462 Comments

• 1.TheTackler:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:00 am

  Crusaders were champions. Man for man a far better team.

• 2.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:05 am

  Missing some Stormer fans today. Where is the crowing or have they all choked on their cornflakes.

  To actually lose to a team that traveled… no bmt at all.

• 3.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:11 am

  FFS you two are carnts. If you two are supporters I’d be happy to take the Capesaders as my fans.

• 4.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:16 am

  @oodles(oodles)-3: No not a supporter. Go touch yourself, or I can give you a link to a photo of Bryce Lawrence or SBW if that will help relieve your tension.

• 5.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:17 am

  

• 6.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:17 am

  tacticus summed it up best a couple of days ago when blackadder was questioned on the (somewhat) almost over confidence of the crusaders approach.

  It’s not the Bulls at loftus, it’s mearly the Stormers at Newlands.
  Hardly a daunting task.

• 7.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:18 am

  jees you okes can talk alot of k@k?

  we lost to a side that was far better on the day.

  Pure and simples. It happens.

  The Stormers didn’t pitch and the Crusaders applied all the right pressure in all the right places. Still proud of the boys for getting as far as they did though. There’s good things happening in WP and it’s only a matter of time before it translates into trophies. The future mix of youth and experience is going to mean a strong franchise for the next decade at least.

  Hard luck Stormers. Everyone apart from these Keo “journo’s” knows you went out their to win. Congrats Saders. YOu guys looked every bit the class outfit you are and I’ll bet my house on you guys taking the trophy this year. Deservedly so.

• 8.Eish:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:18 am

  hats off to the crusaders, a champion team. stormers were woeful and rassie is probably the one that got too clever with selection & tactics. the simple things were not done well, now rassie teams up with clueless coaches to heap more misery on us Bok fans. it’s very hard to find positives at this point. also very worried about the Kiwi juggernaught, sevens, baby blacks, crusaders..if the kiwis pick up the tri-nations or beat us at home I think that’s the writing on the wall.

• 9.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:19 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-4:

  Comment was directed at the Keo and Vrede :blush

  Those two need a reality check.

• 10.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:21 am

  Ag – all these grootbek Bulls supporters conveniently overlook the fact that their team was watching the play-offs from their couches.

  You can talk it up all you like kids. The Stormers were way better than the Bulls this year.

• 11.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:21 am

  @oodles(oodles)-9: No worries. They were a little offside, perhaps they took some tik before doing the link.

  Anyways, a bit quiet in here after all the crowing this week. 3 attempts at cups 3 chokes. Ouch

• 12.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:22 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-10: I’m not a Bulls supporter, I just think it’s farkin funny.

• 13.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:24 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-12:

  Which part? The fact that the Stormers are the best side in SA currently?

  Losing to arguably the best team in the competition in a semi is hardly a disgrace.

• 14.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:26 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-13: All of it. Bobby strutting, the Mountain Goats crowing and yet you still have an empty cabinet. Did someone say… cccccccchoooooooookers.

• 15.ufo:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:26 am

  Congratulations to the Crusaders… Awesome all-round rugby… Stuffed us every which way but for christmas turkey…

• 16.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:26 am

  C’mon guys this KeoTV is great. It’s something new and some of us enjoy it, we will never agree with some of these stuff. It’s great fun….
  Have you seen some of these other rugby forums….. fuking dull.

• 17.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:26 am

  @TheTackler(TheTackler)-1: You are so right!! Crusaders destroyed the Stormers in the scrums, put them under pressure in the lineouts etc., etc. Within the first 2½ minutes Stormers kicked possession away twice while on attack: surely this was not going to work against a brilliant counter-attacking team. The lineouts: Elstadt was used twice only – and in the second half for the first time ! Even when the Stormers were defending a lineout, Elstadt was supporting Bekker ! He never contested a ball in the lineout ! How can this be part of your game plan ?
  You should have seen before the match during warm-up time, how shocking the lineouts were – without any opposition I might add.
  Craig Joubert was poor on the day – but despite that, any good team should be able to survive. It’s not if it was a close game at all. I was and am still bitterly disappointed that a so-called professional team gave such an “amateurish” performance. I’ll keep supporting the Stormers but eish it will be hurting for a long time!
  The Boks are going to struggle against NZ at scrum-time!

• 18.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:28 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-7:

  there’s not a hell of a lot happening in the cape town at all.

  the tight 5 still are not up to scratch. They are never good enough to grind out the big games. A physical backrow of skalk and vermuelen saves them most weeks. And Bekker is the most overrated player, has he ever turned in a big game…in a big game. The lineout was a laugh yesterday as well. The original rugby flat track bully.

  Grant will not win the stormers a super title.Was I the only one who sees how deep he sits in the pocket….and then when you have a pop gun boot.

  And then there is the mental apptitude……

  there’s some good players in the cape but unless something changes, i doubt anyone will be worried about the stormers.

• 19.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:28 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-14:

  Whatever dude. You’re entitled to be excited when your team gets to the semis.

  You’re just a sad little loser when you get up the next morning to try and belittle a the guys who support a team that made it further than yours.

  That’s just pathetic.

• 20.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:29 am

  @HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-16: It seems that whichever team they write up or talk up, lose on the day!

• 21.Frank Lind:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:29 am

  What a couple of unrealistic, bitter idiots.

  That Crusaders will likely supply 9 of the run-on 1st 15 All Black team this year.

  I don’t mean in the squad, but the actual starting 15.

  - O. Franks, Crockett, Thorn, S Whitelock, McCaw, Read, Carter, SBW, Guildford.

  Other will be in the reserves or the wider squad: B Franks, Fruean, Ellis.

• 22.ufo:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:31 am

  if you keep doing whay you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the results you’ve always got…

  or as einstein says… you can’t fix a problem by using the same thinking that created the problem in the first place…

  i have always supported rassie and alister… however, this is our third finals game and umpteenth ‘big’ game in which we have imploded…

  the lesson is not being learnt so we need to see some changes in the management and coaching at Newlands… Yes, we’ve topped the SA table… but that counts for zilch if we can’t go on and win it…

  there is obviously something wrong with the setup… and even more wrong is the fact that no one in the setup can see or acknowledge what is wrong…

  we need to see palpable, demonstrable changes otherwise WP/Stormers rugby is going to see another 10 years of disappointment…

• 23.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:31 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-7:

  oh, and the grootbek bulls……have demolished the crusaders in 3 home semifinals.

• 24.Pee Wee:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:31 am

  Stormers were woeful indeed! Too much for words! Game was won in the first half and they just made maintained in the second half!

• 25.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:34 am

  that crusaders frontrow is a worry for the boks though

• 26.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:34 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-17: Crusaders have the ability to turn opposition into amateur hour. Skilled outfit.

  Crusader plan was short and sweet, kick it to the wee back two (not Habana) or over the fatties heads and rumble. Whatever the Stormers had left in the tank was then ground into the turf at scrum time. Stormers were never going to go the distance and the Crusaders had no intention of expending energy. Long flights can be tiresome, so why bugger about running with the ball.

• 27.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:34 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-18:

  Agreed on the tight 5. Although they stood up more this year than previous, we are still looking for that front row grunt. On the plus side, we have youngsters like Kitshoff coming through and man does he look promising.

  Second row wise, we’ve got the likes of eben etsebeth on the rise and then there’s names like kolisi, carr etc coming through the ranks as well. Add the experience of Bekker, Vermeulen etc to the mix and things hardly look too bad.

  Agreed that Bekker was average over the last 3 weeks. One wonders just how much that Bulls game was a blow to his confidence. But then he has started almost every game.

  Out back, Schreuder looks promising, as do cronje and coleman at 10. Both young and both have tasted the big time. Then we’ve got De Jongh and Saie who are in my opinion the future bok centre partneship.

  Aplon will be around a few more years. Engelbrecht and poolman are good looking wings. Hopefully we can lure someone like Joe Pietersen back to the cape as well.

  So overall, it looks promising assuming we can hold onto these guys of course. We all know the Bulls and Sharks like to pull out those chequebooks

• 28.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:35 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-19: Go call your mother, I am sure she will agree with you. I’ll send you a picture of the Currie Cup if you want. bwah ha ha ha.

  You lot, just too easy. Bobby, Mathew Pearce and co, a bunch of tossers. bwah ha ha ha ha ha ha

• 29.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:36 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-23:

  Did they do that this year?

  Or did they take a big fat 27-duck loss?

  Crowing about what your team did last year is exactly the same as crowing about what they did 30 years ago.

  Pointless.

• 30.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:37 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-25:

  You are going to need a powerpusher of a lock to partner matfield, in this regard bakkies will in all likelyhood keep his spot or roussow will need to start at 4 for the boks. that all shark frontrow for the boks has me really worried now.

  werner kruger anyone?

• 31.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:37 am

  The travel fatigue excuse had his last days yesterday….. you will be missed.

• 32.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:38 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-28:

  Ja good one.

  A mother insult.

  Wow, you Sharks okes are original hey? What next? A g-a-y joke? Or maybe something about the mountain?

  The Stormers DESTROYED the Sharks this year

• 33.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:39 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-29: I thought that is what Capetonians do? I have seen many many posts on here about how you have won 30 CCs and the Sharks have only won a handful. That’s crowing about past glories. I guess it’s something to do when your cabinet is so empty the cleaners don’t even polish it any more.

  Stormers supporters have only themselves to blame for this. All talk, no action.

• 34.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:40 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-29:

  okay then…..but just 3 weeks ago we visited newlands.

  I’m not sure why you are pissed at me, i was ambivilent withregards to the stormers yesterday….but am completely shocked at how poor they were in such an important game. no heart, no guts…nada. there’s no point even discussing technical deficiencies when the entire team is lazy arsed and pap.

• 35.Bill Reyts:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:40 am

  Congrats Saders! Star qualities and that is what winning teams are made of. For my team, the least said the better…

  Unfortunately, or should I say fortunately I didn’t get to watch the match as I had to attend a benefit dinner for a mate (very young) who developed cancer. At least the evening was a great success and lots of money collected to assist with his treatment. Our thought are with you buddy – you are strong and we all know you can beat it…

• 36.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:41 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-32: I would never insult your mother, i just suggested she would be sympathetic

  Don’t be sensitive, you will win again, some day.

• 37.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:41 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-27: It’s a pity CJ was not available. Although his performances this year were disappointing, the scrums might have been a bit better with him there. JC Kritzinger is still injured and I am not sure when he’ll be available again. Those guys can do the job at Currie Cup level but we need some solid tight five guys. Etzebeth’s time will come but he is still 20 years old. Kitshoff as well as Frans Malherbe should be used more often during the Currie Cup. I made some comments about the lineouts above. Bekker is still Matfield’s junior and needs to have a long chat with the “Master” re tactics etc

• 38.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:42 am

  @HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-31:

  well, no, not really……the travel to brisbane is when the crusaders will feel it.

  eddie jones wrote a great article last week on rugby 15 or something.
  worth a read

• 39.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:42 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-33:

  Ja, I hate those guys almost as much as I hate people who make stupid generalizations.

  And then can’t wait to jump out of bed, log onto keo and start knocking the top off one as they take a dig a the supporters of a side who was superior to their own in this years comp.

  What a man.

• 40.Lumberpunch:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:43 am

  People are talking too much K@K on this blog including some bloggers, I can’t say the stormers didn’t look bad on the night but would like to see some stats of win ratio % after a bye week, but I suppose the traveling of the crusaders canceled that out. I was very broken last week when the sharks didn’t pull through and similarly last night was just as bad if not worse since the stormers were looking really looking good all season. The point I’m trying to make is that we as SA supporters lost last night and for bulls and sharks and whatever supporters to gloat in the fact that they lost is just plain disgraceful and I am not a stormer supporter myself in case you were wondering.

• 41.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:45 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-30: Maybe Werner Kruger is the go to man – I’m very concerned about Jannie Dup”s quality or lack thereof. I can’t think of any other tighthead. Have you seen any of Mujati’s matches this year ? Was he really that great ? If so maybe PdV will have to consider him

• 42.Kietzphat:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:45 am

  A certain blogger here likes to refer to the national captain as Turbo Reverse… From now on I think that term should only be used for the Stormers scrum.

• 43.Tacitus:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:47 am

  Firstly: Have there ever been worse sports predictors than the Keo gang? Talk about Kiss of Death. My goodness.

  Secondly: Why was yesterday’s performance by the Stormers so unsurprising to the rest of us? Par for the course for these chaps, I’m afraid.

  The stats show that there have almost never been away wins in Super rugby semifinal history. Two of the incredibly few times it HAS happened, however, were when the away team happened to be playing the Stormers at Newlands. Not exactly a stat to be proud of fellows.

  These guys should simply never be mentioned in the same sentence as the words “Big Match Temperament”.

  Thirdly, was I right or was I right when I described in advance Allistair’s predictable “Deer in Headlights” response when Plan A wasn’t working?

  I mentioned that he would send on Brits, Deon Fourie etc. in the last 20 minutes, desperately looking for any Plan with an alphabetic designation next to it to replace plan A.

  Well, I admit now, I got it slightly wrong. It didn’t happen after 60 minutes, it happened after about 40 minutes.

  And when it did, he sent everyone including the red headed stepchild on, and by then you might as well have projected the words “Totally flustered” onto the Newlands pitch with big Neon disco lights, to describe Allistair’s state of mind. Heck, I was expecting Rassie himself to start pulling his boots on in the end.

  And finally, as I said to Keo during the week, while I fully agree with the travel factor issue, it is a pity that the Stormers will call that very legitimate complaint into question when they allow the Crusaders to roll them over like kittens at Newlands. That’s exactly what happened, and it is the predictability of it that makes it so pitiful.

  Now let me go and watch this Keotubby TV video clip and hear what the excuses are.

• 44.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:47 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-34:

  Not pissed at you. I agree, they simply didn’t turn up. And they were MAULED in the tight phases.

  But I stand by my view that the Cape is looking good for the future. It’s not all doom and gloom, although we do need to crack that first trophy. I have a feeling it could do for the Stormers what it did for the Bulls. For years, the Bulls just believed they would win in the big games. We seem to get nervy and make the most basic mistakes.

  And I suppose the longer it goes on, the harder it becomes. Which is why a healthy injection of some youth may be a good thing. Our experienced players don’t actually have much experience amongst them at winning at the highest levels. Not like the Bulls of a few years ago anyway

• 45.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:47 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-39: Indeed, manly men. You get what you give sunshine, and if it doesn’t apply to you then don’t listen.

  Stormers need to man up in the big games and it must hurt to lose another one, but then when the fans and the likes of Bobby strut like champions it is hard not to have a chuckle when it comes apart like a house of cards.

  I don’t remember many Mountain Goats being particularly nice to the Sharks when they took them out. Karma

  Guys like Bekker and Flouw are the typical SA players (from all regions), big on the front foot and pooosies when it’s against them (Sharks have their fair share of them too don’t worry).

  Hard luck yesterday but I think we have a better chance of a RWC with decent referees than the Abs under all their pressure.

• 46.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:48 am

  @Lumberpunch(Lumberpunch)-40: Thanx for that. I am a Stormers supporter and proud of it and have not dissed any SA side on this blog. Let’s try and be objective and leave the personal attacks ! I don’t think it is very mature and useful

• 47.Bill Reyts:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:49 am

  SA rugby not looking good!!! I’m really worried for the world cup…

• 48.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:49 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-37:

  The scrums were a mess as were the lineouts.

  And everybody knows that there’s very little chance at winning a game when your first phase is royally f***ed

• 49.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:50 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-44: The biggest problem you guys face is an almost bankrupt Union, top heavy with management who are strangling the Province. When your President tells your CEO to sign a cheque for Ricky Januarie without the CEO having a choice you know something is very very wrong.

  Varsity looking stronger than ever though.

• 50.Pee Wee:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:50 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-6: Sum up the fact that the Stormers and Sharks smashed the Bulls at fortress Loftus and there’s not lots of summing up to do!

• 51.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:52 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-48: Agreed!

• 52.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:52 am

  @Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-50: With the outfit we are taking to the RWC we need wheelchairs before game plans.

• 53.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:53 am

  @Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-42:

  lol, ain’t that the truth….can’t remember seeing a scrum manhandled as badly in a semi final.

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-41:

  I don’t buy into the mujati hype. The bulls frontrow have come a longway since bali swart has been working with them.

  I don’t see werner kruger being the greatest tight head ever but like you say, i don’t really see anyone else.

• 54.justrugby:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:54 am

  Simply not good enough, set pieces were shocking and the inability to play off the front foot will always limit your chances of winning.

