Stormers battle in Boland heat
21 Jan 2012
The Stormers beat the Kavaliers comfortably but struggled for synergy in their first hit-out of the season.
This match was always going to be more a glorified training exercise than anything else. The young and largely inexperienced Stormers side racked up seven tries in the 45-14 win in Wellington, but they battled for consistency in certain areas of the game.
Coach Allister Coetzee opted to start a team devoid of any current Springboks and very few established Super Rugby players, as he felt this match would give the players an opportunity to stake their claim as well as the coaches a chance to gauge the fringe players’ aptitude.
There were players that shone, like centre JP du Plessis who made some exciting breaks in midfield. However, these cameos needed to be viewed in context as for large parts of the game, the Boland defence was poor.
New Stormers recruits Gerhard van den Heever and Burton Francis did not have an especially memorable outing. Van den Heever battled to get involved from the fullback position while Francis looked very rusty at flyhalf.
Kurt Coleman, who made his Super Rugby debut last year, enjoyed more attacking success when he replaced Francis in the second half once the game had opened up. Unfortunately, Coleman’s goal-kicking was worryingly poor. It mattered little in the context of this match, but his poor striking of the ball requires remedying if he’s to be considered a realistic option for the Stormers.
Nizaam Carr shone when he was allowed the space to run, but generally the Stormers pack did not look particularly imposing at the breakdown. Their scrum also wobbled in the second half and it was veteran tighthead Brok Harris who was repeatedly penalised by the referee.
Coetzee is likely to play more of his best players in the next two warm-ups against the Lions and Cheetahs. These fixtures will witness more of a contest and be more indicative of the Cape franchise’s form, as both the Lions and Cheetahs boast players capable of competing at Super Rugby level.
149 Comments
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22 Jan 2012, 12:15 pm
@ashampoopaloo-97:
One of the many trolls..
22 Jan 2012, 12:17 pm
@grant10-100: I’ll be the first person to commend your talent spotting skills if he does turn out to be the real deal. You can never get enough great players.
22 Jan 2012, 12:17 pm
and Ruhan Kitshoff is damn fine prospect as well
22 Jan 2012, 12:19 pm
@stormersboy-102: Well you called Taute….now watch that oke go huge this year….
Justrugby called Sadie 3 years ago !
22 Jan 2012, 12:21 pm
Carr together with Vermeulen, Kitchoff, Koster, Kolisi, though maybe a little lightweight will offer some interesting combinations. Pity is we lost both Plouw and Flouw both of whom would have combined way better than doffheit himself Schulkie the Hulkie, nevertheless he’s bound to continue where he left off last year carrying every good ball to nowhere’sville
22 Jan 2012, 12:21 pm
@grant10-103: Thing is, Kitshoff is 27 years old this year.
Unless he’s been hiding under a rock this concerns me.
Why suddenly now? He’s been playing for the Griquas for the past years (before last year) and wasn’t even getting first team game time there all the time if I’m not mistaken.
22 Jan 2012, 12:23 pm
@grant10-104: I really hope he does. He could make a damn fine Springbok 15.
22 Jan 2012, 12:26 pm
@grant10-104: Also was touting Etsebeth before last season. Still am. hope he doesn’t let me down!
22 Jan 2012, 12:40 pm
AB turning on the magic again.
22 Jan 2012, 12:41 pm
Wonder where I fit into all these classifications.
22 Jan 2012, 12:42 pm
@David-109: He’s a class act. Love watching him.
22 Jan 2012, 12:43 pm
@Dawn-110: In a category all of your own. Never forget that.
22 Jan 2012, 12:50 pm
@Dawn-110:
Your Status is Classified.
22 Jan 2012, 12:51 pm
@stormersboy-112:
LOL…………………………………………………………………only one of her good days.
8)
22 Jan 2012, 12:56 pm
@Durban Dad-92:
“This Kiwi troll on keo should be removed. His username oversteps all common decency. Why does keo allow it?”
Not sure to whom you refer,
but no Kiwi Trolls (myself excluded), have yet posted on this thread.
Being a Troll myself, I am familiar with their scent…………………………………………must be one of yours, me thinks.
22 Jan 2012, 13:02 pm
Well played Biff
22 Jan 2012, 13:02 pm
Obviously a bloody shark.
22 Jan 2012, 13:02 pm
Biff finally gets his first ODI hundred in over 2 years and is overjoyed!
22 Jan 2012, 13:03 pm
Biff had it all this morning
Die oulike ding met die love handles
22 Jan 2012, 13:04 pm
@cane-115:
He’s referring to that idiot who calls himself a pr!ck.
22 Jan 2012, 13:05 pm
Who? Fern?
