Stormers play down fetcher’s importance
25 Jan 2012
The Stormers believe there will be life after Francois Louw and that the omission of a specialist fetcher will not compromise their largely successful game plan.
It’s been the topic of much debate in regional and international rugby circles over the past six or seven years, but there is certainly a lot of evidence that supports the argument for the inclusion of a specialist fetcher.
Peter de Villiers got it wrong in mid-2010 when he omitted a specialist in Heinrich Brussow’s injury-enforced absence, but even he was eventually convinced that these skills are integral to a top team’s success. This is why he subsequently recalled Louw as Brussow’s understudy for the 2011 World Cup.
Louw had shown what he was capable of at Super Rugby level with the Stormers. His skills on the ground played a crucial role in the Stormers’ defensive system, as he was able to slow the opposition attack to the point where his team-mates could realign on defence.
Nowadays, most successful teams appoint a man to play ‘the spoiler role’, for example the All Blacks and Crusaders’ Richie McCaw, the Wallabies’ David Pocock and on a smaller scale, the Reds’ Beau Robinson. All of these players formed part of successful teams that boasted exceptional defensive records, and much of the credit in this respect went to the openside flankers for the work they did in stifling the opposition attack.
The Stormers made no attempt to recruit a replacement for Louw in the off-season, and coach Allister Coetzee later explained that the plan was to promote one of the young flankers within the union once they were ready. Coetzee also said he would give men like Rohan Kitshoff and Reuben Johannes opportunities in the pre-season to stake a claim.
The plan at this stage, however, is to start Schalk Burger, Nick Koster and Duane Vermeulen in the back row in the first rounds of the Super Rugby tournament. With Vermeulen still sidelined at this point, Coetzee has opted to slot another big ball carrier (Siya Kolisi) into that back row for this weekend’s warm-up game against the Lions.
He may yet hand one of the fetchers a chance in the remaining pre-season fixtures, but he would have perhaps done better to play a specialist against Super Rugby teams like the Lions and Cheetahs who both have excellent players on the floor. It would have been a good exercise for the individuals, and it would have afforded the Stormers’ collective a chance to polish their playing patterns and game plan before the season starts.
On Tuesday, Coetzee said that the coming game represents a chance to shake off the rust and enjoy a full run within the team’s systems. He also doesn’t feel that the exclusion of a fetcher will compromise their game plan.
‘I expect most of the players to have a go on the ground. You can’t wait for a fetcher to run from one end of the field to another breakdown where you are,’ he said.
‘It is immaterial whether it’s Siya or Schalk, all the players have a responsibility to contest the ball on the floor. Everybody knows our breakdown policy and I expect them to stick to it.’
Captain Schalk Burger also didn’t view it as a problem. While some may have expected him to revert to a fetcher-type role in the absence of an out-and-out specialist, Burger confirmed that he would continue as he did in 2011. He also put his faith in the balance of the incumbent back row.
‘Flo is a fantastic player and by not having him we lose out on his experience, but Siya is an exciting prospect in his place and Nick has done it all before.
‘I think not having Flo will change things a bit, but I’ve had a good chat to the boys and we’ll have a look on the weekend to see if it works or not.’
Lions coach John Mitchell has opted to field Derick Minnie, Josh Strauss and Warren Whiteley in his back row for Friday’s warm-up. While both teams will be hoping for a synchronised showing up front, it will be interesting to see how the Lions fetcher, Minnie, fares against a Stormers team that’s missing a specialist on the floor.
By Jon Cardinelli
149 Comments
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25 Jan 2012, 09:53 am
I think Coetzee has a bunch of talented loose forwards to choose from, but he has no idea how to put the trio together. I think he can’t bring himself to leave someone out. His preferred starting three of Vermeulen, Koster and Burger are all good individual players, but if I were him I’d sacrifice one for Kitshoff. Probably Koster. And then I’d have Koster or Kolisi or Carr on the bench – all very good versatile impact players.