  Peter Grant cannot control the game with that popgun boot out of hand.

  JDEV seems to lack the pace and therefore the confidence to take a gap like he once used to.

  Stormers need to look at FB /FH /Centre and SH , definitely need world class props, especially at LH where for some reason Blaauw is struggling.

  We missed Duane more than we think.

  Well done Crusaders, if you go on to win this thing it will be a staggering achievement.

  This loss means simply another failure of a season for the Stormers !!

• 55.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:55 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-45:

  I don’t know about the WC this year.

  Personally, I think we have more than enough talent across the provinces to put together a VERY strong team.

  Unfortunately, we have the cast of the Keystone Kops coaching them.

  And that is worrying.

  Beast/Steenkamp
  Bissie/Smit
  Du Plessis/?
  Matfield/Bekker
  Botha/Rossouw
  Burger/Brussouw
  Smith/Alberts
  Vermeulen/Spies

  Du Preez/Mcleod
  Steyn/Lambie
  Habana/Mvovo
  JDV/JDJ
  Fourie
  Aplon/JP
  Steyn/Lambie

  With the various combinations as well as the names I haven’t even listed who are pushing selection, I would think we should be able to compete with anything the AB’s and Aussies can put together.

  If they can be coached into a decent gameplan that is

• 56.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:57 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-53: I rate Balie as scrum coach quite a bit. He had a session with the boys at the school where I coach; It’s remarkable how their scrummaging has improved after only one session with Balie

• 57.stormersboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:57 am

  Keo’s right. It was a disgrace,

  Didn’t look like they wanted to be there in the first place. They were still on their week off.

  After putting themselves in the position to host a semi they just rolled over and played dead.

  Disgraceful.

• 58.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:59 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-55: Coaching is key and you said it: Keystone Cops at best.

  PDV out of his depth, totally. Gary Gould, a nice enough bloke but no idea and Muir, well I think he is trash, pure and simple. Sharks didn’t cry when he jumped ship that’s for sure.

  My worst fear though is the complete lack of urgency Smit brings to any team. Too many trophies too many wins and he doesn’t seem to care. I think the pressure will get to NZ though, can’t see them winning it. Hate to say England might.

• 59.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 09:59 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-53:

  Agreed on Kruger.

  What happened to the days when we produced props that struck fear into the hearts of the opposition?

  Loose forwards, locks, wings, centres coming out of ears, but hell for us to find a 1, 3, 10 and 15

• 60.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:00 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-53: Do you know if the Boks have appointed another “scrummaging consultant” with Os out of the coaching team ? If not, they should be doing it sooner rather than later. I know Balie was only appointed about a week before the 2007 World Cup – that’s what he told me. We can’t wait any longer

• 61.Pee Wee:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:00 am

  Some of you okes need to get over your the fact that your teams weren’t able to contest a semi – you have to win most of your games to get there – the Bulls didn’t exactly dominate the Stormers upfront in their fixtures at Loftus or Newlands for that matter!

• 62.Vetkoek:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:01 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-58:

  I think the Aussies are shaping up as SERIOUS contenders.

  About the only place they may struggle a bit is in the front row, not unlike us.

  After that, they have some serious talent.

• 63.JL1:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:01 am

  Well done Saders

  Ouch!My team got klapped

  Peter Grant has shown why is is just an average flyhalf with poor kicking out of hand
  Andries Bekker must be related to Wyand Olivier, they are great at Currie Cup level, good to average at Super rugby level and poor at Bok level

  Saders will now go on to beat the Reds anfpd become the first team to ly 140000 km and win a final in 20 years

• 64.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:02 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-60: The way the Os thing was dealt with was a total cover up. Sure he made a mess up but PDV covered for Muir and his player. They should all have been sent packing.

  Disgraceful to have that in the Bok setup

• 65.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:02 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-62: I think the Reds’ front row are already worried about the sight of the bearded fellows and Crockett

• 66.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:03 am

  @Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-50:

  yip,that’s why we weren’t masquerading as semi finalists.

  to put it into context historically…..the side that wins the superrugby competition, goes unbeaten at home the entire season. When the bulls were on championship form….the put together something like 20 home wins in a row. the crusaders? Have they ever lost at home? The reds, this season and folowing on from last are on a big winning run.

  the stormers lost 4 games at newlands this superseason.

  I stand by my opinion that this has been the poorest superrugby season in years. Hardly something to be proud of finishing as a semifinalsit.

• 67.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:03 am

  I was rooting for the Stormers before the game yesterday and in all honesty considering some of their standout performances this year combined with home advantage they could have, no, should have won.

  But hindsight is a wonderful thing. Hindsight indicates that they lost this match before the game even began through:
  - selection: They selected the wrong horses for this course – Koster at 8, Donkey at 12 and Jantjies at 15 being cases in point.
  - tactics: They did not shore up a weakness that has been present the whole of Super rugby and exposed by the Saders, Reds and 1st half of their game against the Blues – when a team disrupts their confrontational D line by putting the bull behind it. This also ties into selection.
  - mentally: they were outpsyched and intimidated before this game to such an extent that they froze yesterday.
  - leadership: they lacked leaders onfield, and off, who could gather the troops when the chips are truly down and nothing planned for is coming off. Due to their kind schedule, very lenient reffing (esp against SA opposition) and tactical stupidity of some teams on tour, they did not really experience a blowout which would have provided a good learning experience for the semi-final yesterday.
  - preparation: I suspect that preparation was woefully inadequate for this game during the past 2 weeks and in many ways the Stormers were counter-intuitively very blase and complacent for this game.

  One thing is clear with wonderful hindsight is that the Bulls and the Sharks of the past 2 weeks would probably have also put 20 points at least past that same Stormers team that pitched up yesterday. This was not the same team that played (or were allowed to play or get away with playing a certain way) against the Sharks and Bulls in their 1st derby games.

  In short, the Stormers are a case study of a team that flatters to deceive. And deceive they did – their supporters, Dippy De Villiers and many other rugby supporters of other teams. I certainly will never make the same mistake again of thinking the Stormers can win a game that actually counts. They havent since 2000, and I actually think it is not in the make up of senior Cape rugby to do so at the moment.

• 68.Nils:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:04 am

  Stormers simply weren’t allowed to turn up, simple as that. I have no doubt that thwy wanted to turn up and did what they could, that was the biggest game of the season. Stormers ain’t bad team at all, ffs, they comfortably won SA conference (hello, Bulls and Sharks), after all.

  However, if Crusaders “reserves” could hold them at arms lenght at their own backyard, the full strenght team could certainly do even better despite travelling, lack of rest or everything else.

• 69.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:04 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-64: And Muir is still there. With his R2,2 million from the Lions as well as the Investec Academy’s income + Bok contract the guy must be rolling in the bucks !

• 70.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:05 am

  You cannot win if you cant scrum.

  Our tight 5 were horribly exposed.

  A few Stormers played themselves out of Bok selection.

  Boks better find the means to combat this awesome front row…..someone had better sort out Mujatis papers…..

  Going to be a testing Tri Nations and WC….

  The future looks all black I am afraid [ pardon the pun].

  Semi not good enough Stormers…

• 71.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:07 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-69: Yes, he certainly likes ‘rolling’ around.

• 72.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:07 am

  @Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-61:

  vermuelen and skalk save your tight 5 everyweek.

• 73.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:09 am

  Send Grant back to Japan… he is going backwards.

• 74.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:09 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-17: Tell me exactly where Craig Joubert was poor.The Stormers lost in every phase where it counts.No excuses.Your tight 5 are not bad , but they are not rugby fit.

• 75.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:09 am

  duane vermeulen absence showed why he is never rotated when fit….he is a massive cog in that stormers set up

• 76.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:10 am

  @grant10(grant10)-70: Grant, good luck for the morning – I sense some bashing coming your way! I’m outta here – going to light a fire soon and try and drown my sorrows with some good red wine and steak. I was saving it for last night but I was so disappointed and was quite miserable ! But hey the sun is shining (a little) and we’ll survive !

• 77.JL1:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:11 am

  @grant10(grant10)-70: And wont have anything to do with John Smit

  Our forwards as a collective were rubbish. they reminded me a lot of their same performance in the CC final when the Sharks pack took them apart.

  Brok Harris is a marshmallow prop and Blaauw styrofoam. Both of them were also lying too deep and then got isolated

• 78.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:12 am

  @grant10(grant10)-75: He is indeed. Missed him huge yesterday.

• 79.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:12 am

  Got to laugh at you numbnuts who now will no doubt be calling for Peter Grants head… During this season he could do nothing less than walk on water according to you same okes who now will be slating him. “Definite Bok flyhalf”, “Much better than Steyn”, “More experienced than Lambie”

  LMFAO!

• 80.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:13 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-60:

  have no idea if a new scrum consultant has been recruited, os got given the cold shoulder remember.

  the boks only saving grace for the worldcup is that we have the greatest player/coach in jon smit and the greatest rugby minds in matfield and dupreez.
  and throw in rassie technical background…
  that alone should get us to the semis.

  only things that could screw us is twakkies bizarre selections and flogging everyone to death in the 3nations

• 81.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:13 am

  I don’t think Vermeulen would have made much of an impact in that scrums. Does Flo (best player for the S imo last night) even scum? Bekker is as useful as a cable tie in that engine room.

• 82.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:14 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-74: You can’t always see it on TV, but at the kick-offs the Crusaders were deliberately obstructing Habana on several occasions – it happened right in front of us: after the second time the Crusaders moved into the half of the Stormers and got a penalty which DC converted. Remember I also said that the Crusaders deserved to win and that I’ not blaming Joubert. Outta here now

• 83.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:14 am

  @grant10(grant10)-70: Agree.You cannot play a Flank at no4 in a big match like this and expect to get away with it. The running up front row is not fit ! I thought CJ was bad, but these props were nowhere at scrum time and ruck time.

• 84.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:16 am

  @JL1(JL1)-77: I agree Brock and Blauw is kuk but look at the useless Bekker behind them. Have you seen the Boks scrum when Bakkies is subbed with Bekker? Give Bekker that 14 jersey he loves that spot and give Van Zyl that number 4 and then you have a decent leader in that team as well.

• 85.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:16 am

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-79: I’m just laughing in general. It’s Bobby’s birthday today, he must be crying and Matthew Pearce must be consoling him

• 86.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:17 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-80: Is that Bakkies you are referring to?

• 87.CharlesM:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:18 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-80: Let’s hope it’s not Gary Gold on his own!@HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-81: Flo did scrum – I could see it when he packed down on the blindside. Vermeulen’s weight as well as Burger’s (when he left) were missed at scrum time – although with Burger in the scrum we were destroyed as well

• 88.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:19 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-76: yes….

  seems the turbo reverse came back to infiltrate my Stormer Boys…

  enjoy….

  I am off to the gym

• 89.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:20 am

  nothing wrong with grant imo, bottomline is the wp pack got taken to the cleaners.
  Nils is right to an extent that they werent allowed to play by the Crusaders, but the loss of Vermeulen was huge and the intercept pass from poor old Koster set the ball rolling after a pretty tight opening 10mins.
  Beast can stand up to that Crusaders frontrow, but very few others.
  The Boks are going to have to ensure their scrum is solid as they did in preparing for and surprising the BIL.
  The Maestro will have a plan.

• 90.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:20 am

  @HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-84: Bekker is Victor’s replacement not Bakkies. As you say Bekker floats on the wing… as does Victor.

• 91.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:20 am

  @CharlesM(CharlesM)-82: A few high tackles missed.Runners in front of kickers.But surely these should be pointed out by the touch judges.(If they are not to scared of Paddy). However ,nothing of the bias we saw in Nelson.

• 92.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:20 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-83:

  unless it the dinosaurus.

  have to say that a few of those crusaders look a little vuigat. Sonny Bill,etc

  not a flo fan but he was by far the stormers best player yesterday. Don’t see the hype about this koster bloke and who is the ginger?

• 93.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:22 am

  @cab(cab)-89: Cheetahs stood well against them didn’t they?

• 94.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:22 am

  @oodles(oodles)-90: They subbed Bekker with Bakkies on more than a few occasions. Yes… Victor is the same but Bekker owns that sport, avoids the hard stuff.

• 95.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:23 am

  @cab(cab)-89:Either Alberts / Vermeulen at 8 with nowhereman Spies on the pine and the Boks will smoke again. Spies does not have the ability behind a turbo scrum, the other two know how to graft.

• 96.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:24 am

  I was at Newlands yesterday and the atmosphere was fantastic!! Then the game started and there was hope in the first 10 minutes, Stormers looked sharp. Then, an intercept try, the atmosphere mallowed and was replaced by a sense of dread. By then end of it, you can hear a pin drop. Or rather another nail hammered into the coffin…

• 97.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:24 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-93:
  yes, so-so, better than stormers but coenie scrumming very average?
  also werent the crusaders missing a few big boys in that one – had a full strength team on the park last night.

• 98.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:24 am

  @HHS(Hop Hop Spinnekop)-94: Bekker is temperamental, not a good quality. But when he switches on he is formidable.

• 99.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:25 am

  @oodles(oodles)-95:
  agree

• 100.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:25 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-92: SBW and Owen Franks are red cards waiting. And they will come.Sooner or later.I believe the Ginger is only 19 years old .Seems like a good athlete overall.Still to young.

• 101.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:26 am

  @oodles(oodles)-98: Bekker is the new Albert Van Den Bergh. They have their moments….. they want to score 40 meter tries. Both useless come scum time.

• 102.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:26 am

  Yesterdays game finally showed whos actually who in the Bok Zoo.

  1. Beast/Gurthro/Dean Greyling
  2. Bismarck/Smit/Chiliboy
  3. Jannie DuP/Werner Kruger
  4. Bakkies/FvdM/Rossouw
  5. Matfield/Bekker
  6. Ratel/Steg/Daniel
  7. Rossouw/Smith/Alberts
  8. Spies/Vermeulen
  9. FdP/McLeod/Hougaard
  10. Steyn/Lambie/Butch
  11. Habana/Mvovo/Hougaard
  12. De Jong/F.Steyn/Lambie
  13. Mossie and A.N Other (Possibly Sadie or Ebersohn)
  14. JPP/Aplon
  15. Lambie/Steyn/Aplon

  And thats about it for the WC. Plus minus one or two others.

• 103.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:27 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-85: I hope its a happy birthday for the chap

• 104.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:29 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-91:

  crusaders defensive line looked offside all night. and then when it’s slow ball grant just starts standing deeper and deeper. And then the issue that he has a pop gun boot becomes a very big problem.

• 105.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:29 am

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-102: How do you rate Eugene van Staden. IMO the form tight head this season

• 106.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:30 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-104:
  yes they were offsides all night and his boot is not long, but even carter cant play behind that sort of a hammering, in the scrums and at the collisions.

• 107.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:31 am

  is ruan pienaar completely out of worldcup selection because i still think he is a worldclass player

• 108.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:31 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-105: Yeah, he’s also alright. Not sure if he has what it takes to be a Bok though for this year’s WC. I reckon Kruger might shade him.

• 109.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:32 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-104: I thought they were offiside at most breakdowns, but that is the way the Crusaders play. I call them cheats, others say they play to the law of the game.

  When they were pinged though I say a few of them look up in disbelief, it happens on such rare occasions. Better team but they do stretch the limit. Perhaps that is why they don’t win RWCs. The referees are not biased SANZAR officials LOL

• 110.wp_boytjie:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:33 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-107:

  Ricky retired cause Ruan is guaranteed World Cup selection. Fact

  .

• 111.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:33 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-105: Sharks don’t seem to rate him, they say he isn’t a good ball carrier but I disagree. I think he is under rated and a player who plays at his absolute limit whenever he is on the field. Big heart

• 112.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:33 am

  @wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-110: Really? Well that’s good, that fat quota player never deserved a Bok jersey to begin with

• 113.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:34 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-107: Being world class means nothing to PDV.Being out of forms means nothing as wll.

• 114.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:37 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-111: I have seen him carry the ball,clean out rucks,making turnovers.IMO better scrummer than JdP.

• 115.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:38 am

  Ruan Pienaar has all the skills but I’m not sure if it will be a good idea to select him. He will not be a complimentary selection. He must either be selected as 1st choice 9 or not at all.

• 116.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:39 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-114: I agree with you, just saying what I know.

  I think he is MUCH better than he looks perhaps. But then this is a team who rates Hargreaves, the softest lock on world rugby. I’ve seen tougher Fashion Designers

• 117.stormersboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:41 am

  And I must say, congratulations to the Crusaders on their season. Ups and downs, challenges galore but they’ve come through.

