for their perceived attitude problems because of their refusal to adhere with and conform to team culture that is based on white culture. My questions to you are:
“If pitching up on time for an official practise session of the team that pays your salary is a white inspired culture, what do blacks believe about this?”
“If attending official team meetings where the strategy of the upcoming game is discussed and roles are defined is a white thing, what do blacks believe about this?”
“If attending social events organized by the sponsor that pays your salary is expected of you is what whites do, what do blacks do?”
“If team building exercises are imposed that are developed by world leaders in this field and are used by professional teams the world over is part of white people’s culture, what do blacks propose in its place?”
“If scientific proof states that a backline player must have a body fat index of x to perform optimally and said player is issued with a diet plan that he is expected to adhere to is seen as white interference in black culture, is science seen as something that does not affect blacks?”
These, among others, are the points where the players whose discipline and attitude is questioned have not pulled their weight. It has nothing to do with Staaldraad or drinking after the game.
31 May 2011, 12:47 pm
@coachcouch
All the points you raised are valid and I will not argue against them. I do not want to argue for the sake of arguing because I think we are in agreement by and large.
I feel though whenever there is an accusation of attitude I will ask what is meant by this. Similarly when a man is accused of rape or a woman is accused of being a ****, even if the accusation is false, the reputation suffers regardless.
I just want to nit pick two of your statements (just to show what I say and what you say are not absolute truths but do share some light on issues being discussed)
Statement 1
“If team building exercises are imposed that are developed by world leaders in this field and are used by professional teams the world over is part of white people’s culture, what do blacks propose in its place?”
You do know mos that Kamp Staalrad was a team building exercise. Therefore non whites propose a team building exercise that is not degrading, inhumane and backward.
Statement 2
“If scientific proof states that a backline player must have a body fat index of x to perform optimally and said player is issued with a diet plan that he is expected to adhere to is seen as white interference in black culture, is science seen as something that does not affect blacks?”
I would think that non whites are saying Science is necessary in sport but should not be alpha and omega of everything that happens in sport. As much as it is a Science, sport is not necessarily played by Scientists. If i have a pack of forwards weighing in at 910kg vs 810kg pack, that does not mean that the 910kg pack will win scrums, lineouts, rucks and mauls.
Now this becomes ever so crucial in South African rugby. Probably 98% of keo bloggers initially did not want anything to do with Gio Aplon because of his Scientific figures, 1.75m @ 75kg. To my suprise there all still people who do not want Gio because he is too small, my question: Too small to do what?
Players like Breyton Paulse who not have been picked if we only look at figures.
A classic example is Stefan Terblanche v Adrian Jacobs. Stefan probably beats Adrian in every scientific tests there is. Taller, Leaner, Bigger stride, Bigger Jump, stronger, power, beep runs ect. But Adrian is better center than Stefan any day.
Therefore non whites are saying probably Science must be used as an aide in helping a rugby player improve his game.
Which brings me to another point, the use of that Science. A few days ago news24 ran a story about the high prevalance of performance enhancing drugs in schoolboy rugby. My own view is that the pressures of Science force schoolboys to take drugs in order to meet some unfounded scientific claim.
For example: There is a prestigious rugby school (Top 3 school in rugby rankings) as far back as 15 years ago had minimun standards of who could represent their 1st XV. They would say for instance that a no.6 flank must weigh at least 85kg, stand 185m and run the 100 under 12. They would have those minimum standards for every position. The result of that would be that a player who is good a no.6 wont get picked because he does not meet the scientific standards even though he exceeds the rugby standards. Those that want to make the 1XV will have to resort to steriods (before the era of creatine). This is still happening, I think this is fueled by Science whether its USN other ‘sport nutrition’ companies.
Science can also be damaging, thats all the non whites are saying.
31 May 2011, 12:48 pm
the word with asterix there i S-L-U-T.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 [5] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.