Stormers face scrap for survival
14 May 2012
JON CARDINELLI says the injury situation can only worsen for the Stormers in the next three weeks and fans should brace themselves for at least one loss.
Coach Allister Coetzee’s worst fear was realised on Saturday when No 8 Nizaam Carr hobbled off the field. The log may not reflect the fact, but Carr’s knee injury has plunged the Cape franchise even deeper into crisis.
The Stormers will be without Schalk Burger and Nick Koster until the end of June, and may have to make do without Duane Vermeulen for the rest of their campaign. It was hoped that they could survive this four-game stretch without conceding further injuries, and that Jebb Sinclair would play a supporting role to the incumbent loose trio of Siya Kolisi, Rynhardt Elstadt and Carr.
But with Carr joining a lengthy list of casualties, Sinclair will be thrust into the starting line-up. It means that Coetzee will also have to promote a loose forward from the Western Province Vodacom Cup team, as apparently there are no other experienced players available.
When asked whether he would seek further help from abroad, a despondent Coetzee replied, ‘Who? Do you have any names for me?’
It was a statement that explained the recruitment of Sinclair. The Stormers had failed to acquire the services of Springbok flank Francois Louw and presumably failed to acquire other high-profile players with unbreakable club commitments.
Outside of Sinclair, a Canadian who plays his club rugby for London Irish, there aren’t many players with a gap at this point of the season.
Saracens enjoy a good relationship with the Stormers, and it was suggested after their recent exit from the Premiership semi-finals that some of those players may be available. Saracens hooker Schalk Brits did after all play loose forward for the Cape side when they were similarly afflicted last year.
But Coetzee’s response didn’t inspire any confidence of a Saracens forward flying to the Stormers’ aid. It is likely that the Stormers will have to make do with what they have until Burger and Koster return at the end of next month.
It’s a massive blow, and you’d have to say they’d do well to stay in contention for a home semi-final. They may have lost only one game to date, but because they haven’t scored four-try bonus points their position in the top six is far from secure.
They need to keep winning to stay in contention for that crucial home play-off. It’s going to be a tough ask with a depleted pack, even more so considering the demands of looming forward-oriented contests against the Waratahs, Sharks and Bulls.
It will be nothing short of amazing if they manage to win their next three matches, two of which are away from home. It will be incredible if they can come through these inevitably brutal physical clashes without losing more players to injury.
They will also hope that the Highlanders and Chiefs do them a favour by beating the Bulls and thus preventing the Pretoria side from extending its lead at the top of the South African conference.
Two defeats for the Bulls will allow the Cape team to stay in touch despite their own (and here I say probable given their depleted stocks) losses in the next three rounds.
The Stormers have a slightly easier run-in to the play-offs than the Bulls with matches against the Lions (home), Rebels (home) and Cheetahs (away) scheduled for after the June Tests. The Bulls will host the Cheetahs and Lions, but face a difficult trip to Durban.
The Stormers will be boosted by the returns of Burger and Koster for those matches, but they won’t want to leave themselves with too much to do in terms of securing a home semi-final. They need to survive the next three matches without conceding further injuries, and they also need to pick up some crucial log points.
A win against an inconsistent Waratahs side this weekend is non-negotiable, as away victories in Durban and Pretoria for a depleted Stormers side seem far less likely.
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475 Comments
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14 May 2012, 08:05 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-49:
For sure.
14 May 2012, 08:06 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-43:
indeed…
14 May 2012, 08:09 am
would be great to have 3 teams in the play-offs… would give one of them a much greater chance of winning the whole thing… cause at the end of the day darren… if the stormers don’t i’d rather the bulls or sharks do…
even if it means putting up with their fans…
14 May 2012, 08:13 am
ufo is already starting to justify a loss…
14 May 2012, 08:14 am
53 @ ufo
Unfortunately some of them would prefer either their side or any other team except the Stormers lol
14 May 2012, 08:17 am
54 @ Fern
Where? What have you had for breakfast?
14 May 2012, 08:18 am
so pee wee
i see it is called mr price kingspark after all
as you were
14 May 2012, 08:18 am
post 53
now go and teabag your bf
14 May 2012, 08:19 am
@Pee Wee(Pee Wee)-55:
of course… but this we know… hehehe
they predict losses for us every weekend… but are too dishonest to admit they are wrong and too stupid to be embarrassed…
hehehe…
and when their broken clock tells the correct time they gush how right they were…
gotta love it…
14 May 2012, 08:21 am
@ufo(ufo)-53:
yip, nice showing with three saffa teams in the top six.
will bet on the cheatahs or even the lions spoiling the party locally though.
14 May 2012, 08:23 am
@ufo(ufo)-59:
Hey Buddy! A tense few minutes of the game on Saturday but I’m glad that is over. Now we focus on the next game, not the ones after that just yet. One game at a time…
14 May 2012, 08:23 am
I hope that a few Stormer fans will be joining me at Loftus on 2 June to support our team. I know that IAAS will be there but hoping a few others take the short flight to Jhb. It is going to be a cracker…
14 May 2012, 08:24 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-60:
hehehe…
neither would i… that’s what we do to each other…
we squeaked it this weekend for sure… and still have to do it again in bloem… hopefully with a few more returnee’s by that stage…
14 May 2012, 08:25 am
If we had 3 teams in the playoffs would it still be possible for an SA team to top the overall log?