  Good luck in the final.

• 118.justrugby:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:41 am

  This is the first time this year that the Stormers pack was absolutely demolished, most games they have held their own and in others actually got the better of their opposition.

  Does Duane add that much to the pack?? Were we just not switched on ?? Did the break add value ??

  This is not the same pack that manhandled the Sharks , were good against the Saders in the first game.

  Not sure what causes the implosion ?? I suggest a drug testing of the Saders front row !!!

• 119.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:43 am

  @justrugby(justrugby)-118: I suggest a fitness test for the Stormers front 3

• 120.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:45 am

  ranPienaar anabsolute must for WC

  He gives Boks a genuine 5 ….2 bench split possibility.

  And heavens knows we will need that should we meet the kiwis

• 121.justrugby:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:45 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-119:

  LOL !!

• 122.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:46 am

  fark

  ruan pienaar!

• 123.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:47 am

  @grant10(grant10)-120: Do you honestly think Crusty the Clown has any idea what he is doing

• 124.stormersboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:49 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-119: Wicus has had his *** handed to him for most of the season. He’s managed to hold his own on occasions but has never been a good scrummager. Guys like JD Moller are much stronger in the scrum, but he isn’t as good in the loose.

  I wouldn’t play Wicus personally.

• 125.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:50 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-123: First good sign was issuing RJ with his DCM. Lets hope he issues a few more cards.

  Dont
  Come
  Monday

• 126.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:51 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-123: well we are about to find out!

  Better concentrate on the scrums.

  I suggest a scrum doctor be appointed pronto.

• 127.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:52 am

  stormers are going to get the chq book out ….big time….

  I sense some big name signings…

• 128.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:53 am

  @grant10(grant10)-126: Well they fired the best one to cover up for trickydicky.

• 129.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:53 am

  Crocketts new style (hand on knee) appeared to work for him. He usually gets blown for hand on the deck, could be a heads up for others.

• 130.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:54 am

  @grant10(grant10)-127: They don’t have any money mate

• 131.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:54 am

  aint much a scrum doctor can do when no THs for love or money, which is why the maestro picked smit at 3. Its the only weakness in the bok pack, guess we got no choice in the matter and have to go for mobility.

• 132.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:55 am

  @oodles(oodles)-129: It’s an old-style technique that I am surprised others don’t use.

• 133.justrugby:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:55 am

  After 2011 Boks should seek out Ewen Mackenzie, what he has done with the Reds and especially the Reds pack is very impressive !!

  Type of oke that the Boks can relate and respond to imho !!

• 134.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:56 am

  @wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-110:

  well, that’s great news because ricky should look at finishing up his career.

• 135.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:56 am

  @cab(cab)-131: No, he picked Smit at 3 because:
  1. He has no effing idea about rugby
  2. He wanted to keep his sidekick in the team
  3. Bismark made him a joke at 2
  4. The Clown is a clown surrounded by clowns

• 136.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:57 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-132: Dont know that it will work against the French, they traditionally pack very low and will get under him.

• 137.Black Panther:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:58 am

  geez, Keo, what happened to your last headline

  ‘time to end this false Crusade’

  have an extra portion of STFU

• 138.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 10:58 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-135:
  well, the results did not show that – 2009 was our best season ever. how does that work?

• 139.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:00 am

  @cab(cab)-138: You know how that worked very well. A well drilled team that did not need to be coached carried the AA appointment through the year when they point blank refused to play his ‘style’ of ‘total rugby’.

  And a lucky kick and chase in NZ to be honest.

• 140.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:00 am

  @justrugby(justrugby)-118:

  i would say that duane does most of the work you guys need your locks to be doing.

  bekker and the other okes nowhere yesterday.

  @cab(cab)-131:

  scrumming is as much a mindset as it is technical and strengh.
  remember how the bok pack demolished a british lions pack in an opening half hour of test rugby. and then later that season destroyed the kiwis at the tank.

• 141.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:04 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-140: Scary thing is Bekker looked good against the Sharks which just shows how soft hargreaves and Sykes are. Wish Ali would head overseas too.

• 142.LITELOCK:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:04 am

  Having just watched the replay,and the impression i got was,THERE WAS NO ONE BACKING UP THE RUNNING PLAYER.When the Saders players run it up there is always an offload option or at least protection for the tackled player.That in my humble opinion is what has been lacking in SA rugby this season.No one can argue that SA doesnt have the players or the skills,but very little team play.Awesome individual players,average teams.

• 143.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:05 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-139:
  we beat the ABs three times that year, a clean sweep, with franks at 3, we also beat the BIL who had the most powerful scrum in the world. Smit does not want to play 3, he is not a 3, but im saying that the alternatives are not much better as i’ve always said.

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-140:
  yes quite correct, they did come back in the second, but i was amazed at the first test.

• 144.wp_boytjie:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:05 am

  So help me here:

  Steyn and Lambie are far better at 10 than Peter Grant – I agree.
  Sharks and Bulls front row better than my Stormers front-row – I agree.

  So I can’t understand , didn’t the Stormers end up higher on the log than these two Mighty teams?

  You wanna tell me the Sharks International front row and all the Bulls experience is so great and wonderfull , so let me ask you WHY THE F*CK WERENT YOU IN THE SEMI”S THEN ??

• 145.wp_boytjie:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:08 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-134:

  Ricky said it on Boots and All last week ,Pieter Div told him straight unless Fourie or Ruan gets injured ….etc.

• 146.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:11 am

  @wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-144: Simple really. We were beaten by a better team on the day. At least the Bulls and Sharks have trophies. Zero from 3 is pretty sad.

  Are the Stormers the Proteas of rugby ?

  Not sure where your team was yesterday, the one who demolished the Sharks twice. No BMT clearly.

• 147.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:13 am

  @wp_boytjie(wp_boytjie)-145: WTF was that little has been doing on TV anyway, and he isn’t even 3rd choice in everyone’s opinion except the great crusty one.

• 148.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:14 am

  @Eish(youwha)-8:

  i have a sneaky suspicion that was the case indeed. rassie getting involved and a degree of over-management/coaching going down.

• 149.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:15 am

  @cab(cab)-143: Smit should have retired 2 years ago. He isn’t playing 3 anyway. Jannie perhaps? 3 Penalties a game from him, 3 from brother B and we are staring down an 18 point gap already

• 150.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:17 am

  @Vetkoek(Vetkoek)-13:

  wow! you spin it like a corporate american political sponsor

• 151.BullDog15:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:18 am

  The forwards. Where it start and ends. Say what you want, but rugby has been the same sport for over a hundred years.

  Now, based on what happened yesterday, we need to fix the front row. Forget the performance of the Stormers, they were never going to even achieve par against the Saders front row…what should be a worry is what we are going to do on the test stage. Tight head…I am afraid Jannie Dup doesn’t cut it for me. Never has. Only other guy that I’ve seen stand up and be counted as a TH this year was Werner Kruger. But he does give away a few penalties at scrum time. Good ball carrier, good defender, but someone needs to address those technical penalties he tends to give away. But no denying the fact that he is strong in the scrums. Add Beast and Bissie/John/Chilli with Bakkies/Danie and Matfield and you have a pretty good tight five. But both Bissie and John need to find their mojo again when throwing in to the lineouts. John used to be Mr Reliable. Not so anymore…I would think being able to throw in properly is a matter of practice, practice, practice. So that can be fixed; not really a worry. Whether PDIV actually pays any attention to this aspect is altogether another worry. And Dean Greyling impressed me this year with his power. Gonna destroy a few opposition TH’s in his career. Mark my words.

  Backrow…I believe we need a grafter (Brussouw, Flo, Steggies), a hard ball runner (Vermeulen, Danie?, Juan, Schalk) and a linking player (someone please help me with a name here!). Yes, the latter is a problem. Think along the lines of Rassie, Bobby, etc. Not sure we really have one that stands out right now. But the above combination is what we need.

• 152.redterror:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:20 am

  Keohane, get off the piss and stop making a fool of yourself. The Crusaders “aren’t special”…? Let’s see … two best players on the planet (forward and back), and arguably among the greatest All Blacks ever; half their team are likely walk-on AB starters; the best Super franchise ever; multiple championships, total champion caliber; win a Super-semi on the road for the first time in a decade; they get to the final without playing a true home game all season, logging more miles than any other team; and they totally DOMINATE the team YOU picked to win by 10… Geeze, akshully, now that I weigh it, I s’ppose yr right: – they ain’t that special. They are plonkers. With golden horseshoes up their arseholes. Makes complete sense. Big ups for claiming credit on killing the Cape Crusaders, Mark. Good to know how all-pervasive-and-super-powerful your influence is in the Republic. Genius!

• 153.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:21 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-149:
  yeah cant say i think jannie would do much better than brock – the Boks got a bit of a problem here, especially if they want to too keep the ball away from Carter and SBW in the backs. none of our THs got the scrumming power or even the tackle aggression of franks. Mujati seems our best bet, but we got no idea if can play or whether will fit into boks plans – they needed to play him in the 3N.

• 154.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:29 am

  @BullDog15(BullDog15)-151:

  south africas best balanced backrow is still brussow, juan and spies.

  the challenge for the coaches is to get them all in peak fitness and at the top of their game. Spies is never going to be a destrucitve defender but he is a destructive runner. Juan is the hardman and grafter, brussow also a ball hunter, grafter and very elusive ball carrier around the fringes. With that combo you also get 2 1st choice lineout options. That’ll give the bok lineout 4 options.

  that’s our best combination.

  going out and picking the best inform players and putting them together now will not top that combination of mine.

  vermuelen misses out because he is very much a pedrie vannberg or jaque cronje sort. alberts might make the squad because he can cover as a lock…..but then i’d argue that i’d rather bring in wikus van heerden who’s a proven test match backrower and has been in fantastic form playing lock all season.Danie Roussow is anyway….the 1st bench choice.

  For my money, the big decision is bakkies or bekker. Depending on how much you value srummaging grunt. Or otherwise, you start danie roussow at lock and alberts or wikus cover from the bench.

• 155.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:31 am

  @redterror(redterror)-152:

  ….they lost to the cheetahs, who in turn were demolished by the selfsame stormers by 20 odd points.

  i for one, also believe these crusaders not to be that special.

• 156.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:35 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-34:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_fright#Causes

  stagefright can affect anyone, guy

• 157.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:35 am

  @BullDog15(BullDog15)-151: Brussouw can perform that role (a linking player) on attack with his good hands and sevens background.But then fellow loose trio need to add there bit on the scavanger side.

• 158.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:36 am

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-155: Saders were also helped all season by getting all the ‘right’ calls from all the refs.

• 159.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:36 am

  @scar(scar)-157: there = their … sunday morning typing

• 160.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:38 am

  whitelock also stole a few of bekker’s balls last night, its pretty much the AB team other than Mealamu and Kaino and their outside backs.

  None of the SA sides are that representative of the Boks.
  Sharks frontrow, Bulls locks, Cheetahs backrow, Bulls halfbacks, Stormers centers, Sharks and Stormers back 3.

• 161.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:40 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-158: Even if the Stormers got the benfit of the doubt, they would have still lost with at least 13 points

• 162.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:42 am

  @scar(scar)-161: Not in this game, was refering to other games. Stormers got a hiding.

  IMO the Sharks got the very wrong end and were mentally broken at Twikkers and Nelson. Yes, I do believe that another day, another ref both games could have gone the other way.

• 163.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:46 am

  nah, crusaders are a better team than any one of our teams, more balanced, but a fully fit Bok side can take the ABs – tho TH is an area of concern. cant let carter and sbw play with good quality ball.

• 164.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:46 am

  After yesterday I am certain of 3 things in life other than taxes:

  Proteas will never win a CWC
  ABs will never win another RWC
  Breezers will never win S15

• 165.I am a stormer:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:48 am

  Was nervous before the game. Had a feeling something like this might happen. That’s why I had the Saders as favourites. Despite the fact that it was a home game. That tells you something about the Stormers. Good in the league stages but they fall apart when it matters.

  And keo, you are wrong. There is something special about this Crusaders side. And having played every single match away from home. And now they have to travel another 11,000 kms to play in the final. Which I hope they’ll win.

  Next week, I AM A STORMERSADER.

  Even if just for a day.

• 166.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:49 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-158: I reckon Breezers got more than their fair share of marginal calls all season long.

• 167.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:51 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-162: True, but the Sharks got all the referee breaks in the game against teh Cheetahs (they were luky to get a win in Bloem), in the whole I suppose it all balances out with all fans having their grievances!

• 168.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:51 am

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-166: me too, but was talking saders, the perennial McCheats.

• 169.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:52 am

  If Ritchie McCaw enters a forest, and no one is around, is he still offside?

• 170.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:53 am

  goyougoodthing: spin it as much as you want, the sharks were annihilated @ twickenham & NO walsh was not a factor in that game, y’all got ripped to shreds period.

• 171.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:54 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-168: Yeah, got you. the farken schweinhunds. A fundamentally dishonest setup. No honest rugby players within a mile of the red and black, no matter how good they are as players.

• 172.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:54 am

  @scar(scar)-167: ok, fair call mate. Just don’t like referees

  Nor the Saders, not their play, but how they have always got away with stuff. No comment on the game yesterday, just over the years.

• 173.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:56 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-170: 2 tries from forward passes in the match mate.

  Go back to the KingSpears, they are shining examples of awesomeness

• 174.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:56 am

  @Transformation(Transformation)-170: Shows how much you truly know about rugger with that comment… About as much an average Pirates supporter… Stick to your poefballas game… Or go find an article to copy and paste to pretend you know.

• 175.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:57 am

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-171: Dirty dishonest lot all of them

  If SBW played for any other team the fans would be so embarrassed they would not be able to walk in public.

  A shocker and all the years I thought McCheat was a dastard

• 176.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 11:59 am

  If a referee blows his whistle in a forest, and Paddy O’brien isn’t watching, is he still an arssshole

• 177.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:00 pm

  sharks and stormers both got hammered by the crusaders twice – they not as balanced nor as good.

• 178.Robzim:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:01 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-164:

  Another certainty for your list:

  Heavens Game and Robzim will never win the Keo Superbru

  (Mainly because their stupid inability to “call” against their own teams but that is besides the point)

• 179.BullDog15:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:02 pm

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-154:
  Yip I agree with you; still our best combination. When these guys played together 2 years ago we got a lot of front foot ball, and very quickly. Allowed the backs (Steyn and Du Preez) to dictate the game. But what I do see now is that the counter ruck makes turnovers/ruck competition pretty difficult. A guy goes in to affect the steal, or slow the ball down, and the opposition just bulldozes over him, often resulting in a penalty (not supporting own weight, etc.) So with that in mind, how valuable is a guy like Brussouw or Stegman right now? We see a small guy like Steggies still doing very well for the Bulls, making tackles, slowing ball down, but getting penalised often when the opposition puts pressure on the ruck. I have not seen much of Brussouw this year, I admit. But has the ruck just become a power game? Is there still place for ball skills on the ground?

• 180.Fern:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:04 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-174:
  The Crusaders won but the kiwi’s were taken apart on here yesterday

• 181.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:04 pm

  @Kietzphat(Kietzphat)-42:
  it was just one game guy

• 182.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:05 pm

  i’m sorry to say but our teams, whether coached by a useless kiwi forwards coach or an equally useless former bok backline coach or never-been frans ludekak are just too one-dimensional. They know only to play one way and if that doesn’t work everyone from the coaches to the so-called ‘aura’ captains cannot adapt.

  The saders made mince meat of the much-vaunted stormers defence breaking the line @ will, kicking to the kak conrad jantjies who can only run & do an ‘up & under’ the whole day – even 21yr old tom marshall looked to vary his play more than that useless conrad.

  Flo was exposed yesterday, not of his own making though when playing with the lightweight & over-hyped koster & schalk who is @ 1st receiver. Flo had to deal with flynn, richie, read & whitelock @ the breakdown and it was even worse when brits came on – i’m sure he never hit one ruck as he was playing either next to jdv or just after mossie the whole time.

  Frustrating really!

• 183.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:10 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-175: As a SH rugby fan, I AM embarrassed. “SCUM!!!”

