Stormers to sacrifice style for efficiency
15 Jun 2011
Allister Coetzee maintains that his backline selections are geared towards improved ball retention rather than a drive for a four-try bonus point, reports JON CARDINELLI.
The Stormers need to beat the Cheetahs to book their place in the semi-finals, but they also stand a slim chance of finishing top of the combined log. If the Chiefs beat the Reds convincingly in Hamilton and the Stormers secure a bonus-point win in Bloemfontein, the Cape side will finish in first position.
Changes have been made to the Stormers’ backline that suggest a more attacking strategy could be on the cards. Jean de Villiers has been moved to the wing, Juan de Jongh has been introduced at inside centre, Gio Aplon has shifted to fullback and the best halfback combination of Dewaldt Duvenage and Peter Grant has been reinstated.
While the side does boast a more attacking look, Coetzee said the selections have been made to ensure the team lifts their accuracy levels and wins at all costs.
‘It’s purely a horses for courses selection,’ the Stormers coach told keo.co.za. ‘It’s going to be a fast pitch up in Bloemfontein, and it augers well for a ball-in-hand approach. We’ve picked a team geared for a hard-running, explosive strategy, but we’re not going out there to play all-out attacking rugby. We have to look after the ball.
‘The Cheetahs have nothing to lose and will be looking to play an entertaining brand. For us, it won’t be about entertainment. It will be about winning.’
Stormers captain Schalk Burger admitted the team has much to improve following last week’s defeat to the Bulls. Burger said that after that errant performance, it would be premature to talk about scoring four tries.
‘The bonus point is not exactly at the top of the list of priorities,’ Burger said. ‘We’re looking for a victory to seal our place in the semi-finals.
‘The Bulls deserved to win last week. We made too many errors in the first 60 minutes and put ourselves under pressure. We can’t afford to do that against the Cheetahs, who are a team who really thrives off turnovers.
‘We need to lift our accuracy levels and get into a position to win the game. Obviously if the situation to score four tries presents itself, then we will go for it. But the Cheetahs are a dangerous side, and we can’t take them lightly.’
The Stormers have all but secured the South Africa conference title, and will be awarded the trophy if they beat the Cheetahs this weekend. Both Coetzee and Burger said it will serve as a mark of their consistency, but won’t change the fact that they haven’t won a real title since the 2001 Currie Cup.
‘We’ve worked hard for seven months, and we haven’t worked that hard just to win this [conference] trophy,’ said Coetzee. ‘We always aimed to win the conference, but our main goal has always been to win the competition.’
34 Comments
15 Jun 2011, 13:30 pm
OK…Dragons!!!!
15 Jun 2011, 13:33 pm
if chiefs do the business against reds we MUST have a go at the bonus point win!
15 Jun 2011, 13:33 pm
Better looking backline….hopefully they can get Burger out of the flyhalf channel and keep Bekker away from the wings…hopefully Sadie is in the match 22….
15 Jun 2011, 13:34 pm
Finally, on paper the stormers are looking much stronger.
I think Fourie is going to feed off nicely from De Jong, he stays on his feet longer than de Villiers so hopefully back 3 will have more space.
Also looking forward to seeing Aplon roaming the back.
15 Jun 2011, 13:35 pm
What style? Stormers are more conservative than my auntie in Orania – at least I think she is my auntie, even though the beard confuses me.
15 Jun 2011, 13:37 pm
@grant10(grant10)-2:
I have a feeling in my water that the Chiefs are going to do us a favour.
@Golden Boy(Golden Boy)-3:
For sure, but I do think that these guys trust Grant to do his thing and will focus on their primary roles first of all. Bekker better sort out the lineouts
15 Jun 2011, 13:42 pm
@Couchcoach(GI POT)-6:
Yeah..although against the Cheetahs our line out shouldn’t really be a problem…it could be used as a good attacking platform in fact…I have my doubts about the scrum where I think the Cheetahs will have an advantage, unless Coenie gets blown up for his suspect scrumming.
And Schalk and the rest of the loosies will have to keep a close eye on Johnson and Pretorius in the tight loose so they better focus on their primary function or we may be in for a long 80 mins.
15 Jun 2011, 13:50 pm
At last Alister is beginning to see some light- good team.
Perhaps he should have started with Koster at no 8- Vermeulen is not playing as well as he can at the moment (overplayed?)
It is also a worry that there is no flyhalf reserve as it is quite likely (based on recent history) that pop- shooter Grant will get injured.
Great to see Sadie is at least on the bench.
Stormers by 9- 12.
15 Jun 2011, 13:52 pm
Same team I selected here on Monday apart from no van Zyl at 4. I also used the phrase ‘horses for courses’ in the same post.
I hope the cheque is in the post AC
15 Jun 2011, 13:53 pm
@Golden Boy(Golden Boy)-7:
Let us hope that the forwards do their thing so that the best backline of the season can do theirs
15 Jun 2011, 13:53 pm
“Stormers to sacrifice style for efficiency” – REALLY???
