Stormers can emerge from Bulls’ shadow
8 Jun 2011
RYAN VREDE writes that a Stormers victory over the Bulls will signal the changing of the guard in South African rugby.
Saturday’s match transcends in significance the battle for a play-off place, and is more than another chapter in a historic north-south rivalry. The Bulls have reigned unchallenged for years, but for the Stormers are poised to emerge from their shadow. To do that they have to win at Newlands.
The mental stranglehold the Bulls once held has loosened, and will be completely vanquished with a second victory in a season over the defending champions. The Bulls, particularly their senior Springboks, had an aura about them that used to intimidate the Stormers’ players, even when the battleground was Newlands. Certainly the Bulls have always been technically gifted and tactically astute, but the manner in which they had been able to invade the very psyches of their Cape counterparts was decisive in their ability to beat them consistently.
This is no longer the case. Time has seen a natural waning in the potency of the likes of Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha, the duo who represent the heartbeat of the Bulls. Familiarity, gained through Stormers’ players working at close quarters and socialising with these men, and indeed others like Fourie du Preez, Wynand Olivier, Dewald Potgieter and Pierre Spies, with the Springboks, has further eroded the aforementioned aura. Remember, it is only fairly recently that the Stormers has had as big a representation in the national team as they now do.
These factors, coupled with the rise and maturity of young players of exceptional calibre – Andries Bekker, Juan de Jongh, Francois Louw, Gio Aplon and Rynhardt Elstadt the most notable of those – have combined to edge the Stormers closer to ruling the Republic.
Don’t confuse this with Super Rugby pedigree, which, with three titles, the Bulls have and the Stormers, with zero, don’t. But there is an undeniable sense that the Bulls are reaching the end of an era, particularly with a clutch of their key players either retiring or continuing their careers abroad.
The Bulls know this too. My understanding, gained from speaking to sources close to the team, is that they no longer have the unshakable belief that they can dominate the Stormers in all facets of play like they have in the past. There is concern about Bekker as a lineout force capable of unsettling the usually unflappable Matfield, so much so that additional analysis has been dedicated to countering Bekker’s threat there. Elstadt is held in high regard after he outplayed Botha at Loftus, while the Bulls are deeply concerned about Francois Hougaard’s limitations as a tactical kicker, and how this could offer counter-attacking opportunities to the dynamic Aplon in particular.
Before you dismiss that respect as commonplace between the teams, understand that it never existed in recent history. The Bulls have always been supremely confident that they were superior across all facets of play. Schalk Burger was and still is highly regarded by the Bulls for his ball carrying and irrepressible spirit, but beyond him none of the Stormers’ players used to register on their radar. Even the gifted Jean de Villiers didn’t command too much attention, given the belief (which would usually materialise) that he would always have limited time and space to operate because his forwards would be pummelled.
Furthermore, in the past they could bank on the Stormers’ cavalier play to offer them opportunities from broken field. Now they are braced to be confronted with the pragmatic brand similar to the one they have employed so successfully.
Certainly there are commercial advantages to being South Africa’s leading franchise. But those pale in comparison in value to the rugby-related ones. Most notably, the Bulls have for years been able to attract the cream of South Africa’s young talent because of their desire to be associated with the best. Stormers can make themselves the preferred destination by establishing themselves as South Africa’s elite side.
That starts with victory. Failure to do so will see them remain the bridesmaids for at least another year.
19 Comments
8 Jun 2011, 08:42 am
Here we go with the Stormers hype…dragons
8 Jun 2011, 08:44 am
Deja vu….
8 Jun 2011, 08:47 am
Bulls , bulls , bulls – i cant believe i am supporting the Bulls this weekend !!! the shame
8 Jun 2011, 08:49 am
@stew(stew)-3: Only Stormers supporters aren’t supporting the Bulls this weekend.
8 Jun 2011, 09:06 am
let me ask a question to all the Stormers haters….
If we beat the Bulls Saturday,,, will there be respect?
Or do we have to go all the way and win the trophy?
Bear in mind the sharks 3 games losses to Stormers this season, the Bulls loss at Loftus to Stormers, the 2 wins over Lions by stormers, the win over cheetahs by stormers?
What is it to be boys?
8 Jun 2011, 09:14 am
“The Bulls have reigned unchallenged for years…”
No they haven’t. They just squashed their challengers impetuously.
8 Jun 2011, 09:22 am
This is bullsite article. We already beat the Bulls at Loftus. That was the real test, and I recal an article saying a very similar thing before the Bulls game.
Fact is, the Bulls and the Sharks know now that they have to play at their best if they are to beat the Stormers, and that even then, on the day, that may not be enough.
Regardless of what the all knowing bloggers say, the Sharks and Bulls players know this.
And even more importantly, the Stormers players know it too.
That’s the difference this year.
8 Jun 2011, 09:25 am
The stomers beat a massively oout of sorts bulls team by not much at loftus.
It seems like the return fixture is a foregone conclusion for the stormers.
Just the way we like’m.
8 Jun 2011, 09:28 am
Excellent article in news 24 comparing Bjorn Basson and Brian Habanna:
Stephen Nell
Cape Town – Bjorn Basson will come to Newlands this week with two personal goals: to improve on the Bulls try-scoring record he jointly holds with Bryan Habana and to stake his claim for the Springbok No 11 jersey.