  BTW, the anagram for Sonny Bill Williams is: Snowball in Slimily…

• 184.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:10 pm

  goyougoodthing: ‘forward passes’ only the sharks fans saw these forward passes hehehe

  heavens game: don’t worry bud, your overhyped ‘currie cup champions’ should do better than 6th next year without the ‘aura’ tl tl tl

• 185.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:10 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-182:
  well at they had scalk at first reciever, brok punching it up in the midfield, bekker, who like matfield, seem to make great wingers in these tight contests, and schalk brits should seriously consider turning into a centre since he offered far more penetration than jdv. only problem was there were no bladdy tight forwards. elstadt is a 7, but he;s also got to work on his hands when carrying into contact.

• 186.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:12 pm

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-104:

  yes, there was a lot of offsides by them.

• 187.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:13 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-184: bstard LOL.

• 188.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:13 pm

  @Robzim(Robzim)-178: Yup. Had a good run. But the Tahs, Sharks last week, and Stormers this week set me back. As long as Mini-me, Gwantie and skirtsy Jockbok are in my vapour trail I’m happy.

  Just for fun, I’m with the Reds this week come hell or high water.

• 189.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:14 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-184: Who th fark is your “bud”… You can call me “Sir”

• 190.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:15 pm

  Turbo reversed!

  Guppies lead the turbo reverse stats by two to one over the Stormers, that’s right.

• 191.scar:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:18 pm

  @cab(cab)-185: Elstadt might have to work on his tackles as well

• 192.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:18 pm

  @Fern(Fern)-180: That they were. I think we definitely won our blogosphere Super rugger semi final. Poppa still doing timeout in the sinbin, sulking.

• 193.Robzim:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:19 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-188:

  I am also with the Reds- I reckon the Saders are the better team but the travel fatigue much catch them some or other time- it also depends if they can keep Cooper under control – imo he is THE player of the Super 15 2011 by a mile.

• 194.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:21 pm

  @Robzim(Robzim)-193: Dammit so I cant nip past you on the last game with that one… Might choose Saders now… Prisoners dilemma, game theory and all that

• 195.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:22 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-194: Bryce Lawrence, Ritchie McCheat and SBW.

  Put your money on the Red and Black

• 196.Heavens Game:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:25 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-195: Yup, so the kiwis think they have sown the fairytale ending all up with Bryce “dangerous scrum” Lawrence as the Ref. Pathetic, the lengths they will go to in order to win… The dirty scallywags!

• 197.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:29 pm

  I say get Mujati SA citizenship immediately. Someone different at tighthead, and crucially, someone who wasn’t monstered in Super rugby with no psychological advantage to the kiwis.

• 198.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:30 pm

  Lol, RL stiiiiiill going on about the Sharks, this dufus is in love with them!

• 199.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:31 pm

  Has Poppa been banned?

  

  Hopefully the absence will teach him to cool his jets.

• 200.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:35 pm

  After 10 years without a trophy, WP and Stormers games will no longer be shown on SuperSport as it is “The Home Of Champions” but you can watch them all on the History Channel

• 201.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:35 pm

  @bananaboy(bananaboy)-200: only joking guys

• 202.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:37 pm

  @bananaboy(bananaboy)-201: don’t be silly bananaboy, they have a brand new, shiny trophy in the cabinet for “winning” the conference.

• 203.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:38 pm

  I can’t stand this new conference system and 6 team play offs.

• 204.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:40 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-126: gotta get JS into that front row ASAP.

• 205.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:46 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-202: oops forgot about that trophy, however it only came into existence this year to be fair.

• 206.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:47 pm

  John Smit would surely (i) have steadied the sinking ship with his magnificent leadership, and turned a loss into a ballsy win; and (ii) used his strong scrumming prowess as SA’s strongest scrumming hooker to singlehandedly turn turbo reverse into turbo accelerate.

  Oh how the Stormers missed John Smit.

  Oh the irony.

• 207.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:47 pm

  @bananaboy(bananaboy)-205: it’s a very silly and meaningless “trophy” after all. Conference system is rubbish.

• 208.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:49 pm

  Didnt see the Sharks turbo reverse last week despite only arriving in NZ on Friday morning and playing on Sat. They were far more competitive in the tight 5.

• 209.I am a stormer:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:50 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-203:

  Neither do I. Do you realise that this stage of the competetion next year and 2013 will be played after the 3N. Next year we have the June tests back and then the long version of the 3N.

  So there is a break in the S15.

  Where the CC fits in next year remains a mystery to me? Does it go head to head with the CC?

  I dunno the answers just yet. Do you have any idea?

• 210.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:55 pm

  @I am a stormer(I am a stormer)-209: I’m not to sure when or where the CC fits in.

  2 points –

  (i) The CC is further marginalised as a result – there is no way any Bok player will play any CC at all (incl semi and final); and

  (ii) The S15 will be ridiculously long and drawn out, like a soapie that just goes on for decades. And with such a long break in between the 3N and June internationals interest will wane.

• 211.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:56 pm

  @bananaboy(bananaboy)-200:

  haha and what about your guys? watch them on a nat geo wild or animal planet special – ‘sharks: a vanishing species’ hehe

• 212.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:57 pm

  Lol, the Sharks most certainly did not turbo reverse. They didn’t exactly turbo accelerate either, turbo – neutral’ed if anything, but no sign of the reverse gear.

• 213.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:58 pm

  @cab(cab)-163:

  If I had one rand for every time I’ve read your posts telling us a fully fit Bokke side will take this AB side I’d be a wealthy man, other than 09′ you haven’t got anywhere near dominating us in the last 10 seasons, your in big trouble this year you don’t have the coaching smarts, the front row or the backs to really trouble us. Your forward pack is good but you make out as if your going to win up front won’t happen mate.

• 214.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:58 pm

  @he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-211: I ate some cow last night, watching the game.

• 215.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 12:58 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-213: funny, this seems to be a recurring conversation before every world cup.

• 216.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:00 pm

  Keo wants to cry!

  Pharrk, I imagine Krusty would like to slash his wrists. But then again PdV is an optimist.

• 217.I am a stormer:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:01 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-210:

  Seems like this S15 format was dreamed up by marketing gurus wearing green suits and with pony tails.

• 218.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:01 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-212: yeah and this was after the travel factor – travelling east requires 1 day for each hour of time difference to get the travel factor out of your legs, the other way takes less, plus melatonin from exposure to the sun required and you don’t get much of that travelling to the land of the long white cloud in winter

• 219.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:01 pm

  @cane(cane)-216: Do you think NZ will overcome the huge internal pressure they face this World Cup? Yes, the Boks have a few selection puzzlers, but your boys have their own demons too…

• 220.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:02 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-212:

  it was just one game guy

• 221.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:03 pm

  @he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-220: the Sharks turbo accelerated against your Bulls though!

• 222.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:05 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-213:

  if i had one rand for every time the bookies pegged the ab’s to win a world cup hey? couldnt we all make millions this way or that, couldnt we all?..

• 223.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:05 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-215:

  Spooner the Bokke rarely trouble the Ab’s over a full season.

• 224.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:07 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-223: We have a habit of winning World Cups though. A significant portion of NZ players, the majority in fact, weren’t even born when NZ last won the (illegitimate) World Cup.

• 225.bananaboy:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:09 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-213: The difference between the 2 sides is the Boks rely ONLY on strength and guts and determination and the fear of losing factor, and fringe players are not up to the level of the top 22 because of the lack of exposure to big game time required to hone this attitude. The AB’s rely on skill, power and guile which are easily taught and transferable to fringe players and this is done at all levels of the game. Guts and Determination are also part of their natural psyche but are not the only elements they rely on. We just do not measure up in the skills stake at this moment in time as it is coached out of our players. However if our 22 are available as is invariably the case at WC there is enough guts and determination to beat the **** out of other sides in a do or die situation and no “choking” factor.

• 226.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:10 pm

  Can we finally put to bed the urban myth that JDV and Fourie are the worlds best centres.

• 227.seabiscuit:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:12 pm

  I believe travel can never b a factor sa sides can fall back on now when loosing, the crusaders travels 11000km, played last weekend, and still looked like champions, stormers big joke, they have basically lost every important match this year against a big side, poor showing, I’m a sharks fan but for sa’s sake I would rather wished the bulls where there cuz I can promise u it would have been a totally different game

• 228.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:13 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-226: :shock

• 229.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:15 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-224:

  Yes yes but history is no real guide is it otherwise you guys will only win 3 tri nations in the next 15 years (including 7 or 8 wooden spoons) and only win twice in NZ in the next 20 years does that seem about right?

• 230.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:18 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-221:
  au contraire my man, i’m a bull-mer or maybe storm-bull (sounds better) two best teams in sa and i get to enjoy the respective strengths and styles of both. i call it a win-win entertainment value package for the supporter.
  everybody cab be a winner…

• 231.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:20 pm

  @he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-230: Lol, I would disagree that the Bulls and Stormers are “the two best teams in SA”…

• 232.chch:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:20 pm

  I must admit that after watching the video that those two look like a couple of guys who would continue over years locking threads after they lose

• 233.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:22 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-226:

  ok, but will you accept instead the worlds best ‘onside & not off’ playing centres?

• 234.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:26 pm

  @he’s not the messiah. he’s a very naughty boy!(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-233:

  No idea what your talking about mate.

• 235.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:27 pm

  @chch(chch)-232:

  That was very poor they must have been on the sauce at the game to rubbish a team and players like that.

• 236.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:46 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-234:
  crusader play offside in a ugly way…but ja no, i’ll give you this, maybe they are ‘the worlds best (just not right now) centres’…we can all be winners

• 237.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:46 pm

  Time for a Super15 Allstars Team of the year.

  1. Crockett (Crus).
  2. Fai ainga. (Reds).
  3. Franks. (Crus).
  4. Nathan Sharpe (Force).
  5. Matfield (Bulls).
  6. Thomson (H/landers)
  7. Pocock. (Force).
  8. Ashley Johnson (Cheats)
  9. Genia (Reds).
  10. Cooper (Reds).
  11. JPP (Sharks).
  12. SBW (Crus).
  13. Fruen (Crus)
  14. Guilford (Crus).
  15. Kurtley Beale (Tahs).

• 238.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:49 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-231:

  i guess this is where we say ‘agree to disagree’ then

• 239.Inevitable:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:52 pm

  Isn’t it strange how travelling only effects certain people and teams!

  I wonder if it’s not genetic

• 240.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:55 pm

  @seabiscuit(seabiscuit)-227: the bulls lost 27 – 0 to the crusaders, a bulls fan must just shut up when crusaders are being discussed

• 241.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 13:58 pm

  @cane(cane)-237:

  Bench:
  Bizzy (Sharks).
  Beast (Sharks).
  Soakai (H/landers).
  Whitelock (Crus).
  Sarel Pretorious (Cheats).
  Carter (Crus).
  Mils (Chiefs).

• 242.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:00 pm

  the sharks were the 1st team to get annihilated by the saders monstrous scrum, mcloed & kanko were still trying to pick the ball up from the lush green twickenham turf when a pile of mangled bodies fell on them like a turn of bricks

  stormersboy, ufo – your boy brok harris is kak as i have said before

• 243.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:03 pm

  LOL those two CapeBulls Vrede and the dwarf Keohane whinging like girls

• 244.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:04 pm

  @cane(cane)-237: best 4 this season has been jarrad hoeata by a mile

• 245.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:04 pm

  @wooden spoon(Spooner of the dark side)-219:

  Not sure.

  Only takes one bad game.

  What will be, will be.
  We will have a competive Team for sure. but so will Aussie and SA.

  The WC will go to one of these 3.

• 246.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:05 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-242: that was truly amazing – McLeod’s eyes were as big as soccer balls when that happened

• 247.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:05 pm

  @Inevitable(Inevitable)-239:

  what? like perhaps the afrikaaners experiences of the great trek caused the expression of phenotypic traits and characteristics which carried through to the present population and occurs as genotypic-phenotypic distinctive differences manifested as a sometimes inability to travel long haul distances and still feel fresh at the end of it, among other traits? hehe
  i think i’m gonna safely say ‘i dont think so’ hehe

• 248.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:06 pm

  @RL(RL)-243:

  If Keo’s 2 billion rand publishing empire ever crumbles, they could fire him out of a canon at the local circus.

• 249.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:11 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-244:

  I thought the Oldies ………………………..Victor and Nathan were still right up there.

• 250.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:12 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-248:

  lol.

• 251.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:13 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-248:

  ‘keo the amazing clown’ sounds good but would you let him bring his show to your town, or take it down south?

• 252.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:13 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-248: Keohane and Krusty will always have the circus as career options

• 253.oodles:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:14 pm

  Load him in a catapult and let loose from the stands at Newlands.

  I’d pay to see that!

• 254.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:15 pm

  idiots can’t see sh’t for trees

  Stormers woes started and ended with the axing of Luke Watson for the emergence of the Messiah in waiting Schalk Burger.

  That is precisely where the implosion began and fittingly culminated last night. The fitting picture of a disconsolate disillusioned barefoot Schalk Burger turning his back on his team walking away down the tunnel a beaten icon, never realising this bullsh’t baffled brainless iconic bluster that he was to be the WP/Stormers knight in shining armour.

  Can’t say it loud enough, karma always has the absolute appropriate last laugh. The Burger clan told Rassie in no uncertain terms to get rid of Watson because junior needed to stamp his pseudo superior authoritative brainlessness on this team and fck it up for good further.

  So it was Watson who did the honorable thing and handed Burger the keys to the empty trophy cabinet.

  Watson sans Burger with Louw, Vermeulen, Bekker and Van Zyl practically destroyed fully fledged Bulls bok team with Gurthro Matfield Botha Steggman Potgieter Spies FdP Steyn Olivier Kirchner etc in 2009 CC semi, Watson was in fact at that time the true leader of this young building team. Bulls kicked 4 penalties that day to a WP try and penalty. If not for a Nakelavuki high tackle on full time Watsons WP would have sent Bully Brekers packing – fact.

  Then the Burger clan stepped in and read Rassie and Coetsee the riot act that Watson had to go so that Burger can take this team to the top of its potential.

  Well truth of the matter is the opposite happened, Stormers in past 2 years only played partly to the potentiality that was prevailing at the time Watson departed, but due to totally inept leadership and brainlessness the reality cookie had to crumble oh so aptly and fortuitously.

  Had Burger fluked something that was not of his leadership credential or standing it would have been downright sacrilege. Burger did not deserve any spoils or accolades under his wayward blustering lack of leadership and I could definitely read the unspoken words that failed to get uttered in JdV’s losing speech last night. I can tell you categorically and without any hint of reserve, the cancer in this Stormers outfit is the penchant for glory seeking f’ng hero making, makes my guts churn with contempt for these dubious idiot arsehole schmucks. Rassie and Coetsee got no clue and no courage whatsoever, they should have told Rupert and the Burger clan to shove their money and their tinsel town halo’s and build a team around honour not f’ng empty bullsh’t Burgerfied prestige.

  Van Zyl or JdV could have led this team to at least something resembling some dignity but never under this fckup empty shell of nothingness, the blue eyed goldilocks with fckall honorable gut or leadership smarts. The end result is exactly as it was designated under the dubious hopeless f’ng circumstances. Burger walking away barefoot and disconsolate watching his empty pie in the sky ambitions dissolved before his unworthy eyes, turning his back on his team is the cherry on top of absolute perfect retribution for a legacy sowed in dishonor and falsified reasoning and personal halo hero seeking discord.

  Exactly right, the superior ‘team’ on the day walloped the bunch of leaderless useless no hopers who had been sold down the river of glory seeking heroism. It sucks to high heaven and the bunch of leaderless individuals got smacked about the ears by a ‘team’ of consummate professionalism and rugby fit players without any glory seeking f’ng bullsh’t stardust sullifying up their hero hallowed status glorified eyes.

• 255.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:19 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-254:

  Who will win next Saturday, thinking of putting a small wager on the Crusaders?

• 256.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:19 pm

  I think maybe the week off didn’t help the Stormers.

  They were the ones who look Jet Lagged.

  Still not a bad year for them.
  Better than my Team anyways.
  Better than plenty actually.

• 257.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:19 pm

  @oodles(oodles)-253:

  and a bunch of capesaders holding a net to catch him hehehe

• 258.NZINCHINA:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:22 pm

  @cane(cane)-256:

  Yip still a very good effort despite the flak they are getting around here. How were the fatties yesterday this years AB pack could be something very special better than normal.

• 259.Frik:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:22 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-254: Tell us how you really feel about Schalk…

  But I agree he is not Cap material. Too many brain explosions.

• 260.greatest13gerber:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:25 pm

  “favourites” hahahahaha

  Greatt win by Saders

  WP scrumm totally destroyed!!. weak scrum for last 5years!

