Cape heavies to stop Bulls at source
8 Jun 2011
JON CARDINELLI speaks to Stormers forwards coach Matt Proudfoot about the crucial set-phase battle and why Victor Matfield will prove difficult to contain.
The Stormers have established themselves as the new bullies of the Super Rugby playground. Only three teams have stood up to them at the collisions in 2011, and in many ways the Reds, Crusaders and Chiefs have provided the blueprint on how to beat the Cape-based side.
While it should be another bloody affair at the tackle point this Saturday, Proudfoot is expecting the Bulls to target the Stormers' set-piece before striving for gain-line dominance. If the visitors succeed in compromising the Stormers at source, they will build momentum and eventually fracture that famed defence.
'There's no doubt in my mind that the set-phase battle will determine the outcome,' Proudfoot told keo.co.za. 'There's no getting around the fact that we have to confront them at the set-piece. We can't allow them to dominate these facets of play because once they build up a head of steam, they're extremely difficult to stop.
'The Bulls have a strong pack and kicking game, and we aren't expecting them to stray from their traditional strengths. What they do, they do well, and with their formidable lineout, they may attempt to maul us in an attempt to get on the front foot.'
The battle within a battle between Victor Matfield and Andries Bekker should be worth the price of admission. Both men are celebrated for their individual abilities as well as their impeccable lineout leadership.
Proudfoot admitted that only so much analysis could be done in preparation for a side containing Matfield, the Springboks most capped and decorated player. If Bekker and company don't anticipate Matfield's movements this Saturday and the Bulls manage to dominate this set-piece, the visitors will make inroads into the Stormers' defence.
'It's going to be very hard to put pressure on Victor at the lineout. He's just so good at absorbing pressure and I'm sure he'll have a few tricks up his sleeve,' Proudfoot said. 'When the Bulls establish set-piece dominance and start to maul successfully, then they usually build on that dominance by carrying the ball a lot more and challenging at the collisions.
'At the breakdown, the defending side will try to slow down opposition ball in order to give their team more opportunity to realign for the next phase. But whether we're on attack or defence, we have to put the Bulls under pressure at the set-piece to give ourselves the best chance of winning the collisions.'
142 Comments
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8 Jun 2011, 12:50 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-95: Okay seriously are you the guys agent,wife,mom or brother ? U almost make me hope he gets injured so that you can shut the *** up re Stegman !! OMG I am a huge Schalk Burger fan but even I know when enough is enough.
U make Tactius look lethargic.
8 Jun 2011, 12:51 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-96: I think I am going to reply to all your Stegman post with ” Jaa but Flo is prettier” LOL , on second though I have a life. Cheers Mrs Stegman
8 Jun 2011, 12:57 pm
stormersboy:
Agile T*t-Tyrant:
Haven’t read through all the posts… so don’t know if this has been mentioned.
Believe Agile is living up to his name and cherry-picking stats that favour his man…
The value of Louw is that he not only wins the ball on the ground… but he also carries it up strongly… something for which Steggman is not renowned.
Would be interesting to see the metres-gained stats for the two.
Point being… if you’re going to compare players… compare them on their full contributions to the match.
And with that… have to get back to work…
8 Jun 2011, 12:59 pm
@ufo(ufo)-103:
Well, at least you didn’t lie about not reading through all the posts.
8 Jun 2011, 13:00 pm
@sparticus(sparticus)-98:
That’s because your post wasn’t worth responding to…
8 Jun 2011, 13:04 pm
Ag faark you fools.
Would rather have Tearaway Daniel any day over these chromosome lacking mongrel excuses for “Fetchers”…
Ratel is peerless…
Then Daniel the next best option…
8 Jun 2011, 13:10 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-106:
A “mongrel” is somebody having a chromosome too many. Bring that mongrel Daniel to Loftus next week and let’s see what happens.
8 Jun 2011, 13:14 pm
@ufo(ufo)-103:
Spot on, ufo.
Francois Louw: 83 carries, 433 metres gained
Deon Stegmann: 51 carries, 156 metres gained
Flo averages 6 carries and 31 metres gained per match; Steggies averages 3 carries and 11 metres per match.
8 Jun 2011, 13:19 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-107: You thinking “Mongol”? Wrong. That is not the same as mongrel. No stats to support that either… Sorrry for yoooou!
8 Jun 2011, 13:20 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-108:
where did you get 51 carrier to Stegmann? It’s 36 carries.
8 Jun 2011, 13:20 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-109:
8 Jun 2011, 13:23 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-110:
Verusco ruggastats.