However, don’t be surprised if it’s the veteran who has the last laugh in Saturday’s Super Rugby match between the Stormers and Bulls at Newlands.
Habana may not be scoring as many tries this season as the man who last week against the Waratahs equalled his try-scoring record of nine in a season for the Bulls, but statistics point to him still working much harder than Basson in the team context.
The last duel between the two was decided in Habana’s favour when he scooped up Dewaldt Duvenage’s superbly weighted kick from under Basson’s nose to strike the knockout blow in the Stormers’ excellent 23-13 win at Loftus Versfeld.
Habana is not as prolific a try-scorer at the Stormers as he was when he played his rugby in Pretoria, but to date he has scored tries in all three his matches against the Bulls since moving to the Cape.
There were two in the 38-10 win when the Bulls sent their second string to Newlands last year, an intercept try in the 2010 Super14 final and then that little bit of individual brilliance at Loftus this year.
Habana may have started the season well below par, but Verusco’s statistics still point to a player performing well within his team’s structure.
He is often criticised for his error count, but his percentage of handling errors are lower than Basson’s when it’s calculated against the number of times he had possession.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee’s defence against Habana’s critics has always been that the player is extremely valuable when his work-rate is taken into consideration.
And, even if the Stormers are not among the top attacking sides in the tournament, Habana cannot be accused of not being pro-active with the ball in hand in an effort to try and make things happen.
In the 12 games that he has played, he has handled the ball 153 times (73 carries) against the 109 (53 carries) of Basson in 14 games. Habana has also gained 909 metres in territory against the 647m of Basson.
When everything is taken into consideration both teams will be satisfied with their wings – the Stormers because notwithstanding all the criticism Habana’s value is still underlined by his statistics, and the Bulls because Basson is scoring tries.
Basson’s last visit to Newlands in 2010 was in the colours of Griquas – he scored a hat trick of tries, but still ended up on the losing side as his side went down 32-48.
Apart from his ability to finish, Basson is excellent at plucking high balls out of the air. The Stormers would probably have been a tad more concerned if that skill was going to come packaged with Fourie du Preez’s excellent kicking boot this week, but will still be mindful of the threat.
8 Jun 2011, 09:29 am
@stew(stew)-3:
its the south african way. we like to pull down the tall poppies and as neutrals always favour the underdog.
8 Jun 2011, 09:30 am
yip….and in 2005 the stormers showed up at loftus with a springbok packed side.
and got a 75-14 snotklap.
it would seem that this game is as good as won for the stormers already.
don’t know why the bulls would even try and win it.
8 Jun 2011, 09:31 am
the “journalists” on this site sure do have a love affair with the word
AURA
one would think they are holistic practitioners at a Mind, Body and Spirit convention…
8 Jun 2011, 09:34 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-9:
Yeah surprize, suprize. I just wrote on the top thread re this:
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Super15/Stats-favour-Habana-over-Bjorn-20110607
“Stats favour Habana over Bjorn”
by Stephen Nell
LMAO.
I mean, what is wrong with me using stats to aid in comparing Louw and Stegmann in very constrained areas of the game as I do, when this Stephen Nell writes stuff like this and GETS PAID FOR IT!
Ok all you guys raising objections to me and my approach, go on over to Sport24 and take Stephen Nell out .
8 Jun 2011, 09:50 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-9:
*repost alert*
the Bulls dont spread the ball to the wings as much as the Stormers do. The Bulls actually have faith in their set pieces and are scoring more tries.
Habana: 909 metres/ 73 carries: 12 metres per carry
Basson: 647 metres/ 53 carries: 12 metres per carry
Tries: Basson 8, leader in the Super15. Habana?
whoopdidoo.
8 Jun 2011, 10:07 am
@Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-14: haha yes i tend to agree with you on this.
What both sets of stats tell me is that neither Flo or Steggman are kuk, and also that Habanna is not as bad as he’s being made out to be….
8 Jun 2011, 11:08 am
@grant10(grant10)-5: Unfortunately G10, the answer is, you have to go all the way and win the S15. WP/Stormers have been the most hyped team in SA for the past 10 years. No trophies in 10 years is bad considering the financial clout, and player reserves, at the Unions disposal!
Before the Stormers/WP can lose the “cinderella tag” they will have to have more than a “semi/final contested” in the remarks column!
8 Jun 2011, 11:26 am
Why are you guys saying the Stormers are the favourites, who is undermining the Bulls?, why the self-imposed underdog tag, since when have the reigning Super Rugby Champions been underdogs to a team that has NEVER won the cup?
8 Jun 2011, 13:46 pm
The Bulls rise began with them sorting out the backroom – getting the right admin personnel and structures to put it all together. We are seeing the same thing now with the Stormers as they get the alignment right within the organisation. From Rassie to Alistair to Fleckie to Proudfoot to Nienaber we are seeing the right people in place making the right decisions.
8 Jun 2011, 17:47 pm
Nice try, Brigadier.
Come up with another one because that is cringeworthy coping mechanism.
The difference between now and then is that the Stormers were an over-rated, out of form and poorly assembled side without the stomach for a real fight. This year’s team is much, much different.
And no one said they have to rock up just to collect the five points. It will be murderous on Saturday, but the fact remains: the Stormers, if they continue believing, are on the rise.
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