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, 11:48 am
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-196:
Was waiting for you buddy. Well done with your team! They were superb in the second half and if they played anywhere as near as that first half we could have had a different result. I will be cheering your boys on this weekend as I will always support my beloved streppies team but will always have a soft spot for the Cheetahs and will cheer them on against any team but my own. Thanks for showing such great sportmanship a true example to many here…
14 May 2012, 11:48 am
I dig the sharks fans.
They beat the crappy force at home infront of an empty stadium and it,s make-all-the-sharks-boks week again.
The tank will probably be at least half full next week.
On the plus side…i just wan
t to say Fu to all the mancs and spurs out there ans especially wayne rooney. Thanks.
14 May 2012, 11:49 am
@RL(RL)-199:
How can you have felt robbed. Your team was smashed by the Blues mate…
14 May 2012, 11:49 am
@WP_(WP_)-197: They suspect a little concussion, but is said to be fine
14 May 2012, 11:49 am
@nama1(nama1)-195: I can only see it happen if the Bulls finish 2nd and the Stormers 4th, which will mean a home playoff against the 5th placed team and away semi against the log leaders for the Stormers. If that team is the Chiefs and all the Stormers players are back I can see them winning that game. They have a very good record against NZ teams home and away and I do not think the Chiefs have the kicking game to counter the Stomers.
The Bulls however will not win a game in NZ if it is a semi
14 May 2012, 11:49 am
@WP_(WP_)-197: According to the Tribune, it was precautionary did not test concussed so expected to play this Saturday.
14 May 2012, 11:49 am
from rugby365…
The Stormers may have churned out another win against the Cheetahs at Newlands on Saturday, but they were by no means satisfied with the way they went about it.
After building up a commanding 16-0 lead at half-time the Cape side fell off the pace in the second half and ended up having to hold off the resurgent Cheetahs, which took the shine off and left them frustrated.
Captain Jean de Villiers said:”We selected the best team available to represent the Stormers and we won, so we are happy about that but we are definitely not happy with the way that we did it.
“I think our discipline was poor, our attack was poor, everything except the defence was poor. I think we definitely need to do a bit of soul-searching this week,” he added.
The Stormers have been incredibly consistent this season and have only lost one game, but they have not scored a single four-try bonus point and have not managed to put any team to the sword, relying on their defensive discipline to put teams under pressure.
They managed to do that in the first half against the Cheetahs and built up a healthy advantage in thr process, but they were unable to capitalise and De Villiers knows that standards will have to be raised if they want to continue winning.
“We are not happy, and if we play like this for the next three weeks then we are in for a rude awakening. Maybe it is a good way to get a wake-up and make sure that we play better for the next three weeks,” he said.
Coach Allister Coetzee was equally unsatisfied with the second-half performance but pointed out that his team remains well-positioned despite not playing their best rugby, and pledged to do some serious work ahead of the clash with the Waratahs next week.
He explained: “There are no excuses from us, not for the second-half performance. I am not defending the team, they know they were poor tonight and we will take that on the chin and move on but there is one thing that you have got to understand – this team is still winning and this team is still one point behind the conference leaders with plenty of rugby still to be played.
“We understand where we need to brush up and we are trying our best to get there, they are things that we can fix and we will certainly leave no stone unturned to fix it.
Coetzee said that his side will have to focus as they have two big derbies away to the Sharks and Bulls after the Waratahs game next week and they cannot let complacency derail their campaign.
“This is an important phase of the competition and the players understand that we can’t just go through the motions, thinking that we are right were we left off on tour. There is a difference between thinking and applying yourself,” he said.
The Stormers coach said that although his team have to improve if they want to be contenders at the end of the season, he was happy with the fact that they were able to win despite playing badly.
“We will take the four points but we are definitely not happy with the performance, but this is the nature of the competition and I would rather be sitting here than in the Crusaders changeroom today.
“These are not excuses we are making, but I accept the wins and I will take the wins over losing smartly,” he said.