25 Jan 2012, 09:54 am
@>^..^< katman-100:
No shame man. The Stormers have enough to be mocked about without venturing into the territory of their private lives.
Bolla Conradie excluded, of course.
25 Jan 2012, 09:59 am
@>^..^< katman-101:
Brache and Carr look very talented. As does Kolisi.
So if this game depended on ball skills and an eye for a gap alone, they would be certain Boks of the future.
However, since this game – for a forward – is only 20% about skill, and about 80% about physical power, durability and toughness, it remains to be seen whether they will be future Keegan Daniels’ – with a Super rugby ceiling – or whether they can become new Schalk Burgers, Willem Albertses or Danie Rossouws.
25 Jan 2012, 10:02 am
Tac does your Fortuner really have knaters
25 Jan 2012, 10:05 am
France play without a genuine fetcher..Made world cup final….Dusuatoir is a hybrid with his biggest attribute is his workrate-tackling & ball carrier. On the ground he isnt a genuine threat as one would think.He is very much a hybrid and currently IRB Player of the Year….Same with his backup in Fluminence Quadrogo,also a hybrid type…One could argue now that McCaw NOW is more of a hybrid as well with prowess at breakdown largely not in same region as Pocock,Brussow….AB’s used the counterrucking method & physicality at breakdown to good use to spoil opposition AND allow themselves to reload on defense.
So lets not climb all over Schalk all of a sudden
25 Jan 2012, 10:05 am
Have no idea why Keegan is once again Sharks’ cappie
Make no sense
25 Jan 2012, 10:06 am
@John Galt-53:
You’re right. Coenie gave away the most penalties by a player in last year’s tournament.
I imagine a number of those were for attempted pilfers.
25 Jan 2012, 10:06 am
@Tacitus-103: What I’ve seen of Carr and Kolisi has been impressive, but they’re both still pretty young and inexperienced. Kolisi in particular could benefit from a couple of kgs. Carr is looking big and well conditioned and, based on the bits I saw of the Boland game, not afraid at all of contact. But yes, they have a big step up to make if they are to be considered alongside the big boys.
25 Jan 2012, 10:07 am
Schalk is a few knaters short of a Fortuner.
25 Jan 2012, 10:08 am
@Tacitus-103: gald you didn’t mention you Bulls cappie in your “physical power, durability and toughness” examples
cos he is a softie
25 Jan 2012, 10:16 am
@Tacitus-103:
Fair enough BUT due to the lack of precision of the likes of Burger,Rossouw’s etc they are often found wanting by slightly smaller but more intelligent,better conditioned and efficient players.
Case in point Danie Rossouw,for all his bulk has to be the most erratic & ill-efficient loosie one has ever seen.(he was a talented player-versatility).Body position his WORST attribute,in contact,cleaning,in tackle etc It wasnt consistently efficient much like the near perfect Juan Smith who used his BULK and TECHNIQUE to execute consistenty. Burger also suffered from lack of correct technique at breakdown,contact,keeping possession etc BUT has seemed to have corrected a few things now.
Rossouw for all his pluses had just as many minuses. If he was consistent,I personally think he would have been better than Bakkies,Juan etc he mixed sublime with dogsh*t way too often for a guy of his talent and physical attributes(power,size,speed etc).SA will miss him tho however erratic.
25 Jan 2012, 10:19 am
@>^..^< katman-108:
Kolisi will put on kgs in next 12-18 months,he is still only 20 yrs old. he may not be the size of Arno Botha but he is a better player than Botha and isnt small. Has little to no fat on that frame and ISNT small neither. 1.90m 101 kgs.But yeah he will mature in yrs to come
25 Jan 2012, 10:23 am
@mshiniwami-112:
If size was no impediment, then Dewald Potgieter would have been Bok captain by now. Sadly, it is, and that’s why he is now fighting for his starting spot in the Bulls team against up and coming stars.