• 261.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:27 pm

  No impact from the impact player in the match.

  What a waste of money bringing Schalk Brits into the team.

  @Transformation(Transformation)-242:
  Yeah.

  Turbo reversed scrums: A few
  Tsunami scrums: None

  

• 262.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:30 pm

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-258:

  This Crusaders Team is near enough to an All Black Team.
  Probably half will start in the 1st 3N test.
  With 5/6 starting forwards.

  The Okes are being harsh.
  Understandable due to the disappointment.

  But hey, these things happen.

• 263.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:32 pm

  @greatest13gerber(greatest13gerber)-260:

  Hello G13G.

  I thought you had died!!!!!

  8)

• 264.greatest13gerber:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:37 pm

  @cane(cane)-263:

  Not untill I see u guys chokee again

• 265.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:40 pm

  @cane(cane)-256: rumour has it that my bankrupt Lions have to let Mitch and King Carlos go ….. To the Canes to take over from that useless coach there … I do not know if congratulations are in order

• 266.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:45 pm

  @Heavens Game(Heavens Game)-102:

  Well, it’s time again to engage in some “mentalmasturbation” as Gunther puts it.
  If they are serious about not mass-resting the team for the Tri Nations, then I think this is what we can expect to see:

  1. Beast. (Greyling/Coenie will probably not feature, Gurthro needs to be eased back in)
  2. Bismarck, proven. Smit (not much to say here, though I’d rather see Strauss in the bench).
  3. Jannie duP. BJ Botha is called back and I think he might get a chance in the 3N.
  4. Bakkies is still the enforcer. Danie the best backup in the world. Then Flip.
  5. Matfield, still the lineout king. Bekker for backup. But should they be rested for the majority of the 3N?
  6.Stegmann. Brussow hasn’t played a full, fast-paced game in over a year and a half (when the 3N starts), and then he only played one, so we haven’t seen his best effort since 2009. He will need gametime but it will be stupid to start him, especially in the 3N. Stegmann has played at full-intensity this season and has the highest workrate in South Africa and is in top shape. Burger is out for a few weeks. So Stegmann may just start a few 3N games.
  7.Rossouw. With both Burger and Juan out, Rossouw is best here temporarily, Flip to 18, and Alberts to cover this position.
  8.Spies.
  9.FdP. Hougie will cover here though it would be nice to see him at wing. But will we see Pienaar play? Will PdV put him at 9 or 10 backup?
  10.M Steyn. Not sure about Lambie, then all that’s left is Butch. By a stretch Pienaar.
  11.Habana Can’t see them removing Habs for Basson, though we all would put Hougaard there while FdP and Pienaar are there- out of desparation.
  12.JdV. Still rate him as the best with WO on the bench.
  13.JF. Think this combo should still be the world’s best.
  14.JJP. Looks like he wants to play again. Would like to see Basson before Aplon at either side.
  15.F Steyn. Considering what else we have, Steyn would be welcome. I would rather see Pienaar at 15 than either of Aplon or Kirchner. Kirchner has been a major failure this season.

  Though I think many guys need to be shielded. Don’t know if they will rest the core of the team and play some warmup match at the end of August.

• 267.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:48 pm

  crusaders will take reds in Brisbane, unless Reds can somehow stay away from the total forward onslaught of Crockett Franks Thorn Whitelock McCaw Read, their light 5 though with plenty more spirit to the flopsy Stormers yesterday, won’t have enough to contain the might of the marauding men from Canterbury.

  Though will be a mouthwatering prospect watching the two outright championship contenders fighting it out to the death.

  Make no mistake though don’t expect Cooper to razzle and dazzle like he skinned Blues yesterday, this time the Crusaders backs will have his number all sewn up. Iaone and Davies may prove some competition for Guildford and Maitland though.

• 268.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:49 pm

  @RL(RL)-265:

  Actually RL, as much as I detest Mitch, I detest our current coach even more.

  8)
  But hey………………………….Mitch will not find another paying coaching position anyway.

  Offer him free rent and as much food as he can eat.
  That should seal the deal.

• 269.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:49 pm

  @cane(cane)-249: you picked more on sentiment rather than form then…

• 270.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:51 pm

  @RL(RL)-265: If they move to Soccer City for 25 bar they will have cash

• 271.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:51 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-254:

  “Watson sans Burger with Louw, Vermeulen, Bekker and Van Zyl practically destroyed fully fledged Bulls bok team with Gurthro Matfield Botha Steggman Potgieter Spies FdP Steyn Olivier Kirchner etc in 2009 CC semi.”

  Uh, what?

  WP lost fair and square. Didn’t look to me like the “destroyed” anything but their reputations. And then the Bulls won the CC two weeks after that game. They can’t keep being “destroyed” perennially, and keep winning. The most successful union in SA for a reason- the players that play there.

• 272.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:54 pm

  @Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-266:

  Now there’s a turn up for the books.

  Agile T*t Tyrant calling for the inclusion of Stegmann in the Bok team.

  

  

• 273.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 14:55 pm

  The Stormers continue to flatter themselves:

  Jean DV… : He drew a comparison with the Bulls team of the mid-2000s, who started to show some promise after years of Loftus malaise with successive appearances in Super 12/Super 14 semi-finals in 2005 and 2006. “They lost each time then (to the Waratahs and then Crusaders) but eventually in their third year they managed to get the tournament win,” De Villiers noted. ____________________________
  The ego has not landed

• 274.Yetirat:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:00 pm

  I wanna see some heads roll now. I’m sick of this nonsense. Coetzee and his team cannot continue on this mediocre road forever.

• 275.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:02 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-272:

  Surprize.

  Well, Burger is out for a few weeks. Juan is out for a few months. Brussow needs to be eased in. Very stupid to start Brussow in the 3N and they won’t.
  So what do you suggest?

  We know the All Blacks and Wallabies games will be at a furious pace. Stegmann has the highest fitness and workrate of all our flanks. And he is right there in the squad. Who else? Louw? He’s behind Steggies and Brussow in the pecking order. And we have Alberts and Danie for 7 in Juan’s absence.

  Seriously, you focussed on what I said about the no.6 position from everything I said. Is that all you got from that?
  See, it’s not me that carries on about Steggies, I just don’t mind responding to you okes that continuously bring it up.

• 276.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:03 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-273: if he’d likened them to the sharks maybe you’d be happy

• 277.cane:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:04 pm

  The Thread Title is “The Stormers were a disgrace”.

  Well ……………………..I think maybe Keo and Ryan were the disgrace.

  This is sport. Sometimes you win.
  Sometimes you don’t.

  But it costs nothing to have some respect for those that put themselves out there.

• 278.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:05 pm

  @Yetirat(Yetirat)-274: is it coetzee or rassie making the calls?

• 279.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:05 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-276: Nope. I think likening them to anyone is a bit rich.

  A typical South African attitude though, not letting the facts get in the way of a good story. “We are the best, just not on the field”.

• 280.Yetirat:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:11 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-278: I would say Coetzee – he is the coach! The Stormers certainly don’t play anything like the Cheetahs did when Rassie was coaching them. Where Rassie’s involvement stops and Coetzee’s begins is an unknown though.

• 281.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:18 pm

  @Transformation(Transformation)-276: Stormers lack BMT and Guppies are chokers – Bullies are the only SA team with a winning pedigree

• 282.Two Eyed:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:22 pm

  @Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-275: We’r in deeper kuk than I thought if an average S15 player like Stegman makes the bok team!!

• 283.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:28 pm

  go back and herinder your reminderless herindering brain titty titty bang bang, Bulls were fckd up by Watson’s WP in that CC final round robin game. Bulls were down and out with 2 min on the clock and Rassie sent Nakelavuki on who high tackled your young hurdler which gave M.Steyn one more chance at the cherry tree to pop a hail mary chance which bailed your Bully Brekers out of jail that day.

  This was the nucleus of the team without the destabilizing influence of the Twatass Burger that contested the S14 last year and S15 this year, identities shrouded in mesmerized antipathy. It was the young boiling under Stormers team that Watson led to almost upstage the full might of the Bok laden Bulletjie bandwagon. Don’t tell me your memories are that short because you were clutching your knackered knackers at the edge of your seat with only 2 min to go facing a pending loss to a Watson led WP when Nakelavuki saved your sorry Flou Nulletjie arse.

• 284.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:32 pm

  @Two Eyed(Two Eyed)-282: Mate Stegman is the least of our worries. No matter who they select we still have the dumbest ‘coach’ in rugby history

• 285.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:33 pm

  @Yetirat(Yetirat)-280: AC and RE – 2 Girls, 1 (Conference) Cup

• 286.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:36 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-283:

  watson is kak and will never win a thing.

  bulls come down to newlands every year for the big-winner-takes-the-spoils game every year…..and win. superrugby or currie cup.

  but aparently…they still get “fcked up”.

  way to go brainiac…….not

• 287.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:36 pm

  @Two Eyed(Two Eyed)-282:
  You see, I don’t mind responding to you:

  Louw played >200 minutes more than Stegmann.

  A)Yet Louw only managed to hit 435 rucks at 0.34 per minute.
  Stegmann hit 561 (most in the Super 15) at 0.53 per minute.

  B)Louw made a handling error every 9 handle counts.
  Stegmann made one every 27 counts- much neater.

  C)Louw had a gainline success rate of 59%
  Stegmann had a success rate of 79%

  D)Louw had a tackle success rate of 91%
  Stegmann of 95%

  Louw in his role focusses more on carrying than Stegmann, he made 5.3 metres per carry, Stegmann 4.3 per carry. But the rest of the stats say that Stegmann was the neater player, and depending on your source, gave away one handful of penalties more than Louw for the entire season, or just one. For a player that actually by far outplaed Louw in the department where the majority of the penalties by these players are conceded, Stegmann gave his team a lot more benefit from his work rate even with 1 exra penalty for the entre season.

  So, it doesn’t matter how you look at it, or what your opinion of Steggies is, he worked harder than any other flanker, and he is neater in terms of tackling and carrying and handling than Louw. You can’t argue with that.

  So how is Stegmann average? Stegmann will be forward of the year again for the Bulls this year. Average in that the Bulls didn’t make the play-offs? So you’d rather see Louw start at 6 for the Boks? Good for you.

• 288.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:40 pm

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-286:

  and, just to keep you in the loop….as many as 8 of the bulls played every availible game of rugby that year. no surprise the end of year tour was a disaster.

  s14
  bi lions
  tri nations
  currie cup
  end of year

  ….as many as 30 games.
  but hey…keep living the dream fckwit

• 289.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:42 pm

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-286: I am not sure Watson is bad he’s just a piece of garbage indoctrinated like malema to think he is the saviour

• 290.Brigadier Van Zyl:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:43 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-289:

  if you think you are bigger than the team…you are kak.

  twatson has only ever wanted to be the main man who talks the most.

• 291.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:48 pm

  @Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-290: Watch them select him as next Bok Captain. These AA candidates running everything would not surprise me

• 292.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:52 pm

  @Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-266:
  Stormers lost in a semi final yesterday, a feat neither the Bulls nor the Sharks could achieve. Yet they have only three players in your team. All three of them back line players. Were there not consensus amongst all that the Stormers played the worst running rugby of all the SA franchises if one has to look at the amount of tries scored by back line players?

  Frans Steyn ahead of Lambie at 15?

  Danie ahead of Ashley at 7?

  Newsflash: John Smit is captain of the Bok team and will start at 2. (Wish people can make peace with this fact. It will spare them a lot of sooibrand.)

  Spies at 8? I guess I’ll have to make peace with that fact.

  Steggies at 6? Well, as you say, no real other options really apart from Keegan Daniels and he is not in the mix. So, I’ll have to make peace with that as well.

• 293.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:55 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-292: What does it matter? As you say Smit is starting at 2 so we have no hope at all of winning the RWC

• 294.daydreamer:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:56 pm

  Yesterday’s sport as a whole was very disappointing. First the Stormers were pathetic and then the big heavyweight boxing match was so boring, it was unbelievable. The only decent thing was the Reds and I hope they clobber the Crusaders in the final.

• 295.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 15:59 pm

  @daydreamer(daydreamer)-294: I hope the Reds win too. Not a fan of the McCheats

• 296.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:10 pm

  some these ignoramus dumbfck bully breeking doosarse imbeciles like this Brigadier moron got sh’t for brains and not a f’ng clue in the world when it comes down to wtf comprises winning rugby. They even got fckd up by the hapless SharkieVarkies this year who got systematically destroyed by Stormers twice, in spite of us being managed and captained by two of the biggest idiots on the planet.

  Stormers under proper captaincy and proper coaching and management would clean your flou Nulletjie pipes everytime just like Watson led WP were about to do when Nakelavuki bailed you right out your misery,

  Watson was such a poor leader that 3 months after being evicted here by the Rupert/Burger/Erasmus brains trust he usurped the Bath captaincy over the current England captain Lewis Moody. What Watson has forgotten about captaincy Burger is yet to find out, as has been painfully and irritatingly prominent in the entire Stormers brainless lack of any leadership the past two years.

  Watson was captain which was the instrumental factor in resurrection of this team after Burger fckd the team up through the S14 in 2009, ending 10th. Watson took it over halfway through the CC with no name players at the time like Moll, Harris, Liebenberg, Bekker, Van Zyl, Louw, Louw, Vermeulen, Grant, DeJongh, Aplon, Pietersen etc and but for a Nakelavuki brainfart would have fckd the almighty Bok laden Bulls out the CC competition that year, had it been Burger departed to Europe and Watson continue the Stormers resurrection he’d started then Stormers would have won the comp last year 2010 already, you people are fckd up blinded by your fckwit arsenic instilled prejudices, but Watson is a million light years ahead of Burger in any captaincy or leadership credentiality and so is Anton Van Zyl or Jean De Villiers who would have both led Stormers with far more distinction than the hapless headless chicken the Burger doos, and that is practically putting it mildly. You dumbfck idiot Bullybreking fckup Brigadier doos.

  Djokovitch busy handing Nadal a tennis lesson on Wmbledon center court right now. Lets see how he fights back out of this.

• 297.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:10 pm

  Lol. Today’s UK Sunday Times says that James Haskell is signing for a S15 team. Contracts are still to be finalised but as yet, remain confidential.

  “I want to go to a competitive side that can win the title. I am not motivated by just turning up and playing.”

  The article suggests that he wants to play for the Crusaders, to compete with Richie McCaw and Kieran Read. If not the Crusaders, the article suggests he may join the Reds.

  What makes them think this average NH journeyman can just choose and walk into any Super team of his choice?

• 298.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:13 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-297: Delusional.

• 299.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:15 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-292:

  Well there you go!

  I don’t see what’s so hard to understand about Danie playing 7 ahead of Johnson, or Steyn ahead of Lambie @15.

  And all this talk of penalties is nonsense.
  Both Stegmann and Louw gave away roughly a penalty per every 30 breakdowns.

  I’d rather have the player in my team that works harder, misses less tackles, makes far fewer handling errors, breaches the gainline more readily, and has demonstrated the fitness and talent to be able to keep up the highest work rate in an intense match. Sorry, Louw is a nice player, but Stegmann is just better in all these departments. Unfortunately Stegmann is a Bulls player. Major bummer for most around here.

• 300.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:15 pm

  The Guardian says Haskell will only join a team in NZ or Aus…

• 301.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:17 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-300: Good for him

• 302.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:17 pm

  “[Haskell] then plans to play a season in Super 15, following his former England team-mate Danny Cipriani into the southern hemisphere competition.

  “We’ve always seen it from up here as an amazing event, something special. People say that the Crusaders-Sharks game at Twickenham was one of the greatest ever. I would love a season in it, I would just soak it all up,” he told the Sunday Times.”

• 303.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:18 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-293:
  I tend to disagree. I think we are one of only 5 teams with a realistic chance of winning the cup.

  You can always tell me, “I told you so”, if we don’t win it.

• 304.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:18 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-301: Thankfully he is avoiding the SA teams, although I’m sure the Cheetahs or Lions might have had an opening for him, although, possibly not.

• 305.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:19 pm

  0-1 sets and 0-3 in 2nd Nadal is on the ropes being smoked by Djokovitch who is fighting fit. Can’t see Nadal turn this around unless he digs extremely deep into those mental reserves which is his strongest attribute.

  Just won his first game in the last 5, 1-3 and 1-0 down in second trying to stave off a rampant Djokovitch in full flight.

• 306.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:20 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-303: actually I think there are only 3 teams with a “realistic” chance of winning this RWC.