22 Jan 2012, 13:06 pm
@stormersboy-108: etsebeth will be a farken great….no doubts
22 Jan 2012, 13:09 pm
@stormersboy-106: Kitshoff was loaned to griquas as we had F Louw…..I always liked him whenevr I saw him….he willbe a vital ingredient for stormers…..we play schalk as openside we farked….that you can take to the bank
22 Jan 2012, 13:09 pm
Our kiwi bloggers are cool
They have regular breakdowns
22 Jan 2012, 13:12 pm
@grant10-123: Ok, I see.
22 Jan 2012, 13:13 pm
Cept cane.
Mr Cool.
22 Jan 2012, 13:29 pm
Great innings Biff. .
22 Jan 2012, 14:01 pm
Stormersboy… Why you buying into WP supporters overhyping our players…?
Sheesh… just commented on players who impressed and caught my eye… Give us a little credit for understanding the context of this game and the opposition… But that context goes both ways… Compared to Boland which won the b section… Missing just bolla and lewis… this WP team included a whole bunch of first timers and relative newbies… So sure, looking good in such an environment may not be the highest praise but its better than not impressing in such an environment…
There’s nothing wrong with offering opinions on players whatever the context of the game… That’s what supporters do on keo… If you don’t agree just say so and state your own opinion… no problem with everyone having different opinions and ideas…
Just a pity that you have to dismiss our opinions as ‘typical WP hype’ and somehow worthless…
It’s one of the things I’ve never understood on keo… The fact that people can’t just offer opinions and counter opinions but feel the need to diminish any opinion they don’t agree with by dismissing those who don’t agree as fools, biased or just being typical over-hyping WP supporters…
All supporters are biased to a greater of lesser degree… Let’s understand that and put it aside and just debate the merits of the players in our own opinions… as oppsed to simply dismissing different opinions as meaningless
22 Jan 2012, 14:05 pm
@ufo-128:
” Compared to Boland which won the b section… Missing just bolla and lewis… this WP team included a whole bunch of first”
actually according to Loffie this Boland team is not the same Boland team that won the first division … missing 9 starting players that won the competition.
I like the way the newbies are bring talked up – good entertainment
22 Jan 2012, 14:15 pm
Point taken… Pity you couldn’t take mine about it being a very inexperienced WP team… and pity you don’t read or understand that I merely spoke of people who impressed in this game…
Not like as a lions supporter youve been overhyping just about every lions player…? win the cc and its suddenly make all the lions Boks…?
Hehehe
22 Jan 2012, 14:29 pm
Joh its a good thing the Double Velvet Tin has been dropped.
Otherwise the stormers might have let it slip this year.
22 Jan 2012, 14:47 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-131:
Hasn’t DHL taken it over?
22 Jan 2012, 15:08 pm
I don’t think there is a trophy any more just a padded envelope for the winner.
Sorry for you.
Looks quite dark at the cricket.
Always hard to tell on tv though.
22 Jan 2012, 15:18 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-133:
I’m about 5km away from the Wanderers and it’s bloody menacing. I’ve even lost my DSTV signal.
22 Jan 2012, 15:42 pm
@ufo-128: The comment wasn’t directed at anyone personally.
Carr and Kitshoff were being talked up the whole of last year. Not just now.
Before that it was Koster being talked up.
I was simply referring to those players within the context of Saturdays game.
I’m concerned about the guys coming through, and yesterday didn’t show me any new talent that made me excited.
If Carr turns out to be the next big thing I’d be more than happy. Kitshoff too.
That was my opinion, much like yours and Grants was different.
Neither any less valid.
Opinions all.
Time will tell
22 Jan 2012, 15:54 pm
you have to love these WP/Stormers supporting okes, some want assess their up &coming players and some are just to paranoid not to sound like hype machines…makes for interesting reading
22 Jan 2012, 17:01 pm
they don’t call it Super Sunday for nothing!!!!
citeh 2 – spurs 2
22 Jan 2012, 17:26 pm
@Transformation-137:
3-2 to City. Damn.
22 Jan 2012, 17:32 pm
mario balotelli – the villain – killes spurs bwahaaaahaaha super sunday boys!
Now arsenal vs Man Yoo!