Coetzee said that with Nizaam Carr ruled out with a fairly serious knee injury Canadian recruit Jebb Sinclair will start against the Waratahs, with Vodacom Cup loose forwards Nick Fenton-Wells and Don Armand in the running to make the step up to join the match-day squad.
He said: “I think that if you are a loose forward and you pick up a knee injury, then you prepare yourself for the worst. At this point in time he [Carr] has still got to go for scans, but I don’t think it will be a short-term thing.
“As you could see he [Sinclair] does play towards the ball as a No.8 which is a good sign, he is also a good ball-carrier so I think he will be the No.8 next week because we have got none.
“It is short notice so I think that we have to look at players like Nick Fenton-Wells and Don Armand for this weekend. Rohan Kitshoff is out with a shoulder injury in the Vodacom Cup game this weekend so we we will have to see.
“It is tough, we have got to make sure we field a strong side this coming weekend and cover all of the positions. We are playing against a top quality Waratahs side with a big pack and a side with a good set-piece so we have got some work to do,” he added.
By Michael de Vries, at Newlands
14 May 2012, 11:50 am
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-202:
Viva Man City Viva! Well deserved winners… may there be many more…
14 May 2012, 11:51 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-201: Agreed the Cheetahs play a good brand of rugby. Are they playing the Sharks this weekend at home in Bloem?
14 May 2012, 11:51 am
@nama1(nama1)-195: The difference with this format compared to a normal knock out is just that the highest ranked team always playes the lowest ranked team in the semi’s.
i.e. if 6 beats 3 then 1 will face 6 in the semi and not the winner of 4 vs 5. clear as mud!
14 May 2012, 11:51 am
@sharks_lover(sharks_lover)-204:
Maybe a two weeks rest will do him good. To return just in time for the Bulls…
Howzit mate. A good win for your boys this weekend.
14 May 2012, 11:52 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-209:
In Bloem mate…
14 May 2012, 11:54 am
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-206:
Oh! So he will be out the next week then!
It is going to be super tough at Bloem on Saturday. Not a game the Stormers will be looking forward to soon either.
14 May 2012, 11:54 am
Will the lions win a game again this season.
I cannot see it.
And they have the bulls last upaway who may or maynot be on a championship charge.
The lions might bow out of superrugby by taking 60 up the chuchter at loftus or bow out by keeping to form and being twats by beating the bulls for the 2nd win of the year.
Interesting
14 May 2012, 11:54 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-208: What a day. Best movie I have ever seen= Final Day of EPL Season 2011/2012.
Epic stuff!
14 May 2012, 11:54 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-203: no after the Cheetahs match the feeling was one of robbed. After the blues match I felt anally violated.
14 May 2012, 11:55 am
@ufo(ufo)-198: Hey bud
First half performance was poor. Gave away far to many pens. I was watching Sias in the warm up. Looked like he was striking the ball well. Always thought though that his first kick at goal was going to be the decider. Had he put it over then confidence would have come back. Unfortunately he hit the post. Then straight after that failed to find touch. Confidence was just shot.
Stormers dominated contact in first half and the breakdown. We got very little go forward ball. 2nd half was much better. Johnson introduction was key.
Look I know Sias was playing and kicking poorly but not going for goal when we were 16-0 down was stupid. Poor decision making. No disrespect to the Stormers but everyone knows they not going to blitz to quick tries. The have failed to score 4 try bonus points. Point being we always had a chance in 2nd half and should have kicked at goal at the end of 1st half. Going in at 16-3 could have made a huge difference.
14 May 2012, 11:55 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-212: Then Cheetahs can take the Sharkies.
14 May 2012, 11:57 am
Question…..how to recork a champagne bottle?
I have no idea but ask sir alex.
14 May 2012, 11:57 am
Maybe the Stormers should start asking why they have so many injuries,in the forward pack .Could it be poor conditioning??
I f you look at the condition the forwards coach Proudfoot is in this is not such a dumb question.
He looks like he swallowed Gio.
14 May 2012, 11:58 am
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-213: yep worries me lots this next game! If we manage it this Sat, I will relax just a little
14 May 2012, 11:59 am
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-215:
It was fantastic. I was so upset with them being 2-1 down so changed channels to watch the IPL cricket. When I returned I saw the score of 3-2. I thought it was a mistake. Epic for sure.