8 Jun 2011, 13:25 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-108: Would luv to see the stats for Daniel in terms of tackles made and completed, Turnovers gained and metres gained. I have a feeling that he will have outperformed the 2 you guys are referring to, just my impression.
8 Jun 2011, 13:26 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-108:
it’s 4.3 metres per carry to Stegmann and 5.3 to Louw. Louw carried 83 times to Stegmann’s 36. But Stegmann breached the gainline at 78% to 62. That means Louw received much of his carries in space and got good yardage out of a few. For the most, being many more attepts, he was smashed before the gainline. Stegmann focusses more on the breakdown, but when he gets a carry he more readily busts through tackles and makes a few metres.
8 Jun 2011, 13:29 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-112:
I know I’m using them too. Stegmann made 36 carries not 51 like you say.
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-113:
Actuall not Bananaboy. He is worse off than Louw.
139 tackles + 31 assists. B/d 155+74 but remember he missed 2 games due to ban and came off the bench in 2 games. tackle success 92%
8 Jun 2011, 13:33 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-113:
Although metres per carry is 8.3. to Daniel and gainline at 72% is quite good considering where he plays. But if Stegmann did less work at the breakdown, he would probably make as many metres seeing as his gainline is 78%
(Remember it takes work to reach the breakdown and then the real work starts once you get there, and these flanks often arrive there but dont commit, so that is work as well, the stats as well consider only the first 3 to arrive, and players pile in beyond that, though not nearly is that often the case. Just saying.)
8 Jun 2011, 13:37 pm
@bananaboy(bananaboy)-113:
Also Piesangseun, Keegan Daniel has an unsightly 21 unforced and handling errors count to Stegmann’s 4. That’s a huge difference.
And people love to say Steggies costs the Bulls by conceding those few penalties. What about coughing up possession due to poor handling?? Or cocking up a building attack with poor handling and all the exhaustion that results from it to the team and the knock in spirit the other players take when seeing this happen on the field??
Keegan makes a handling error every 7 handle counts, Stegmann only every 25 Louw every 12.
8 Jun 2011, 13:38 pm
what a boring discussion.
everything that could be said had been said by post 12.
everything after that is simply “my province has a better player in his psition than your province” emotional bs when we all know the sharks have the second best option after brussow (keegan)
disclaimer: i reference the complete dominance of both the bulls and stormers backrows in last years cc as evidence to support my claim.
ho ho fecking ho.
8 Jun 2011, 13:40 pm
@ufo(ufo)-103: I don’t think the article started out as a dual between team flo and team stegmann. What I was saying is that they both have strengths which makes them suitable for a specific gameplan. A hybrid between the 2 would be a monstrous player.
While the stats shown here seem to disagree with AGT’s theory, even stats in favour of stegmann might not give an indication of who the better player is. Given the combination of what’s really available to the Boks ito players, I know who I’d choose.
8 Jun 2011, 13:43 pm
I think taute could play 6 if he wanted to
8 Jun 2011, 13:44 pm
@pompies2(pompies2)-119:
Why would you want a hybrid between Louw and Steggies? A ontrous player?? You will simply end up with a slower Stegmann that knocks more, misses more tackles and gets caught behind the gainline more. At least he will be 6 centimetres taller heh?
8 Jun 2011, 13:48 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-105: And yet you did respond , are you seeing the psychotic behavioral issues here as well ?
8 Jun 2011, 13:52 pm
@rangerman(rangerman)-118:
Well, as I said to “last movement”, sorry boet.
But some people find it interesting. My life’s work is boring, to me this topic isn’t so far. And as long as I feel in the mood to respond to the uninformed opinions of most of the bloggers here.
@sparticus(sparticus)-122:
I think the one “behavioral issue” here is that it took you more than two hours to get back to me on that and you still don’t realize what I did there….
8 Jun 2011, 13:54 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-123:
maybe change your lifes work then buddy.
8 Jun 2011, 14:07 pm
Steggies or Flo,
both a big no-no
…for the Boks, yoa.
8 Jun 2011, 14:10 pm
@nama1(nama1)-125:
FINALLY! An intelligent and insightful response.
8 Jun 2011, 14:12 pm
I’m outta here.
8 Jun 2011, 14:19 pm
Steggman is no different to say: Warren Brosnihan & Wayne Fyvie.
Hard worker but ultimately will not get selected above more talented,bigger,stronger more efficient,less penalty-ridden incumbents.
Same with Dewalt Potgieter who is like a poor man version of Schalk Burger adn at times a diluted Rassie Erasmus.