14 May 2012, 08:26 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-61:
hey bud… sheesh yeah… cheetahs played very well… could easily have taken it…
but very happy we hung on…
as you say…
one game at a time…
doesn’t get any easier…
14 May 2012, 08:28 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-64:
good question…!
not sure…
math not my strong point…
sure some other brainier people can answer though…
14 May 2012, 08:30 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-64:
I think the Sharks will have to beat both the Stormers and the Bulls. If that happens then one of our teams might not make it to the top. Not sure though haven’t done the math.
14 May 2012, 08:36 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-61:
i loved the brawl though and the way eben owned one of the cheetahs players (doodpoes coenie too, if i’m not mistaken). daardie jong mannetjie is donders sterk.
14 May 2012, 08:39 am
good old fashioned full house brawls….*sigh* … i miss those.
14 May 2012, 08:41 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-69: Yip. No denying rugby has gone soft. Now even tip tackles are frowned upon.
14 May 2012, 08:42 am
The Bulls need 1 win from their next 2 games to have a comfortable finish to the season.
14 May 2012, 08:42 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-64: Yes, especially if the Bulls beat the Chiefs.
14 May 2012, 08:42 am
@houston, we have a problem…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-68:
yeah… was quite something… almost like an ice-hockey or baseball rumble…
thing about even is that as strong as he is physically… he is just as strong mentally… and doesn’t lose his cool in the heat of the battle… very admirable qualities…
i loved it in the highlanders game (i think…) when he was pinned in the ruck and charged by two of them when he couldn’t move to get out of the way… so he looks up and says ‘is that all you got” and gestures them to try again…
great temperament for such a young guy….
14 May 2012, 08:43 am
@ufo(ufo)-66:
I would think it’s possible..
With the conference winner gauranteed a top 3 position, any of the Bulls, Sharks and Stormers can lose against each other alternatively and still make it. Other results, specifically in NZ would assist I believe. Chiefs victory over the Saders being very important.
14 May 2012, 08:46 am
thing about EBEN…
14 May 2012, 08:48 am
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-74:
that makes a lot of sense…
that chiefs crusaders game and the bulls stormers one, as tac says, will be very big and should shape the play-offs…
14 May 2012, 08:50 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-72: Awesome. For me Id rather have 2 SA teams in the playoffs with one of them topping the overall log than have three with the Chiefs topping it.
Id rather have us play the final at Newlands than in Hamilton.
Though I prefer Loftus.
14 May 2012, 08:53 am
fancy the tahs to turn the stormers over.
the tahs have looked on the up the past couple of weeks despite their losses.
they had plenty of possession against the brumbies and bulls
14 May 2012, 08:57 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-78:
Given the Rebels performance against the Crusaders, maybe the Bulls are better than some people think, considering they beat this fast improving Rebels side.
Imagine the Rebels beating the Stormers at Newlands!
14 May 2012, 08:57 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-77:
for sure…
me too…
wouldn’t say no to playing the bulls in the final at loftus or in soweto…
14 May 2012, 08:59 am
@ufo(ufo)-73:
That brawl had me all nostalgic about the the old, amateur days… Guys like Hennie Bekker, Frik du Preez, et al would only appreciate the “hi, how’s your mother’s”. Thing of beauty!
Re Etsebeth – definite starter in my Bok team @ 4, with Elstadt @ 7. You need such controlled aggression, and the Poms is known for the off the ball, nigly stuff.
14 May 2012, 09:00 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-70:
yip, bring back the good old days
@ufo(ufo)-73:
yip, the guy’s a walk for the bok june and 4 nations teams, no doubt. bulls locks can take notes from him atm.
i just hope he isn’t throwing his career away by staying at wp
14 May 2012, 09:01 am
@ufo(ufo)-80:
I don’t know if those types of match ups are possible in the final anymore, in the S15 setup.
Basically, one team has to end top, and the other? The best they can do is 4th.
Meaning they would have to face team 5 in a quarterfinal and if they win, what then? They probably would have to go to play Team 1 then in the semi or something.
So a final between two teams from the same country? Not sure how that can transpire. Maybe it is possible, in some convoluted way, but then the second SA team would have to jump through all sorts of hoops to get there, I reckon.
14 May 2012, 09:08 am
@Taahirah(Taahirah)-25: Agreed Taahirah…but i just feel that the bulls will battle for there next 2 games in NZ against 2 good teams…
14 May 2012, 09:10 am
@ufo(ufo)-59:
Not all Sharks supporters want the Stormers to fail, but as you know you get exceptions on both sides of the divide.
Skoppie and a few others have nothing good to say about the Sharks as well.
And if i want the the Bulls and Stormers to lose games its only because it could benefit my team, not because i hate them.
At the end of the season if my team is out, i would support any other SA team who have a chance to win the compo.
So please stop the every hate the Stormers campaign allready.