Yes the Cheetahs to win on Saturday for sure. They will soften the Sharkies for us…
14 May 2012, 12:01 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-201: Thanks bud.
Yeah if we could have put in the same performance in 1st half it could have been different. Although if the Stormers replicated their 1st half performance in the 2nd half then it could have turned ugly.
Glad we made such a fight of it though. A few thought it would be a easy win for the Stormers. Hopefully we will do the Sharks in this weekend. Btw well done on there good win. They suddenly looking very good.
Now I hope the Stormers can kick on and win this thing bar game in Bloem. lol
14 May 2012, 12:01 pm
@Sharksgirl(Sharksgirl)-221:
It was my biggest nightmare last week. Never trust the Free State Boys. They are very good at upsetting the party. Then the big one the week after that. One I’m worried about as well. The Sharks at the tank not easy. Why is the stadium so empty for Super Rugby matches? It wasn’t good to see. I’m thinking of going up next week…
14 May 2012, 12:02 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-217:
yeah… agree with you about the not taking that penalty… we all thought they’d show the patience and take it and continue building in the second half…
we said towards the end of the game… “had they taken those points, we’d lose this game…”
think you guys have a great chance of taking the sharks this weekend… not because i dislike the sharks… but teams who lose a close scrap often show more intensity the next week over teams that had runaway victories…
14 May 2012, 12:03 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-223:
Yeah that last sentence sent my heart pumping mate. I fear that one too, more so than the Loftus trip. Don’t we play the Bulls the week after they play the Chiefs away?
14 May 2012, 12:03 pm
@RL(RL)-216: Really wanted Cheetahs to win but was not meant to be. I have not seen much complaints about the ref which I am happy about. If anything we were robbed by ourselves with that 1st half performance. We got 2 teams here that both need to put in 80 min performances…
14 May 2012, 12:05 pm
Stormers have beaten sharks 4 or 5 on the bounce, they,ll be wanting a piece of the stormers badly in a couple of weeks.
14 May 2012, 12:06 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-224: if you supported the same team as HG, would you show your face on tv at the ground so everyone knows?
me neither
14 May 2012, 12:06 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-219: hahahah funny!
14 May 2012, 12:07 pm
@ufo(ufo)-225: Well I hope so. We won’t be doing the Sharks any favours with regards to play offs by beating them.
Lack of patience is the problem with Cheetahs. Same as when you were down to 14 and we were 5m short. Should have kept it tight and not tried spreading it. We just got to learn from this and move on. Still plenty to play for…
14 May 2012, 12:07 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-229:
LOL
14 May 2012, 12:08 pm
Catch up later guys. Got to get some work done. lol
14 May 2012, 12:08 pm
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-228:
Most teams feel the same mate. Stormers been the top performing franchise for some time now. I guess you Bulls are feeling the same…
14 May 2012, 12:09 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-233:
Cheers Buddy. Maybe will come up for return game in Bloem. Will let you know.
14 May 2012, 12:10 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-226: Bulls will be there for the taking seeing that they return from a tough tour.
14 May 2012, 12:11 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-235: you have some life traveling around the country going to rugby stadiums to watch games..
14 May 2012, 12:11 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-227: robbed in the sense that I had placed a little wager on the Cheetahs. Oh well win some lose some.
14 May 2012, 12:12 pm
@RL(RL)-238: should have placed your money on the blues, they were specials…
14 May 2012, 12:14 pm
Strompies , got out of jail , ref should have penalised ” Die Rooikop Bok” when he put his hand on the ground , instead he said I will do it next time.
Bulls average score 34-23 < Strompies average score 23-16, so if both play play average the score at Loftus could be
Bulls 34 Strompies 23 or Strompies 23-16 Bulls.