  NZ
  Aus
  SA

  [in that order of preference too]

• 307.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:21 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-292:

  “Stormers lost in a semi final yesterday, a feat neither the Bulls nor the Sharks could achieve. Yet they have only three players in your team. All three of them back line players. Were there not consensus amongst all that the Stormers played the worst running rugby of all the SA franchises if one has to look at the amount of tries scored by back line players?”

  Sorry, this is not my “ideal team”. This is what I think will be selected and there are many injuries.

  Where else are you going to prop any other Stormers? And in the fornt row?
  Nope.
  Any locks? Bekker, but Flip on to cover 4 on the bench and Matfield is no.1. So, nay.
  Any loosies? Burger and Vermeulen both injured. Eish.
  Half backs? Errr…
  So what’s left?

• 308.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:23 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-303: I think NZ will fail, England or Aus or France

• 309.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:24 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-302: Cipriani is a shining example of who not to want

• 310.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:25 pm

  Nadal getting schooled properly

• 311.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:31 pm

  Burger is far less of a team playing leader than Watson is you dumb f’ng imbecile dtchmen who dunno the beginning of what leadership comprises. If anyone is a f’ng hopelessly glorified hapless self seeking nonentity of a non leading captain its this pathetic doos Burger who showed his self centered approach perfectly epitomized by his turning his back and walking away when his famous touted hero status legacy went up in smoke yesterday.

  Perfectly fitting end to a false messianic heroic bullsh’t story if ever there was one.

  Nadal got no answer to Djokovitch master class Nadal not even vaguely in the same league on this occasion. 2 sets to love down, 4-6, 1-6. Djokovitch smoking him right off center court, master class in action and the master this time is not Rafael Nadal.

• 312.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:33 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-311: Burger may not be a good captain but in the SA context, Watson thinks he is a messiah. Indoctrinated by his father. No one in SA likes him.

• 313.wooden spoon:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:35 pm

  Burger is 1,000 times the player Watson is, and 1,000,000 the man.

• 314.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:40 pm

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-306:
  Well then……so unlike GYGT who thinks that SA “have no hope at all of winning the RWC”, you at least give them a chance.

  Good on you. We must keep the faith.

  Am I right when I say that apart from the 1995 RWC, there was a team from the NH in all the other RWC finals? What makes you think there won’t be one this year?

• 315.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:42 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-292:
  Not easy to be Stormers’ supporter
  The outrageous manner with which Carter was milking the Stormers back three yesterday was shameful
  Those heir apparent to Carl Dup, Colin Beck, Niel Burger, Kobus Berger, James Small or Werner Grieff are better suit the comics books, the pending Final of next week obviously slowed Carter down a bit, only 6 points in the 2nd Half
  Rest assured Carter (and his team) could have scored another 23 2nd half IF they felt like running up the score
  The revolutionary dialectic and jargon won’t cut any ice here, sadly, next season with Lobert and Mujatie it will be much worse

• 316.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:42 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-314: We have a chance of winning… if we are the last team to arrive in NZ and a massive Tsunami washes all the other teams away.

• 317.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:43 pm

  Nadal breaks for the first time 2-0 up and 40 love in 3rd perhaps this the turning point. 3-0 Nadal in the third.

  If Nadal wins this it will be one the biggest turnarounds in Wimbledon finals history. First two sets was all Djokovitch.

• 318.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:45 pm

  @Hondo(Hondo)-315: But according to JDV “we are in the same position as the Bulls were before they won everything”

  De.Lu.Sion.Al.

• 319.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:45 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-311:
  Nadal is injured, his calf and knees flared up on Friday
  One hand selling lokshens, the other hand fabricates it?
  

• 320.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:45 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-317: I recall Agassi doing the same in 1992.

• 321.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:47 pm

  12 Andre Agassi 6 (8) 6 6 1 6
  8 Goran Ivaniševi? 7 (10) 4 4 6 4

• 322.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:49 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-318:
  JdV needs to know you don’t say such nonsense EVEN as a joke
  Felt sorry for him yesterday though, a great centre but it was a lost battle at the back with Jantjese, Aplon and Habana under Carter’s bombardments

• 323.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:51 pm

  you imbeciles are fckd up in the head Politics has fckd up your jaundiced deluded brains.

  Burger is never ever in 1000 years either a better rugby player or better captain and most definitely not a better man than Watson. You stupid delusional politically fckd up pommie arses dunno anything about what represents a better or more deserving captain or a better man is.

  You judgments is warped by your fckd up prejudice and its plain as daylight to see in you pathetic morons.

  Nadal fighting back 4-1 in the 3rd, could be game on in the fourth for a famous resurrection act by the never say die streetfighter who’s busy turning it around and giving Djokovitch some his own doubting Thomas medicine now…

• 324.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:51 pm

  @Hondo(Hondo)-322: I heard he’s a nice guy actually.

  Those back three are awful, I don’t care how fast Aplon is, a strong wind could tackle him.

  I guess AC has to keep the Presidents’ Council happy though.

• 325.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:53 pm

  As rugby players I think Burger and Watson are good players.
  As Captains when there is no SA politics Watson probably better.
  As men, Watson is a little lord who needs a beating whilst Burger is a decent young man. Simple.

• 326.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:57 pm

  Nadal fighting back. Stormers and Sharks should be watching this lesson.

• 327.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 16:59 pm

  Burger is weak. He’s a weak captain and a weak mind and a weak human in a rugby leadership capacity, and the true leaders in the Stormers setup like JdV and Van Zyl actually know it. He’s not even such a great rugby player as the emergence of Brussow which paved the way our 2009, triumphs in BIL tour and Tri Nations showed without doubt. Had Burger played those tests we would have lost no doubts about it at all.

  Its only some f’ng hero worshiping imbeciles who cannot see sh’t for trees who think Burger is either superior as a person or captain or rugby player to Watson because their jaundiced fckd up stupefied prejudices dictating it so. Stupid non knowing imbecile fool idiots.

  Nadal breaks Djokovitch again 3rd set going to Nadal, complete turnaround from just 6 games ago. Nadal takes 3rd 6-1. What a switch around, Djokovitch folding like a wet butterfly.

• 328.Black Panther:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:01 pm

  Easy peasey bitter lemons squeezied

• 329.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:01 pm

  Comparing Burger and Watson is perhaps incorrect then.

  I don’t consider Watson a man, compared to anyone.

• 330.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:02 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-324:
  Goes without saying,
  why wasn’t Saddie on the field is difficult to explain even by the die hard Stormers’ and The Party supporter Nama1
  Only 3 breaks in the last quarter were made by Brits

• 331.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:10 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-329:
  Too much controversy involved his presence in SA, he has a way to insult team mates for no reason, his opinions are of double standards: always condemned the previous regime but never denounce the thousands victims ofnecklacing andpeoplecourts

• 332.vasteses:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:13 pm

  so because the stmrs lost a home semi the boks are in trouble ?. Bull s hit. They dont have a front row, never had one. They dont jave a good 9 or 10 . there are much better players in SA that we can pick, there are only 9 strmrs in the boks sqad in any case , and not all will make the run on team. As a colective we can still win wc.

• 333.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:13 pm

  @Hondo(Hondo)-331: Basically he’s a classic NeoLiberal who actually doesn’t have to walk his talk.

  Hates ‘the past’ whilst knowing he has massive white guilt and benefited from the ‘old regime’ even though he hates it. The double standards are so typical.

  I have had the displeasure to work with one or two and they are all the same. I don’t even bother wasting my breath on the trash anymore

• 334.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:15 pm

  Nadal drops serve in first service game in 4th if Djokovitch takes his service game now he goes 3-0 up and that could be too deep a hole for even Nadal to climb out of. This is the big crunch right here in this set and the match. This the make or break game right here. Break point Nadal.

• 335.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:17 pm

  and lady luck bales him out, net cord return and it drops over,,,, on Djokovitch side. Break game Nadal, 1-2 down to serve himself back in the set and the match.

• 336.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:19 pm

  1-2; 1-2 in the fourth, 40 – love up on serve. Nadal hanging in tough.

• 337.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:21 pm

  and he serves it out 2-2 in the fourth.

• 338.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:22 pm

  @Hondo(Hondo)-315:
  I’m sure that on your TV the 8 players up front covered themselves in glory yesterday.

  That front row for example, it did not include Beast or Chilliboy or Gurthro or any other AA appointed player. They did really well, didn’t they? The rest of the pack as well. They were just awesome especially that Brits oke. Specially imported from the UK for this important match.

• 339.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:29 pm

  great tennis and now lady switching to bloody Idols…

  Farkit man

• 340.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:30 pm

  ain’t it just a classic when 2 outright fascists like Hondo and Goodytwoshoes the pommie pompom schmuck are in agreement on the political landscape of Sa, that’s the ultimate twatass diplomacy of ignoramus united personified. Goodthingwhoshouldagone telling the world what comprises morality and integrity in a human being along with Hondo the ultimate self confessional racist. That absolutely takes the ultimate cake.

• 341.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:31 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-340: they are a laugh a minute

• 342.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:31 pm

  3-3 in fourth going down to the wire at center court.

• 343.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:36 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-340: Oh but you know I am right. It’s no surprise really though, I mean I benefited from a non-racial education at a normal state school in New Zealand – there were even MOARIS in my class and everything!!! (We shook hands once)

  Now you see fellow, you make assumptions and assumptions are bad things as you should know – it was the basis for the old regime as well as most wars. The freedom fighter often turns into the very thing they despise, be careful you don’t do the same.

  Don’t thank me, education is a passion

• 344.Transformation:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:36 pm

  338 nama: exactly

  how many black players were in that stormers frontrow that got turbo-reversed hondo?

• 345.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:38 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-340: And there is nothing wrong with being a fascist if you are the boss.

• 346.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:38 pm

  skop….keep those tennis updates coming please if you can……bloody tv has been hijackedhere!

• 347.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:39 pm

  Nadal in trouble Djokovitch breaks him again from the base line 3-5 down and looks like the hole too deep now. Djokovitch serving for championship.

• 348.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:40 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-346: You need PVR and dual view mate, what’s going on down in the Cape?

• 349.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:40 pm

  boks better go beg Mujati to come home….those kiwis will target our front row…..fark me the stormers turboed like there was no tomorrow….humiliation !

• 350.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:40 pm

  30 all

• 351.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:41 pm

  my bad 30 15 to DJoko

• 352.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:41 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-347: hell…..Nadal my favorite….the weekend now getting even worse

• 353.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:42 pm

  Match Point

• 354.Michael:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:42 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-346: We know who wears the speedos in your house now

• 355.Michael:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:43 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-352: Follow it from the BBC website where they have live scoring.

• 356.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:43 pm

  We have a winner!!!!

• 357.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:44 pm

  heartbreaking weekend

• 358.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:46 pm

  Djokovitch takes it Nadal fell apart last 3 games Djokovitch base line game and his first serve was too strong in the end. The psych war wobbling across the net game by game but in the end Djokovitch shows he got some true mental grit to go with his natural tennis talent.

• 359.Michael:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:47 pm

  Well done Djok.

• 360.Michael:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:47 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-358: Good summary. Djoko has lacked the mental side to go with his textbook game until late last year. Deserved winner. I didn’t think he’d do it. Very nice.

• 361.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:50 pm

  Rafa shows his class in his interview, what a nice man

• 362.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:54 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-357:

  Been to that mall already, whichever one even Canal Walk far away from your home.

  Started the pre-cleaning of your dirty car somewhat.
  What are you going to do next week-end when the two quality I hoped for and said would play in the Final do so?

  Need psychological advice about emotional garbage influencing world events and their outcome when you simply just need to apply an accurate scientific anaysis?

  What a glorious fool you and your buddies are. Not even adequate ‘s experts’ of rugby?

  Before the first ball was kicked this S15 I BOLDLY stated the Stormers(or should it be cooling breeze) would not better their last S14(Final at Loftus) feats.

  If you come to me I WILL charge you.

• 363.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:55 pm

  Well done Djokovic, the new Wimbledon Champ.

  What a year this guy is having. Only one lost in 6 months. Reminiscent of Mc Enroe in 1984.

• 364.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:55 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-362:

  should read ” quality teams..”

• 365.Cappie:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:55 pm

  Ek lees nogal gereëld die artikels op KEO.co.za, maar ek moet sê ek was redelik verbaas om laas week die volgende te lees:

  VREDE’S CALL: I refuse to accept that the Stormers enter this match as underdogs. Having been on the road for the entire tournament, the Crusaders recently played a bruising qualifier against the Sharks, travelled 11 000km to Cape Town, and had one meaningful training session. Still there’s a sense that they, and not the Stormers, will progress to the final. Rubbish!

  JC’S CALL:….. The odds are against the Crusaders, but there’s enough class and determination in that team to suggest an upset is possible. With so much at stake in a home play-off, however, the Stormers will do the necessary to book their spot in the final.

  MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Cape Argus column……………………..
  But I can’t believe so many are suggesting they are favourites to beat the Stormers given the ludicrous travel demands on any team asked to travel 11 000km in the week of a play-off match.
  (Bliksem, ek sidder om te dink wat sou gebeur het as hulle fris en vars was)

  Dit klink asof die Stormers net moes opdaag om te wen!

  Ek wou ook graag hê die Stormers moet wen maar sulke verslaggewing is darem ‘n klomp tos!

  Hoe maak jy jouself weer geloofwaardig as rugby verslaggewer/kenner nadat jy dit kwyt geraak het?

  Ek lees eerder die Huisgenoot as SA Rugby, aangesien ek ten minste weet watter hoop bollie ek daar gaan kry om te lees.

• 366.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 17:57 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-363:

  Is jy al nugter, ou dronkie?

  Die vroutjie gehelp met die inkopies al?
  Geen drank op daai lys is my advies.

• 367.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:02 pm

  Why would that racist doos cnut Reyeke and that mamparra de Klerk do this???

  Minister slams Lions break-up

  Johannesburg – The unsavoury break-up between the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) and potential BEE partners GumaTac is a major blow to rugby transformation, Minister of Sport and Recreation Fikile Mbalula said in Singapore yesterday.

  “I was fully behind the transaction as I thought it had the potential to take rugby to another level,” said Mbalula.

  He said he would issue a full statement when he gets back tomorrow as only one party had briefed him on the matter.

  The split bears all the hallmarks of the ugly spat that saw then SARU president Louis Luyt take then president Nelson Mandela to court in March 1998.

  This was just three years after the Springboks had united the nation, winning the Webb Ellis World Cup trophy on home soil in 1995 and Madiba proudly paraded around Ellis Park wearing the Number 6 jersey worn by captain Francois Pienaar.

  The two incidents could easily feed the perception that rugby is not yet ready to come out of the laager.

  “It is a sad day, one of South Africa’s greatest opportunities to demonstrate change has failed,” reads a line in the separation letter from GumaTac addressed to GLRU president Kevin de Klerk on June 27.

  SARU president Oregan Hoskins, whose organisation had approved the deal on June 9, told City Press: “No comment until I hear from the Lions.”

  The deal was hailed as a big breakthrough when it was announced in October, but GumaTac claims that the GLRU kept SARU’s approval to themselves until June 27.

• 368.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:03 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-362: never claimed tobe an expert….but unashamedly a WP….Stormers and Bok fan…..dissapointing in the extreme and we certainly need to bolster the squad, especially relative to positions 1….3….4 ….10….15…

  2 best teams in final….no doubt about that.

  My car will be high on my priority list of things to do Sat next week…

• 369.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:05 pm

  @RL(RL)-367: That is the problem with SA. Lions have some issues to deal with not transformation. FFS SA is burning and they are fiddling around with nonsense instead of the real issues.

  transformation, whatever that means, isn’t going to help the Lions.

• 370.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:06 pm

  again humility triumphant over bravado, Djokovitch showing the classic humility in triumph that Nadal cannot produce in defeat. It takes more than just talent and super human attributes of skill and strength to be a truly great champion, Djokovitch showing Nadal the way both on the court and in the integrity and humility stakes as well.

  And that is another lesson for saffa rugby followers, bravado don’t fit with true championship winners, as Crusaders showing how true champions do it. Saffas struggle with the concept of humility in a winning delusion of grandeur, and if they don’t get it sorted quick they gonna get the biggest hiding lesson of their grandiose bravadoing lives in the pending tri nations and WC.

• 371.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:08 pm

  The deal was hailed as a big breakthrough when it was announced in October, but GumaTac claims that the GLRU kept SARU’s approval to themselves until June 27.

  Idiots running the Lion circus!

• 372.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:11 pm

  this looming away leg of the tri nations may well prove to be the biggest challenge ever faced by a bok team.