As for Arno Botha vs Kolisi – I respectfully disagree with your assessment.
But that is surely no a suprise to you.
25 Jan 2012, 10:25 am
The pefect international loose trio:
One compact fetcher.
One bruiser nr. 7.
One powerful, mobile nr. 8.
25 Jan 2012, 10:25 am
@Tacitus-103: You got your figures the wrong way around if you are seeking excellence. Its skill and brains that separate the greats from the rest, more often then physical attributes. Of the Backrow forwards who have won world player of the year, only Schalk Burger is a player who relied on physicality. Macaw and Dursatoir won because of brains and skill. That’s 4-1 or 80% skill 20% physical power and durability.
25 Jan 2012, 10:29 am
@HongKongSlong-115:
Fine. You stock your team with 3 skilled midgets in the backrow, and see how far you get.
25 Jan 2012, 10:33 am
@Tacitus-114: In other words…
6. Brussow
7. Burger
8. Alberts
25 Jan 2012, 10:34 am
@HongKongSlong-115:
macaw?
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttt.
Pieces of eight.
25 Jan 2012, 10:34 am
@Tacitus-113: I don’t think Dewald is fighting for a place because of size – had a very below par season last year and Meyer has said that he is an extremely lazy guy…(clever and good player) maybe just lacking motivation so if loses his spot for a while it might be good for him in the long run!
25 Jan 2012, 10:37 am
@gr8 white-119:
It’s his size.
25 Jan 2012, 10:38 am
@>^..^< katman-117:
Well, we all have our preferred players, and the loose trio combo is a neverending debate, so I will say that Brussouw and Alberts are favourite players for me too. Burger, not so much.
25 Jan 2012, 10:39 am
@gr8 white-119:
his namesake is much better.
I expect we’ll shift dealtd to the kings soon enough.
25 Jan 2012, 10:39 am
Pale shark is that you
25 Jan 2012, 10:40 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-122:
My Bulls trio for the season is:
Spies
Jacques Potgieter
Stegman
With Arno Botha the backup 7, and CJ Stander the backup 8.
I would try to convert Dewald to a 6, as backup to Stegman. Not sure if it is viable, but he was once good enough to make the Bok squad on merit, so that talent is still there. It just needs to be directed properly.
25 Jan 2012, 10:41 am
@Tacitus-116: Your probable power back row: Burger, Alberts and Spies vs my Brains back row Mccaw, Dusurtoir and Read. Power losses the battle to brains fairly convincingly.
25 Jan 2012, 10:41 am
@HongKongSlong-125:
Well there’s your first mistake. Assuming you know what backrow I would pick.
25 Jan 2012, 10:42 am
Why has Gary Player never been knighted ?? Yet they want to Knight Ted and Richie !!!
25 Jan 2012, 10:43 am
@HongKongSlong-115: hahaha good one
spies is nowhere near a world player of the year award and he is huge.
25 Jan 2012, 10:47 am
@HongKongSlong-125: Read = brains? That’s funny.
25 Jan 2012, 10:50 am
@justrugby-127: someone the other day explained that SA is a republic hence not eligible or in line to receive British orders/knighthoods or accolades.
25 Jan 2012, 10:53 am
@Tacitus-124: He has a good brain and lots of talent…not sure about the motivation…if thats gone down the tubes then a trip back to home town could be on the cards…that would be a big pitty even as a sharks supporter have always rated that boy!
25 Jan 2012, 10:54 am
@Transformation-130: yip, we dont need awards from some crusty old bird who has fokkol to do with our country.
leave that to sheeple.
25 Jan 2012, 10:54 am
now you know Kings are going to get shafted at the SARU meeting tomorrow when kak like this happens
Bulldogs and SWD form Southern Kings
24 January 2012
Thando Gqamane
The Border Bulldogs and the South Western Districts (SWD) have decided to go it alone and call themselves the Southern Kings as they prepare to face the Free State Cheetahs in a friendly match at Buffalo City Stadium on Saturday.