I will go for first option , cause suddenly the mean pack were not so mean against Cheetsters
14 May 2012, 12:15 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-231:
i will be backing the cheetahs for this one for sure… no one expects favours… if sharks are gonna win the title they have to beat everyone from here on out to do that…
(as do the bulls and stormers… to be sure of their places)
yeah, patience is the key… stormers were making those mistakes last year and the before that… and just losing these squeakers…
as i said earlier… there seems to be a bloody-mindedness about this stormers team that is really refreshing from a supporters perspective…
speaking of which… i have huge respect for you and how you handle yourself on this site… absolute passion for your team but unswerving dignity whether they win or lose…
impresses the heck out of me…
lot’s of us here could use you as an example of what good sportsmanship is all about…
14 May 2012, 12:15 pm
To be honest I feel a little cheated (no pun intended). I paid for my family of 4 to go to Newlands and watch that ****. Injuries are one thing but the reality is the backs are the 1st choice starters. They have 5 Boks in the back line who are totally devoid of any plan to get points on the board. This despite having numerous opportunities in the 1st half. Then the 1st time they get into a position to score in the 2nd half panic sets in and they throw a gift intercept pass. We cannot win this tournament based on this performance.
14 May 2012, 12:15 pm
@poppa69(poppa69)-237: hey poops, long time no smell. Welcome back and congratulations on your teams fine victory over my Leeusers.
14 May 2012, 12:15 pm
@Cheetahs27(Cheetahs27)-233:
cheers bud…
14 May 2012, 12:18 pm
@RL(RL)-243: Thanks bud, was a cripple fight for sure, think your boys put too much into the week before against the Chiefs..
14 May 2012, 12:20 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-236: not so fast
14 May 2012, 12:21 pm
@Horings(Horings)-205: Yes, probably the best case scenario from a SA perspective for this year.
On the other hand, as long as Stormers go through to the final, I don’t really care where the Bulls end up.
@Beertjie(Beertjie)-210:
True that.
However, I was just trying to show that it was indeed possible for two SA teams to meet in the final. The route may differ from the one that I indicated.
@Brigadier Van Zyl(Brigadier Van Zyl)-214:
The Lions don’t care about Super rugby anymore. They are preparing for the CC. Watch them introduce new, young players during the rest of the season in preparation for the CC.
14 May 2012, 12:24 pm
@Bill Reyts(Gumboots)-224: A number of reasons Bill, the most damning is that in Durban the atmo is just tooooo laid back and people just prefer watching at home round a braai with friends, and I have watched people doing this within walking distance of the stadium! and its true with just about everything in Durbs, why we do not get any big concert coming to Durban – they cannot ever sell out any concert/show no matter who the artists are! Then a lot of the faithfull fans that are normally at the stadium come what may, and many travel from quite far, have just had enough of this team loaded with talent just not delivering so are trying to get point accross by staying away.
14 May 2012, 12:27 pm
Sharksgirl,stopping wasting your time.
These people do not understand the dynamic.
14 May 2012, 12:27 pm
Just on an earlier post from some one. How will it be be possible for two SA sides to play in the final. Let me have a crack. let say the top six ends as follows.
1.Bulls
2.Chiefs
3.Stormers
4.Brumbies
5.Crusaders
6. Sharks
Bulls and Chiefs get their respective home semis automatically
So it will be Stormers vs Sharks in Capetown and Brumbies vs Crusaders in Canberra.
Because i am a Sharks fan, for arguments sake the Sharks win and the Crusaders win, due to final log places. It should then be.
Bulls vs Sharks in Pretoria and
Chiefs vs Crusaders in Waikato
No SA final there as the log currently stands.
Lets try one more situation.
Top 6.
1. Chiefs
2. Bulls
3. Stormers
4. Brumbies
5. Sharks
6. Crusaders.
Chiefs and Bull automaticly qualify for home semis.
Then you have Stormers vs Crusaders in CPT
Brumbies vs Sharks in Canberra
Stormers win and Sharks win
Now you have Chiefs vs Sharks in Waikato and Bulls vs Stormers in Pretoria
If the sharks win their semi, it does not really matter who wins in the other, we will see an All SA final.
There you go.
But i there are so many other ways this log can still change as its going to be pretty close in the end.
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