14 May 2012, 09:11 am
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-81: 100%. Those 2 guys are playing like seasoned veterans at the moment. Great to see. No more “light 5″ as you said earlier.
14 May 2012, 09:11 am
@PrickBoks going South(PrickBoks going South)-22: Yawn…!
14 May 2012, 09:17 am
true, in the current format we will probably never see a final from the same country again even if the 2nd placed confrence side has more points than any other conference side.
bloody stupid ozzie kak format.
on the plus side the bulls and stormers have drilled an arsehule into all the ozzie sides they’ve played this season.
14 May 2012, 09:20 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-86:
sure, no more light 5 but still nothing to show for it.
broken 8 is a far more apt description at the minute.
Coetzee must be a worried man in the situation room.
14 May 2012, 09:24 am
@Pot Blou Gevaar(Pot Blou Gevaar)-81:
yeah me too… something very mesmerizing about those old school dust-ups…
as you say the poms are famous for it… so eben will be well tested against them… but think he should handle it okay…
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-83:
absolutely tac… which is why I said I wouldn’t say no to that…
because if the bulls do finish top the stormers will have a helluva lot of hoops to jump through to meet you guys in the final… which means we would have successfully negotiated all the convolutions…
of course i’d rather meet you guys in cape town…
@Mr Black(Mr Black)-85:
for sure mister black… we all have fans that support our teams who embarrass the rest of us… but reckon those of us who are more level headed don’t include ourselves in those categories… so apologies if you took offense… certainly did not include you in my thinking…
14 May 2012, 09:24 am
@stormer in a teacup(stormer in a teacup)-5:
Come up with something new my efiminate little buddy. Or have you been pounded in the a-hole so long and hard that your brains started leaking into your adult nappies?
14 May 2012, 09:25 am
Serious question – can anyone provide a scenario in which two SA teams could possibly meet in the final?
Let’s say one ends 2nd and one 4th.
So if 4 wins its quarterfinal against 5, then you would think that 1 plays 4 in the semis and 2 plays 3, right?
If both SA teams win their semis, would that then mean that 2 plays 4 in the final?
Or is there some Aussie gimmick that prevents such a possibility?
14 May 2012, 09:25 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-89: Yes but we go into each and every game knowing that we will have at least parity with the opposing teams forwards.
Which gives us a much better chance of competing consistently for each win.
14 May 2012, 09:27 am
@stormersboy(stormersboy)-86:
@ufo(ufo)-90:
Talking about the “light 5″, i watched a recording of the WP versus Pumas game yesterday and the lock Quinn Roux was very impressive against a huge Puma pack.Apparently he was at one time ahead of Etsebeth in the picking order but then he got injured- based on his performance on Sat I can see why he is so highly rated. Btw he is originally from Pretoria- played Craven Week for the Bulls and then went to the rugby acedamy at Stellenbosch.
Another player in the tight 5 who who impressed me was the hooker Tobias- i am not sure if he is big enoughfor super rugby but as an highly skilled all rounder he was very impressive- and he can throw the ball into a lineout- seems to have inherited some ball skills from old Errol.
14 May 2012, 09:31 am
@Tacitus(Deucalion)-92: easy Tac
QF1.) Team 3 vs Team 6
QF2.) Team 4 vs Team 5
The first placed team from the regular season will play the lowest ranked qualifier in week 1 of the play offs.
The second placed team from the regular season plays the team highest ranked qualifier in week 1 of the play offs.
SF1.) Team 1 vs lowest ranked qualifier.
SF2.) Team 2 v highest ranked qualifier.
so, using this above..
one team finshes first
team 6 beats team 3
team 5 beats team 4
1st place then plays 6th
2nd plays 5th..
but I understand it may take you a while to comprehend it, Bulls fans arent renown for their thinking…
2nd team finshes 5th
14 May 2012, 09:31 am
Well put it this way – the Stormers were never expected to beat the Sharks and the Bulls away from home anyway.
It is away games for them, after all.
And as a South African, I simply cannot support an overseas team against the Bulls.
As long as we have three SA teams in the playoffs, I am happy.
14 May 2012, 09:32 am
@poppa69(poppa69)-95:
2nd team finishes 5th should be placed under the line
“first team finishes top”
14 May 2012, 09:36 am
@Robzim(Robzim)-94:
yeah… was at the game…
he is a big mobile unit… first time i’ve seen him play… did very well…
had to think while watching that match why we don’t use rohan kitshoff for the stormers… he may not be as good as brussow… but he is good…
having said that… i think jebb did well and is certainly no show-pony… but maybe rohan on the bench…?
14 May 2012, 09:36 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-88:
Damn convicts managed to sell this drivel to their SANZAR counterparts.
Saddest thing is – NZ probably has superior player stocks accross the board, as well as structures and a passion for the game then their Tasman neighbours. BUT, Aus has the commercial nouse to bully NZ into accepting their stance.
In that region, Aus pulls the commercial clout. And NZ, unfortunately sleeps with the devil she knows.
14 May 2012, 09:38 am
rob…
one of the pumas broke down the one wing… quinn came racing across to make the tackle… was VERY impressed with his speed across the park…
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