  BEWARE BOKS!

• 373.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:13 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-372: 3N and the RWC will be a write-off. There is no way on earth any team can match the Kiwis in the scrums – those 3 beard wearing monsters in the Saders from row are freaks!

• 374.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:15 pm

  @RL(RL)-371: We don’t know what they wanted so don’t be too quick to judge.

• 375.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:17 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-372: Why is that? We have ‘the world’s most experienced captain’ the best coach to never walk on water and a number of players who helped build the Ark they are so senior.

  We will walk it

• 376.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:19 pm

  @RL(RL)-373: it is going to be an incredibly tough ask to win down under….we are going to have to be at our very best and show no sentimentality in selections….

  no showponies will succeed down there….we will have to choose a really tough pack and a 5…2 bench split…..

  how we believe plod and spies can add value against these kiwis is simply beyond belief.

  Man I tell you we up against it….big time.

  I cant see the squad happily scrambling for spots on the tri nations away leg either…..i reckon we gonna see a very experimental type team going on the away leg…for sure

• 377.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:21 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-368:

  Running away from ALL your ludicrous claims noow and not facing up to them.

  What was your call, Storm by 9 or 10 or 12? The other two then belong to your close ‘rugby’ buddies.

  How many times have we read ” JR, that oke knows something about this game”?

  Now let me TELL you directly, this, amongst other things, sport’s scientist/exercise physiologist knows more than just something about ALL my country’s cricket(world too), football(world) and rugby(world too).
  Note the ALL as that refers to the REAL non-racial folds as well as the enemy, the racial opponents.

  Even though they may pose as neo-racists now they will not ever fool me like your coward non-’captain’ Schalkievarkie.

• 378.RL:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:22 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-374: let see the Bok front row of Bissy, Beast, Jannie dup and Smit got turbo reversed in not one but two matches this year by the Franksensteins, Flynn and Crocket – just add Kevin Mealamu to the All Black picture.

• 379.grant10:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:24 pm

  cheers all

  outta here

• 380.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:25 pm

  @RL(RL)-378: I do think the Sharks had possibly the weakest locks in the history of knitting, let alone rugby, so it might be steadier in the Boks but yeah, it will end in tears.

  Some ugly tears, like watching someone self implode

• 381.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:28 pm

  @RL(RL)-378: Smit got popped out of the scrums faster than a jack-in-the-box. Tears.

• 382.Nils:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:29 pm

  @Cappie(Cappie)-365: I enjoyed these 2 very much read before the kick-off.

  “Lets start with the bad news for the Stormers – they’ll be travelling to Brisbane to contest the final.” and “They must win, and will win. Comfortably.”

  Never had any doubts that reality will bite.

• 383.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:29 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-372:

  Strong advice, because of your so fragile psyche; write off all the (except the Currie C) ’til the last ‘Bok game is played in the 2011 RWC.

  Then hope that a decent coach (almost impossible with the racist SARU structures) is appointed so that a new, fresh breed of youngsters can find each other.

  The best hope is for a L.Watson to be appointed as coach after the RWC 2015 for he is trusted by those who are still cheated today e.g. did J.deV deserve to play ahead of J.DeJ. yesterday?

• 384.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:30 pm

  @Cappie(Cappie)-365:

  

  Ja jong. Ons kan nou maar vergeet vd Superreeks, dis verby. Tot vlg jr dan kan ons mekaar weer vloek en slegse soos hulle hier van hou om te doen.

  Ons moet nou uitsien na die 3N. Dit gaan interessant wees om te sien met watse span PdV vorendag gaan kom aangesien ons n klomp beserings het en party manne dalk rus moet kry.

  Het gelag oor wat jy gese het oor SARugby tydskrif. Ek self lees dit ook nie meer nie. Maar kom ons wees eerder dankbaar dat ons ons opinies so vrylik kan lig.
  Maar wat dink jy vd moontlike Drie Nasies groep?

• 385.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:31 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-383: I reckon you put that guy in as anything and you won’t get 5000 people at a test match.

• 386.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:32 pm

  @grant10(grant10)-379:

  If you can’t take the heat then get out of the kitchen. Even a woman will tell you that.

  I take NO prisoners, especially smartarsed ones who go the way the wind blows..

• 387.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:34 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-383: You are aware of course, that the WP rugby union has a coach of colour and the entire presidents’ council is of colour, as is most of the admin staff etc etc etc?

  Where do you see this racism in WP?

• 388.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:36 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-366:
  Wat’s fout? Is jy eensaam?

  Waar’s jou Sharkie maatjies? Het hulle jou gedrop?

  Ai, ai, ai. Die lewe is soms wreed.

• 389.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:36 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-385:

  Too bad the ones who stay away will have all their seats filled by blacks by making the prices in people’s reach.

  I f putting those that were first now last was good for China why should it not be helpful for S.A.?

  And look where China is now and look who owes China big money now?

  As the great Chairman said, always put politics in command.
  ANC cannot do so because then that ends their potential to enrich themselves through despicable corruption.

• 390.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:36 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-385:

  Too bad the ones who stay away will have all their seats filled by blacks by making the prices in people’s reach.

  I f putting those that were first now last was good for China why should it not be helpful for S.A.?

  And look where China is now and look who owes China big money now?

  As the great Chairman said, always put politics in command.
  ANC cannot do so because then that ends their potential to enrich themselves through despicable corruption.

• 391.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:41 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-388:

  Is jy ‘tweesaam’ maar nog verlore.

  Waarom nie REDS en ‘Saders maatjies ook?

  Om nie slim te wees is krimineel.

  Help tog die vroutjie, asseblief mannetjie.

  Die wetensskap het geen plek vir emosies nie.

• 392.JockBok:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:43 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-390:

  Is there a point to being you?

  We get a good laugh, what’s your end of the deal?

• 393.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:43 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-390: Awesome, you are aware that China has an awful human rights’ record. That a load of people are still peasants, that if you are not gifted and sent to school you are screwed, that only a few make any money, that China kills it’s own citizens, that China is not communist nor socialist but in fact elitist?

  Of course you are. Yes of course you are. I am sure the sedate life of a peasant is exactly what kids in SA want for themselves, or death by firing squad.

  Nice choice. Are you mad?

• 394.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:44 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-387:

  Quislings were never accpetable to those with principles.

  Have you noted that only those who are like putty in the hhands of the ‘master’ are given opportunities? Consider these; Hoskins, PDeV, AC, and more ALL pieces of putty to be moulded into any shape desired.

• 395.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:46 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-393:

  That’s according to the deceitful western capitalist who yearn Chinese money and wish they were part of BRIC.

• 396.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:49 pm

  Soory will be skyping those who know now in C.T., P.E., Durbs. and Jhb.
  way for a while.

  Will answer relevant, serious questions and not any garbage.

• 397.JockBok:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:52 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-395:

  I suppose the deceitful western capitalist made up the FACT that the Great Chairman murdered more people than Hitler?

  Interesting.

• 398.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:54 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-395: You are joking, you can’t honestly be serious.

  @ET.(ET.)-394: Hmmm, the ENTIRE Presidents’ Council. WP is not run by the white guys ET

• 399.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:54 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-386:

  the wind blows mostly to the south-east down in the cape, guy…

• 400.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:58 pm

  @JockBok(JockBok)-397: So rugby has failed the masses because we are not… part of China, have minimum wages or are not socialists?

  I am confused. The Great Chairman needs to answer me.

  I have read some garbage but that stuff was nuts

• 401.he's not the messiah. he's a very naughty boy!:
  3 Jul 2011, 18:59 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-391:

  hahaha baie snaakse ‘return of service’ haha

• 402.HHS:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:01 pm

  @RL(RL)-371: Reyneke is a fuking clown. Kevin can’t do anything about him. The main players are the stake holders and if they cannot get rid of that spietkop then you know he must be friends with them. Also Kevin said he will not go public with some of his comments because it’s the wrong media. Newsflash hotshot… you have been exposed in public and you have to hit back….If everything was false go public and make Gumede look silly, but they can’t because Robert is speaking the truth. Why are Lions players contracts also a joke….. fuking spietkop.

• 403.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:04 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-391:
  Hahahaha.

  As dit nie so tragies was nie sou dit vokken snaaks gewees het.

  Ondersteuning van ‘n span is ‘n wetenskap, seg jy!!!

  Ai, ai, ai.

• 404.JockBok:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:07 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-400:

  Nuts? I find it hard to believe that the man is an adult, never mind an adult who managed to pass an interview for a job.

  Of course the amount of time he spends on here when he should be working, apparently trying to fill the voids in his pointless life, proves his employers were wrong to hire him in the first place.

• 405.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:11 pm

  @BullDog15(BullDog15)-151: Keegan Daniel

• 406.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:17 pm

  @optiplay(optiplay)-405:

  What about him? He isn’t in the prelim squad.

• 407.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:18 pm

  @cab(cab)-185: very good post. !!!

• 408.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:20 pm

  @Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-406: Sorry That was an answer to a question from Bulldog.Keegan is a sort of a ROB LOUW player.Works bloody hard and has very good speed.devastating defender. Somehow however , NOT in the squad.

• 409.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:29 pm

  check this dubious piece of scum failed miserable f’ng Excruciating Twatass commie sitting up some Phillyarsed whitearsed ‘land of the free’ capitalists arse in Philly dilly land. Why the fck this piece of snot nosed colonialist coollycreeping arsecreep cn’t is not in China up Mao’s arse, why this dubious fckng scumfaced garbage is sitting pretty in philly Dilly land up his colonialist white masters arse, is puzzling disproportionate to his fuckedup commiearsed roots. the piece of garbage two faced duplicitous hypocrite phillyarsed scum.

• 410.optiplay:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:30 pm

  @Agile T*t-Tyrant(Anairetes agilis)-287: Very good stats. What is your source?

• 411.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:35 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-409: ET lives in the USA? Yet likes China.

  Ha ha ha ha I never knew that. Even more delusional

• 412.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:38 pm

  My feeling the Reds will win next week. Think the travel will catch up with Saders this time going east. Probably the reason the Saders said had the Blues won they would have held the final in CT. Sure they said they love the city and the support of the kiwi teams in CT, but think they would not wanted to travel again this week. The reason they would have wanted the final in Cape Town had the Blues won.

  Reds by 3 or 5.

  If Reds do win it will be remarkable for them as well. From getting a massive hiding against the Sharks in 2007 to a total and complete slaughtering against the Bulls that year 92/3. From that to finish top of the log in 2011. Is quite remarkable for sure. So if they win it will also be a huge success for Reds.

  If Sader win they too have battled the travel and against all odds to get the cup once again. But feel the Reds could win this week. They a much better team than lot give them credit for here.

  Anyhow good luck to both teams.

• 413.cab:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:44 pm

  NZINCHINA
  your comment of firing keo out of a cannon deserves special mention – pity you can’t read afr old cappie a bit further down also gave a cracker

• 414.ashampoopaloo:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:49 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-411:

  he’s a fckng failed commie, a failed pseudo doctor, a failed f’ng halfarsed halfbreed teacher / come lecturer, and a failed fckng human being, and the cn’tarsed schmuck wanna come lecture his f’ng failed credentials here to all and sundry on a rugby blog to confirm what a f’ng failed miserable piece of garbage scum colony hopping capitalst arsecreeping vermin scum he actually is.

  He’s not even here in this country where it counts calling the shots, nor is he up Mao’s arse sucking commie arse for breakfast, he’s sucking the ultimate ‘land of the free’ capitalists arses in Philly Dilly land, same way as he sucks HG’s failed Rhodesian colonialists arse here on cyberspace, thats the kind of two faced commie arsecreeping little coolycreep runt cn’t the Excruciating Twatass actually is.

• 415.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:51 pm

  @ashampoopaloo(joel1yahoo)-414: You have a way with words skop, you really do.

• 416.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:52 pm

  Next year this tourney will be tougher. Really don’t agree with this new format at all.

  We stop the S15 for the winter tests from in coming NH teams and the Tri-Nations. So teams that could be on top before the disruption of the tests could find themselves with injuries to players after, or loss of their rhythm after getting back after the tests.

  Supporters are gonna start to lose interest in this new format. Should bring back the old format that worked well.

  Play every team once and don’t stop the tourney half way through for tests. Just daft. Don’t care what they do in their comp up in the nh. Here in the sh I prefer to see the S15 completed before we start playing tests.

• 417.goyougoodthing2:
  3 Jul 2011, 19:55 pm

  @Puma(Puma)-416: I do agree with you. It’s a weird competition now and will be even weirder.

  CCup has been fascinating these past couple of years and I don’t want to lose that.

• 418.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:08 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-417: I love the currie cup. But feel we will never see it with our top players again. The S15 is just far to long.

  What a pity we sold our great domestic tourney down the drain to accommodate Oz cause they never had one. Huge pity.

• 419.CoachPete:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:13 pm

  Morning Skoppie and Puma
  Skoppie you very disappointed like me?

• 420.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:14 pm

  @Puma(Puma)-412:
  So Puma, if….a big IF…. the ‘Sader win the competition on Saturday despite the amount of travelling they did, can we put the travel excuse to pasture in the future when our teams lose over there?

• 421.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:19 pm

  @CoachPete(CoachPete)-419: Howzit Coach.

  Sorry about your Stormers. Was hoping they would win but not to be.

• 422.CoachPete:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:19 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-420:
  I think travel factor is a factor for normal teams
  Saders are just dam good and have a huge motivational factor thats seems to offset the jet lag problem

• 423.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:20 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-420: Yes will do

  So only Cheetahs beat the Saders from our conference. Though think Carter and SBW was out for that game.

• 424.CoachPete:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:22 pm

  @Puma(Puma)-421:
  Hey there yes totally outplayed, did not really show up
  I kept say all week remember the DC factor
  Seems to get his haul of points in all big games
  Also this is maybe most of ABs and our pack has maybe one or 2 boks

• 425.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:24 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-338:
  (braai is over)
  You missed the plot Nama
  Bekker, Burger, Koster and Elstrad were scattered all over each time Carter got the ball, there was a need to cover the back three at all cost, that’s why the lighter weight Saders did maul them up front at the rucks
  In the 4th quarter Brits was the only Stormer to make any meaningful breaks, one nearly succeeded, he broke the line 3 times but with no support behind
  Why wasn’t Sadie brought on?
  Must be that Tito @ Avril were monitoring their stop watches?
  

• 426.Agile T*t-Tyrant:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:29 pm

  @optiplay(optiplay)-410:

  ruggastats.co.za

  The Keo writers like to use them.

• 427.crowbar:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:35 pm

  So the Stormers choked big time, kind of traditional hoes and poep, that does not really come as a shock, what must be more worrying is the R factor, as long as Rassie is there, they will not win…..

• 428.Dawn:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:36 pm

  Extraball gone?

  Good

• 429.nama1:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:36 pm

  @Hondo(Hondo)-425:
  So what went wrong in the scrums?

  I suppose they were not scattered around then to protect the back three.

• 430.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:47 pm

  @CoachPete(CoachPete)-424: Unfortunately a full strength Sader side out played all our big 3 sides. Bulls got zip against them. Sharks first game against them had we got all our kicks and the ref saw two forward passes, who knows we may had a draw there or a win. But last week we were also totally outplayed by Saders.

  Talking of the travel factor. Sharks were crazy to leave late. Also with all the delays with the ash cloud we only arrived there I think last Friday. That is just way to late to be ready. Anyhow we were outplayed too.

  Next week if Bryce can ref a decent game think Reds have a good chance of winning. If Saders win then I feel this win will have been their greatest ever.

• 431.Puma:
  3 Jul 2011, 20:50 pm

  Cheers all out of here now.

  Catch up tomorrow.

• 432.Porra the Fat and Clever Speedster:
  3 Jul 2011, 21:03 pm

  stormlers
  forwards
  with bekker
  most frightened
  of them
  all
  is shiut scared
  of rucking
  brok
  is a
  broke back
  softy special
  bekker
  can’t fill
  matfield’s
  old boots
  come
  line out
  time

• 433.Hondo:
  3 Jul 2011, 21:03 pm

  @nama1(nama1)-429:
  We all saw it yesterday, but it was the first time this season to happened!
  Tiaan Strauss provided a part explanantion in advance: Vermulen!
  Also, the need to cover for aplon, Jantjese and Habana ran them ragged, lost their legs which was part of the Crusaders’ game plan
  Same as in the 2010 TriNations: The all Blacks analysts found the key to unlock the Boks forwards
  The Stormers though had possession advantage overall, something like 55%-45% so they were not short of opportunities.
  Just wait for the TriNations unless they use Pienaar at 9 who is not in a hurry to kick away possesion but rather controls it behind the big Boks forwards

• 434.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 21:07 pm

  Did the Brig’s expression of a salutation of his mornung glory by the crack of dawn end in disappointment hence this need for cheap attention earkier.?