22 Jan 2012, 17:42 pm
@stormersboy-135:
cool bud…
any of five or six young ‘unknown’ bulls are likely to be boks this year if we listen to bulls fans… sharks fans are always talking up everyone in a black and white jersey from barritt to daniel to deysel amongst countless others… lion’s been talking up jantjies and taute and strauss and minnie and… cheetahs fans talk up goosen etc etc…
what is funny is fans of all these other franchises not being able to accept or handle any western province supporters chatting about which of our players we like… talk about interesting insecurities…
thing is too.. whether our players are selected as boks or not… we’ll still support the boks… and whether we win trophies or not… we’ll still be packing ‘em in at newlands…
so… question for the wise…
which fans are driven by hype…? those fair-weather fans who only creep out of the woodwork when their teams win and their players become boks…?
or those fans that support for the love of the game, their team and home town no matter what else is happening…?
how many here are honest enough to answer truthfully…?
no.. we wp supporters don’t need the hype to get behind our team… how many others can say the same…? honestly…?
hehehe…
23 Jan 2012, 05:54 am
Stormers will not make the play-offs this year without Rassie calling the shots…
23 Jan 2012, 06:28 am
young players I am keen to watch this year…
Carr
Taute
Elton
Arno Botha
Lappies Labuschagne….
Etsebeth
Groom
Kolisi
23 Jan 2012, 06:29 am
and Goosen?
23 Jan 2012, 07:49 am
@grant10-142: Sadie? JJ?
23 Jan 2012, 07:50 am
@grant10-142: Sithole (Sharks)?
23 Jan 2012, 07:53 am
@HHS-144: @HHS-145:
Yeah…lots of good youngsters coming through….going to be fascinating to see who steps up…
23 Jan 2012, 08:04 am
Having watched Etsebeth a lot for the u21′s 2 thing concern me :
1 . Injury proned
2. Runs too upright, both on attack and when going in to tackle.
Needs to sort out this poor technique if he wants to compete with the big boys !!
23 Jan 2012, 08:07 am
@grant10-142:
Add Gary van Aswegen to that list !!
23 Jan 2012, 09:44 am
From New24
Cape Town – Allister Coetzee spent the whole of last season trying to play down to his team’s prospects to a Cape media too eager to install his Stormers side as champions when the job hadn’t been done, so the upbeat front he put on in Wellington at the weekend was meaningful.
There has been a lot of negativity around the Stormers and Western Province since the resignation of Rassie Erasmus resigned as director of rugby, so Coetzee’s eagerness to grab the opportunity to be positive was almost palpable after the 45-14 win over Boland Cavaliers at a sweltering Boland Stadium. And there was good reason for him to be upbeat for the match showed that while some star players have like Erasmus left the franchise since last season, there is a lot of young talent coming through.
You had to be at the game to understand just how hot it was, so those who watched on television might consider it a bit over the top to suggest it was an excellent game – but for the time of year and the conditions it certainly was an encouraging start for the fringe players against a team that won the Currie Cup first division last season.
“It was 39 degrees before kick-off and I was a bit nervous about that. We consulted with Boland conditioning coach Jorrie Jordaan before the game and we agreed to monitor the situation closely, so I thought the guys coped with the situation really. Fortunately there was a bit of a breeze blowing,” said Coetzee.
“We had frequent water breaks and alerted the players to the importance of staying well hydrated throughout the game. But I was very impressed with the fitness levels of the players and all things considered it was a good contest. Boland certainly provided us with a higher intensity work-out than the university teams have in the corresponding fixture in previous seasons.”
The Stormers team was also a lot more organised than in the corresponding fixtures of recent seasons, and of course they were up against a Boland team that has played together often. Boland did enough in the match to deliver another of Coetzee’s wishes – he wants his players to stay grounded and them to know at this stage that there is still work to do.
“This Boland team is very deadly off turn-over ball and they provided something for our youngsters to learn as they got both their two tries from turn-over ball,” he said.
Nonetheless, it was a comfortable win for the Stormers, who showed pleasing intensity when they took early control of the game, young forwards Eben Etzebeth and Frans Malherbe carrying the ball well and hammering themselves across the advantage line. Etzebeth, who was already an impressive specimen but has now bulked up even more, played most of the game and should have been one of the players to most please Coetzee.
“You know I don’t really like singling out names, particularly after a game of this nature, but Etzebeth, Nizaam Carr and JP du Plessis, while I was also pleased with the way the two flyhalves Burton Francis and Kurt Coleman controlled the game,” said Coetzee.
Asides from Etzebeth and veteran Bolla Conradie, the other stand-out was Du Plessis, a player who went to Australia to play rugby league after finishing school but has now returned to the Cape after a short stint with the Melbourne Rebels. With Jaque Fourie, Johann Sadie and Tim Whitehead all now playing elsewhere, the form shown by Du Plessis and to a lesser extent inexperienced midfield partner Adrian Kritzinger was very encouraging.
“The different centre pairings all impressed me and that is a good thing for it shows we do still have pleasing depth in that area,” concurred the coach.
The Stormers will play the Cheetahs in their next Super Rugby warm-up game – the first of what this year is known as the DHL Series – at Newlands on Friday night
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