But both the Bulldogs and SWD insist they have not broken ranks with the Eastern Province Kings, who are the third union to form the Southern Kings. Already, players from Border and the SWD have started preparing for the match in East London. Border coach Andre Human and Johan Nern are co-coaches.
“Johan and I took the decision after last week Thursday’s meeting with EP,” said Human.
“We have agreed that we will use the majority of Bulldogs players and some from the SWD for Saturday’s match. Then in George we will use the majority of SWD players and a few from the Bulldogs.
“However, there are still three games that will be in Port Elizabeth and we are not sure how we will approach these. Alan Solomon (EP coach) will be here on Saturday for the game and we will take it from there.”
The matches set for Port Elizabeth that Human is talking about will be against the Stormers, Sharks and the Bulls.
Southern Kings squad:
Elrich van Vuuren (SWD), Vuyo Mboto (Border), Chumani Booi (Border), Duane Jenner (Border), Frans Laatz (Border), Cecil Dumond (SWD), Ntando Kebe (Border), Michael Vermaak (SWD), Gareth Krause (Border), Roy Bursey (Border), Lubabalo Ntyanda (SWD), Anthonie Gronum (Border), Armand Fourie (Border), Dean Hopp (SWD), Blake Kyd (Border).
Replacements:
Khwezi Mkhafu (Border), Jean Rossouw (SWD), Marius Visser (Border), Grant le Roux (SWD), Lyndon Hartnick (SWD), Onke Dubase (Border), Johan Herbst (SWD), Louis Kruger (Border), Jeffrey Taljard (SWD), Logan Basson (Border), Thembani Mkokheli (Border).
Cheetahs:
Lourens Adriaanse, Ryno Barnes, Ryno Benjamin, Robbie Brazelle, Heinrich Brussow, Philip Burger, Hennie Daniller, Justin Downey, George Earl, Robert Ebersohn, Sias Ebersohn, Andries Ferreira, Barry Geel, Johan Goosen, Marnus Hugo, Rocco Jansen, Ashley Johnson, Willie Le Roux, WP Nel, Dusty Noble, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Davon Raubenheimer, Matthew Rosslee, Riaan Smit, Juan Smith, Philip Snyman, Jean Stemmet, Adriaan Strauss, Andries Strauss, Francois Uys, Marcel Van der Merwe, Philip Van der Walt, Izak van der Westhuizen, Piet van Zyl, Johan Wessels.
Coach: Naka Drotske
25 Jan 2012, 10:59 am
Gonna wash my dolphin
Grubby it is
25 Jan 2012, 10:59 am
@Transformation-133: so its saru who will shaft them eh?
sounds like they are doing a pretty good job all by themselves.
thats why that hotbed of mediocrity simply will not replace a current s15 franchise next year.
klaar like jackie (but hiding in the hospital)
25 Jan 2012, 11:03 am
seriously, looks like no one wants to deal with cheeky and his son?
the bulldogs and swd top guys presumably dont have farms that cheekys cohorts can threaten to take away?
25 Jan 2012, 11:03 am
@rangerman-135: Ja the Three Stooges Unions have always had no problem at shafting themselves…just makes SARU’s job easier to justify….devide and destroy!
25 Jan 2012, 11:07 am
@gr8 white-137: but i dont think they were responsible for dividing these guys, they did it to themselves tra la la.
re d p uss y can for like to be very overjoyed by vis news.
25 Jan 2012, 11:08 am
@rangerman-135:
hari
kari
25 Jan 2012, 11:14 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-139: and sighs of relief break out all across the land.
cant introduce a new saffa whipping boy just as the lions and the cheetahs are coming right now can we?
25 Jan 2012, 11:15 am
@Dawn-134: Personal hygiene = important.
25 Jan 2012, 11:15 am
@rangerman-138: The Pretenders to the Throne Bunch who will remain in the bottom 4 will be overjoyed at that news!