And if people are going to quote how many supertitles they won etc please note: Reuben Thorne, Sam Broomhall, Mose Tuia’li’i, Justin Collins, Dylan Mika, Andrew Blowers, Todd Blackadder(as a blindside) etc won multiple championship in Superrugby but that didnt make them great test loosies.
8 Jun 2011, 14:24 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-127: cheers man, good luck to your team and steggies on sat.
8 Jun 2011, 14:26 pm
@nama1(nama1)-125:
If Brussow is injured, you need Steggie: speed at the first phase of the break down by a little man is a must in today’s Test, like it or not
It means among other that you can’t play Spies or Kankowsky in the same combo with Brussow/Steggie, nontheless I am sure you penciled in already that tackles faker Johnson instead?
8 Jun 2011, 14:33 pm
@sparticus(sparticus)-99: Adi Jacobs (12, 14, 13), Jantjes, Rose (10 & 15), Newman, Odwa, Nokwe, Britz, Grant, Olivier, Bekker (pap in every test), Watson, Mujati, Reubenheimer, Johnson (Pap in 09), Carstens, Bobo, Januarie, Chavangha, Conradie, Kankowski (6, 7, 8), Butch James (12), Frans (15 & 13), Pienaar (10 and 15), Rossouw (6), Smit (1 and 3), Morne (15), Chiliboy, Adams, Maku, Jean (14), Hargreaves, Hargreaves, Deysel (utterly destroyed up North), van der Merwe (big disappointment, utterly destroyed), Louw (humiliated consecutively throughout the TNs, did well against Italy in 2nd test though, after an embarrassing first test), Basson (Did not adapt to test level at all)… I could probably find some more. In every poor selection de Villiers has ever made, he has a better option available. That’s the biggest gripe, he can not moan about not having better players available at those times. Instead it has nearly always been stubborn idiocy.
8 Jun 2011, 14:33 pm
@mshiniwami(mshiniwami)-128:
“Hard worker but ultimately will not get selected above more talented,bigger,stronger more efficient,less penalty-ridden incumbents”
Saying they’re stronger, is opinion. Saying they’re bigger is fact (Louw and Burger). Saying they’re more talented and efficient is debatable. Saying that he is penalty-ridden- idiotic.
At least we’ve been debating all along. You haven’t brought anything to the discussion.
And you can’t say he won’t be selected above these, because he already has been selected above Flo and Daniel and every other loosie in the position when Burger and Brussow weren’t available. But most here prefer Brussow above Burger anyway, and Stegmann is a Brussow “clone” to many here, and IMO better than Brussow anyway, and certainly better than Brussow now, and will remain so till Brussow can demonstrate otherwise.
@rangerman(rangerman)-129:
Thanks, I think. And cheers for real.
8 Jun 2011, 14:34 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-130:
They are not little, they’re short.
8 Jun 2011, 14:37 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-130:
The “debate” was about an opensider. Ashley plays blindside/8th man.
You don’t know that?
8 Jun 2011, 14:38 pm
@Hondo(Hondo)-130: in order of preferance:
at 6
Heinrich
Schalk
Deon
Keegan
at 7
Smith
Johnson
Louw
Potgieter
at 8
Danie
Willem
Pierre
Kanko
8 Jun 2011, 15:04 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-132: Brussow has put up the best performances of any opensider in SA this year. Nobody in SA is even slightly in his class. I say this as I Bull supporter, I backed Stegmmann big time last year, but he failed. As for Schalk, watching him get swatted around like a fly is disheartening. Not the defender he used to be, not by a long shot. His work rate at test level post-2007 has been questionable as well. There is no longer a place in the team for him. I’ll have Stegmann under Brussow though. That’s our best option.
8 Jun 2011, 15:33 pm
@WP Till I Die(WP-Forever)-108: where’d u get the metres gained stats?
8 Jun 2011, 16:08 pm
Victor Matfield is Bekker’s *** slave!
8 Jun 2011, 16:32 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-138:
ja,ja Mr. Herman.
8 Jun 2011, 16:37 pm
Matfield is past it – has been for a while – some people just don’t know when to stop! He’s as valuable as a used sanitary towel!
8 Jun 2011, 16:42 pm
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-140:
Well, it depends on your point of view:
If you are marooned in the wilderness, your MOST VALUABLE ASSEST might be an old used sanitary towel. They are excellent at getting a fire started……
8 Jun 2011, 19:53 pm
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-111: Yeah I know. But I was being 100% seriaas. (okay maybe only 98%)
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