• 435.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 21:07 pm

  @ET.(ET.)-434:

  should read “earlier”

• 436.ET.:
  3 Jul 2011, 21:19 pm

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-393:

  How many years did you live in China, note not all the chinatown’s all over the world, to be so disappointed and one-sided?

  Which country does not kill its own citizens? S.A., Britain, U.S.A.?

• 437.whatever:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:03 am

  The Stormers were hondkuk! If they had a scrum, they may have had a chance.

  Jeez, thats the worse turbo reverse I have seen in a long while, JS would have been proud

  Conrad – predictable…..run 5 metres and pop up a kick. He knows nothing else and everyone knows he will do it, eish

  Habbs – tried hard all day, I would still play him in the Boks

  Bekker – Boet, and you reckon you better than Matfield? I think not, you need to win your lineouts. The money ball? yeah right

  Also, you sulk toooo much, grow up

  Koster the real deal? Not. Missed Vermuelen big time

  And the new so-called hard man at no 4 needs to learn that you can bash it up all day long but if you can’t hold onto the pill you look like a baby

  Nuf said……………… well done Saders!!

• 438.Black Panther:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:16 am

  @Fern(Fern)-180:

  ……………………~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

  (a tsunami of my tears of laughter)

• 439.Black Panther:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:20 am

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-226:

  …still….

  sssssssssssmoked

  both of them

  like suckling porkers

• 440.Black Panther:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:24 am

  @NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-248:

  you woz on fire, bruv.

• 441.Black Panther:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:30 am

  @wooden spoon(wooden spoon)-302:

  Haskell is a lightweight compared to a Jamie Knee’slip, who would thrive in a S15 competition. This Courtney Lawes is some player for the future, could have a great RWC, but certainly a player to base a pack around at the next one.

  I think we could find a spot for Knee’slip at the Mighty Highlanders tho, he’d be welcomed by the scarfies.

• 442.KevinRack:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:31 am

  The Stormers were scared of losing, they did not play an attacking game and simply gave possesion away. What good is a kick and chase without the chase???

  The Saders were light years ahead and made of the biggest rugby playing provinces in the world look stoopid. If the Stormers want to win this they need new coaches or a plan B would be a good idea.

  Honestly if JDV and JF and Habadonna are the best in their positions, i think not, then we have serious problems in Bok rugby. They were hond kak.

  THE TRAVEL ARGUEMENT IS DEAD!!!!! NO MORE EXCUSES…

• 443.Black Panther:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:34 am

  @goyougoodthing2(goyougoodthing2)-361:

  he is a true Legend, a worth Sporting ‘role model’. Always has been humble and genuine praise of his rivals.

  Good for tennis that it now has the Djoker joining the Elite Top Table.

• 444.Tjokker:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:44 am

  Well done to the Crusaders and the Reds. At the end the two best teams are in the final. Who will win it? Don’t really care. The Crusaders know how to win, but the travel can be too much.

  For a senior player like Jean de Villiers to say “we did not pitch today” – in a semi-final game? That is a huge load of bullshit. I prefer Juan de Jongh because he actually does something on the field and does not play on his reputation.

• 445.eddie:
  4 Jul 2011, 00:49 am

  Stormers’ humiliation at home bodes ill for Springboks
  By Peter Bills
  5:30 AM Monday Jul 4, 2011

  A rugby lesson was conducted in Cape Town yesterday.

  Just weeks before the World Cup begins, South Africa’s last participants in the Super rugby season were not so much beaten as humiliated.

  Some will see the 29-10 Crusaders victory as just another triumph for the homeless Canterbury side. They may even regard it as evidence the New Zealand side will seal the deal against the Reds in Brisbane this Saturday and lift the Super 15 trophy without having played a single game at home this season.

  But if you study the wider picture, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Dan Carter and their pals could not have achieved a higher prize than utterly humiliating South Africa’s last representatives in the competition in their own back yard.

  With the World Cup in mind, this was a performance and a result of seismic proportions.

  The Stormers have looked the part for much of the season. But at the ultimate barrier, they fell in a heap. It was no wonder that the watching Springboks coach Peter de Villiers seemed unable to look any more at one stage.

  This match and its outcome could have horrible portents for the South African national squad as they seek to defend their Webb Ellis trophy in New Zealand.

  To reach the last four of the Super 15, you would expect that all sides would be able to attain a high level of competence in the basics of the game. Not so, it seems.

  The Stormers slunk into the last four with deficiencies in their game that were frankly alarming, indeed cataclysmic.

  The Stormers had no scrum, they were inferior at the breakdown and their line-out was an issue chiefly of throw and hope. But it was a whole lot worse than that. They could not even do the basics properly. They threw passes into touch, missed penalty kicks into touch, played 20m behind the gain line, ran sideways and re-cycled with the speed of snails.

  You might think, what has all this got to do with the Springboks and the World Cup? The answer is, too many Springbok players throughout this season have looked heavy legged, slow and too often ponderous in their play. Some have managed to raise their game at times. But as someone once memorably said, you might fool some of the people some of the time but you will never fool all of the people all of the time.

  What the Crusaders did, by dint of their technical accuracy, their highly robust play, their streetwise cunning and their radical penetration and sheer enthusiasm for the task, was reveal the soft underbelly of South African rugby.

  Players lined up to play key roles in Peter de Villiers’ South African World Cup squad – the likes of Bakkies Botha, John Smit, Butch James, Bryan Habana, Jean de Villiers and plenty of others – have started to look beyond their sell-by dates this season. Sunday Yesterday at Newlands, in the wet Cape, reminded us cruelly of this fact.

  Jaque Fourie was released for the line but couldn’t get there, cut down by Zac Guildford’s speed in the covering tackle.

  Jean de Villiers made no impact whatever in midfield before being shunted on to the anonymity of the wing. The lamp-post that is Andries Bekker struggled to assert his authority over honest, industrious performers such as Sam Whitelock. And Schalk Burger looked no more than a destructive element offering little creativity or guile before a broken thumb ended his game at halftime.

  Yet these were, and are said to be, key men for the South Africans. But the chasm between these sides ought to frighten Springbok supporters ahead of the Cup.

  The Crusaders were in a league of their own. The fact that they had travelled halfway across the world to play, was exposed as a myth.

  Underpinning their complete control and supremacy was a clever cunning that was far too much, both for their opponents and the referee. At times, South African official Craig Joubert looked like a boy in a man’s world, totally out of his depth, as the Crusaders got men in front of the kicker at the restart, bodies over the top at the breakdown to slow down the Stormers ball, and blockers to prevent the Stormers’ chasers reaching kick-aheads.

  The Stormers were shown to be naive, gullible, under strength and woefully short of even half the quality demonstrated by their opponents. When Jean de Villiers lamely knocked-on a supposedly quick tap penalty with five minutes left and the match long since decided, it was the perfect comment on the home team’s dire display.

  Whether the Crusaders can go on to lift the trophy in Brisbane this Saturday remains to be seen. I believe they will.

  But whatever the outcome of that match, the damage has already been done to South Africa’s bid to retain their Rugby World Cup crown. For, come semifinal day if South Africa confronts New Zealand, which of the Springbok players will not have in the back of their minds the utter humiliation inflicted this weekend on their supposedly best Super 15 team?

  The psychological scars inflicted by the Crusaders in the Cape this weekend might just prove to be the most valuable act of all the rugby played by New Zealanders in 2011, whatever the outcome of Saturday’s final.

• 446.TheTackler:
  4 Jul 2011, 01:50 am

  A rugby lesson was conducted in Cape Town yesterday.

  Just weeks before the World Cup begins, South Africa’s last participants in the Super rugby season were not so much beaten as humiliated.

  Some will see the 29-10 Crusaders victory as just another triumph for the homeless Canterbury side. They may even regard it as evidence the New Zealand side will seal the deal against the Reds in Brisbane this Saturday and lift the Super 15 trophy without having played a single game at home this season.

  But if you study the wider picture, Richie McCaw, Kieran Read, Dan Carter and their pals could not have achieved a higher prize than utterly humiliating South Africa’s last representatives in the competition in their own back yard.

  With the World Cup in mind, this was a performance and a result of seismic proportions.

  The Stormers have looked the part for much of the season. But at the ultimate barrier, they fell in a heap. It was no wonder that the watching Springboks coach Peter de Villiers seemed unable to look any more at one stage.

  This match and its outcome could have horrible portents for the South African national squad as they seek to defend their Webb Ellis trophy in New Zealand.

  To reach the last four of the Super 15, you would expect that all sides would be able to attain a high level of competence in the basics of the game. Not so, it seems.

  The Stormers slunk into the last four with deficiencies in their game that were frankly alarming, indeed cataclysmic.

  The Stormers had no scrum, they were inferior at the breakdown and their line-out was an issue chiefly of throw and hope. But it was a whole lot worse than that. They could not even do the basics properly. They threw passes into touch, missed penalty kicks into touch, played 20m behind the gain line, ran sideways and re-cycled with the speed of snails.

  You might think, what has all this got to do with the Springboks and the World Cup? The answer is, too many Springbok players throughout this season have looked heavy legged, slow and too often ponderous in their play. Some have managed to raise their game at times. But as someone once memorably said, you might fool some of the people some of the time but you will never fool all of the people all of the time.

  What the Crusaders did, by dint of their technical accuracy, their highly robust play, their streetwise cunning and their radical penetration and sheer enthusiasm for the task, was reveal the soft underbelly of South African rugby.

  (Peter Bills, rugby writer for several UK papers, as reported in NZ Herald 4.7.11)

• 447.whatever:
  4 Jul 2011, 02:59 am

  @TheTackler(TheTackler)-446:

  Yeah, and for those that don’t know, Peter Bills is in love with the AB’s, NZ et al always has been. He’s as one eyed as his mate Jones, except he closes the other eye.

  Lets talk in November!

• 448.Waster:
  4 Jul 2011, 04:00 am

  @whatever(whatever)-447: You always an angry guy? I thought north shore was a nice place

• 449.optiplay:
  4 Jul 2011, 04:23 am

  @eddie(eddievxx)-445: And a lot of the senior players in the NZ team will have in the back of their minds that they choke. The previous three semi finals for the Crusaders proves that point. Depleted Stormers side was never going to be a contest for a full and FIT Crusader’s side.
  On the other hand:Write us off!. You did just that in 2007.Sa players far more evenly distributed amongst the provinces.
  Having said this ,I must admit it was a pleasure to watch the two winning teams yesterday. Undoubtedly the two best teams in the competition this year in the finals>(As was the case last year).

• 450.schnoggs:
  4 Jul 2011, 05:21 am

  Alot of meaningless posts but back to the rugby. I think its dissapointing that the stormers didnt show much heart but they were never going to beat a side which is arguably stronger than the all blacks. The only All Blacks who I would take over current Crusaders players is Mils at 15, Gear instead of Maitland (although you are not losing much either way) and Kaino / Thomson at 6. The centre combination of SBW and Fruean is certainly stronger than the current AB centre pairing which is Nonu and Smith and the Crusaders front row should be the AB front row. Unreal.
  So how could you realistically expect a Stormers team who only has 4 starting Springboks (Habs, Fourie, JDV, Burger) to compete with a almost full strength international team. Coming from a realistic Stormers fan, I do feel their was alot of blind patriotic faith coming from the Keo writers misleading the public into thinking the Stormers somehow should start as favourites.

• 451.HongKongSlong:
  4 Jul 2011, 06:07 am

  @schnoggs(schnoggs)-450: This is what must be worrying for All Black fans and even more worrying for Bok fans come world cup time. The All Blacks can not really improve massively on the Crusaders. I would also add Mealamu to the players you have mentioned that can improve the national team from the provincial one. Then take the Queensland Reds who have up until now been the best team in the tournament. Make them your Wallabies, but add Pocock, Beale, O’Connor, Sharp, Polata Nou, Ben Alexander and you seriously enhance the team.
  Boks are way off the pace, but so to perhaps are the All Blacks.

• 452.whatever:
  4 Jul 2011, 06:24 am

  @Waster(Waster)-448:

  Whats angry about that post dude? If you think thats angry …….. you ain’t seen nothing yet.

  PS Silverdale looking like making the semi’s ATM

• 453.optiplay:
  4 Jul 2011, 06:43 am

  @HongKongSlong(HongKongSlong)-451: 3 of the top seven teams in the competition.i do not see that as of the pace.You cannot take the play of the Stormers backline into consideration if you take in account the horrible display by their tight five

• 454.HongKongSlong:
  4 Jul 2011, 06:58 am

  @optiplay(optiplay)-453: I think the problem with the Boks and a lot of the SA teams are coaching and in particular selection issues. Only a fool would say that South Africa don’t have the personnel to be in with a shout come world cup time, the problem is we all know there will be quite a few players playing who don’t deserve selection for the squad, let alone the team. From a tactical point of view there never appears to be a plan B for SA teams. Looking at the Reds, Cooper and Genia have really developed the astute and percentage side of their games. They have won games in different manners, not just the cavalier way we all expected them to play.

• 455.schnoggs:
  4 Jul 2011, 07:22 am

  @HongKong, agreed – the Wallaby team could look seriously dangerous this year with a bit more experience and some new finds in Robinson, Higginbotham, Davies, etc. There they might have again is too many similar backline players (Beale, O’Connor, Cooper) and not enough direct / larger players – I wonder if Mortlock will take the 13 jumper?

  I am clinging onto the fact that the brand of rugby the boks play suits knock out rugby (I admit its not pretty) and we have the experience. I know the other teams are building experience but it cant compare to ours and I think we will be there or there abouts. As long as the poms dont win…

• 456.HongKongSlong:
  4 Jul 2011, 08:12 am

  @schnoggs(schnoggs)-455: Agreed mate, except for the last sentence. The poms play the most exciting rugby in the world, it would be great to see them win (I’m English)!!!!
  With regards to the Aussies, I think O’Connor showed a few time this season that he can do a very good job at 12 and he’s wasted on the wing. Beale fullback, Cooper fly half. Ashley Cooper probably best bet at 13, but he’s been horribly out of form this season and then Ione and Davies on the wings if Mitchell doesn’t recover in time. SA have a great game for knock out tournaments, but they have a terrible coach. As long as the Kiwis don’t win….

• 457.malema vs verwoerd:
  4 Jul 2011, 09:21 am

  Cape Crusaders must have had a jol this weekend. Just shows you, Stormers and BMT are as far seperated from each other as the East is from the west!

  infinity and beyond! Hiehaaaaaa!

  what a joke!

• 458.malema vs verwoerd:
  4 Jul 2011, 09:26 am

  if gio aplon was played at 15 and he was allowed to play to his strengths instead of being indoctrinated to just kick up and unders and that kind of **** the stormers might have had some silverware this year! but ya consvervatism before rugby, a chronic sa disease!

• 459.rugs:
  4 Jul 2011, 09:50 am

  Have to agree with Mark and Ryan…it was an awefull display by the stormers…with such excellent supporters they should have done better.They must get rid of proudfoot cause our tight five can’t scrum…the guys had no defence at all
  PATHETIC WHAT A JOKE

• 460.rugs:
  4 Jul 2011, 11:00 am

  I still beleve that the Wp/Stormers has the best backline in south africa but they need quick ball to play.. Aplon should have been at no.15 and jantjies should never play rugby again cause he is clueless

• 461.Waster:
  4 Jul 2011, 11:29 am

  @whatever(whatever)-452: Yeah sorry got all mixed up there, apologize for that

• 462.JEZ:
  4 Jul 2011, 14:59 pm

  So Keo and Vrede take credit for no Cape crusaders but won’t admit that they have over estimated an average team all year.
  You can’t play modern rugby without a decent tactical kicker in your team. Nor can you win big matches if you can’t score tries.
  Stormers may have finished top of the SA log but it was a year where the Bulls didn’t pitch up because their senior players were targetting the WRC.
  Next year will be business as usual when the Bulls seniors retire or chase the euro and the Stormers fail to impress. No SA teams in the semi’s next year unless the sharks or Cheetahs finally take the step up.
  Stormers need to find a flyhalf and a wing (assuming Gio moves to FB) and a more dominant tight 5 will always help otherwise we will have to listen to those 2 dweebs crying again.

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