25 Jan 2012, 11:16 am
@rangerman-135: Hoskins did well the last time in turning Border & SWD against Tony Mckeever, they conviniently sold their shares in the Spears franchise to SARU who in turn – with majority shareholding – disbanded the frannchise. it cost SARU to the tune of more the R10 million to get rid of us, money that could’ve been used for development.
so yeah SARU will be doing the shafting
25 Jan 2012, 11:20 am
@Transformation-133: What a complete fckup.
So the Southern Kings are splitting from the Eastern Kings.
What’s next? The South-western Kings splitting from the Southern Kings?
Then we’ll have three Kings who can travel from the East bearing gift log points.
25 Jan 2012, 11:21 am
@Transformation-143: Hey the 10mil was used for “development” in the SWD &Border areas. LOL…as I said – The Three Stooges Unions!
25 Jan 2012, 11:22 am
@Transformation-143: ag bs man.
that R10 mill has to be balanced against opportunity cost buddy.
and simply put, more money would be lost by dumping the cheetahs (toyota the sponsors) and the lions (Africas biggest economy surrounds them).
the bulldogs and the eagles seem to dislike ep?
why is that?
25 Jan 2012, 11:28 am
@rangerman-146: more kak
Border rugby boss claims EP not sticking to franchise agreement
20 January 2012
Thando Gqamane
A WAR of words has erupted between the Border Rugby Football Union (BRFU) and Eastern Province Rugby Union (EPRU) over a match against the Free State Cheetahs next weekend.
Acting BRFU general manager Mveleli Ncula has accused the EPRU of breaking an agreement they reached last year where it was agreed that the Southern Kings – a combined team made up of players from Border, EP and South Western Districts (SWD) – would play the Cheetahs in East London.
The EPRU, SWD and BRFU signed a cooperation agreement at a meeting held in Port Elizabeth on July 27 last year committing themselves to the Southern Kings franchise. This was done in anticipation of the Kings participating in Super Rugby next year.
However, things have, according to Ncula, not gone according to what was agreed in Port Elizabeth last year. He said they agreed that the Southern Kings would play the Cheetahs, Bulls, Stormers, Sharks and Lions in friendly matches this year.
Ncula said yesterday it was agreed the Southern Kings would play the Cheetahs at the Buffalo City Stadium on January 28. But that was no longer the case as the Cheetahs would now face the Border Bulldogs.
“I was shocked when I learnt that East London had been left out in as far as Southern Kings matches are concerned. I then wrote a letter to Cheeky [Watson, the EPRU president] regarding the matter. A few days after I had written the letter, the match was moved to East London,” Ncula said.
Though the arrangement had changed, Ncula said they were working on the logistics of the match on the basis that the Cheetahs would play the Southern Kings next weekend.
“I don’t even think the Cheetahs know about the latest arrangement,” he said.
Responding to Ncula’s accusations, EPRU chief executive Anele Pamba said the former Saru boss did not have the power to comment on matters relating to the Southern Kings as he was just an acting BRFU chief executive.
“We are preparing for Super Rugby in 2013 and this is the direction we want to take,” Pamba said. “There was an agreement between the three unions and it will be finalised by today [yesterday].”
Contacted for comment about the changes in the proposed match, Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske said: “We’ll start training in Jeffreys Bay from Monday, and so far our preparations have been going well and we are happy with everything. I have heard rumours about who we might and might not play. I don’t mind who we play as long as we get a warm-up game and see where we are with our game.”
25 Jan 2012, 11:35 am
@Transformation-147: i can tell you right now Mveleli Ncula’s loyalties lie with Hoskins and them, he will break the co-operation agreement at a drop of a hat if need be.
25 Jan 2012, 11:41 am
@Transformation-147: haha, sounds like your region is living up to its reputation.
enjoy the ride, maybe you guys should simply rejoin the sharks?
as junior partners with no games obviously.
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