Style? As in one of the lowest try counts in the competition?
You Kapies live in a dream world. Seriously.
15 Jun 2011, 13:55 pm
No Kitshoff op the bench. Anyone know if he’s injured?
15 Jun 2011, 13:57 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-11: A more valid headline, not for this article would be:
Stormers to sacrifice efficiency for style. Like them or loath them, one thing the Stormers have been for this competition is efficient. Style has been conspicuous by its absence other than a few Aplon/Fourie bursts here or there.
Farken dreamworld…. You okes will never learn. Oh well at least these fantasies give me bones to pick at.
15 Jun 2011, 13:59 pm
Looking forward to some De Jongh/Aplon line break magic!
15 Jun 2011, 14:00 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-13:
Bulls by how many for the bru?
10 or 20?
15 Jun 2011, 14:00 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-11:
That’s how the coach sees it, read the article. It is after all, and article about what he is planning.
You see, and sorry to burst your generalisation bubble mate, but ‘YOU’ is one guy, no-one else in Cape Town had anything to do with the heading.
See that thing beneath you, it’s the ground. Try and keep both feet on it
15 Jun 2011, 14:04 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-13:
Who are these ‘you okes’?
15 Jun 2011, 14:22 pm
So by putting Aplon at fullback is a sacrifice of style for efficiency?? That headline makes no sense at all.
15 Jun 2011, 14:25 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-13: Agreed. The headline should be sacrifice efficiency for style. Brainless.
15 Jun 2011, 14:38 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-19:
“Style” should probably be read as “the usual STYLE of play”
And that was for sure more efficient than stylish.
15 Jun 2011, 14:49 pm
Dont know how much “style” there has been? How about substituting it for the ability to catch, pass, scrum and catch and throw in lineouts?
I think its called The Basics.
How about playing for longer than the last 10 mins?
Schalla even said in his post-match interview they only played for last 10 mins! Its not the 1st Stormers ahve done this! How many more times must it happen before someone on the field realises it and fixes it?
Come on Stormers
15 Jun 2011, 14:56 pm
Style……………………………really
15 Jun 2011, 16:08 pm
AC & Schalla have it spot on. Win the game 1st and get a semi! With the Duvenhage / Grant combo back they can play for field position and take it from there. Too allow this to become a free for all the Cheetahs will punish them.
@Heavens Game they still top the conference and stand a chance of winning overall whichever way you want to cut.
15 Jun 2011, 16:14 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-13:
Well, the Stormers top the SA conference, with a shot at topping the whole log and a guaranteed rest and home semi if they win on saturday.
Whilst one of the Sharks or Bulls might be watching said semi from their couches depending on saturdays results.
So no matter how you’d like to paint it, there’s just no arguing that the Stormers have been the best side to come out of SA this year. They lost their first game to SA opposition on saturday by a meager 3 points, having returned from tour, with a 5th choice flyhalf who lasted half the game and not having a break in a loooooong time. Naturally this has been enough to get the sharks and bulls fans blowing their loads as they use this 3 point loss to justufy their pointless, baseless claims that the Stormers have “shot their bolt” or are about to come undone every week.
The logs and results tell you everything you need to know.
15 Jun 2011, 16:16 pm
@Stormtrooper(Stormtrooper)-23:
A win is a win is a win. And that win will get them a home semi.
The other thing to remember is that if the Stormers get a home semi and win it, there’s still a 50/50 chance at a home final.
15 Jun 2011, 16:25 pm
@Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-11:
Ja and for all the “style” the Sharks and Bulls have displayed this year, one of them is likely to miss the play-offs.
15 Jun 2011, 16:54 pm
but i thought they have been sacrificing style for efficiency all season?
does this mean it’ll be even uglier against the cheetahs than it was against the bulls?
oh boy.
think I’d rather spend the evening sawing off my ***** with a spoon than watch this game..
15 Jun 2011, 22:37 pm
Schalk just needs to get the hell out of the backline…
15 Jun 2011, 22:48 pm
agreed Malki Tzedek – King of Salem – Schalk gotta get the hell out the back line but now its so ingrained in his subconsciousness its a habit even he or the coach are powerless to break, only hope is drop him out the team and let him get reconditioned and re programmed as a number 6 flank or else switch his jersey to read either No. 8 or even better No. 12 cause that’s where he thinks his current position is.
15 Jun 2011, 23:11 pm
@JockBok(JockBok)-16: Dont get shirty, skirtsy… this poster isnt a Chad schmuck to order around…
15 Jun 2011, 23:12 pm
@Robzim(Robzim)-15: 2 should get you a margin point at least, twat
15 Jun 2011, 23:13 pm
@Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-24: Ja Fatcake we shall see… The fat maori hasnt sung yet.
16 Jun 2011, 05:47 am
What “style”?
16 Jun 2011, 11:29 am
No Jantjies, no January…………………what have we done to deserve this!
My prayers have been answered! Stormers to scrape a victory with a BP as the Cheetahs are adventurous in their play and its always out there for the taking!
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