Gritty Stormers to finish top
9 Jul 2012
MARK KEOHANE, in his weekly Business Day column, writes the Stormers have shown remarkable resilience to be in such a position of strength with one week of the regular season remaining.
The Stormers did not lack for ambition in Bloemfontein against the Cheetahs. They did bloody well to win the game and the atrocious weather was always going to limit the potential of four-try bonus points. The Stormers were composed in their approach because they knew they had to win first before thinking of the additional bonus points.
They are one league point from finishing top of the table. League leaders the Chiefs, away from home in their final outing, have the tougher assignment this weekend.
The Stormers play the Rebels at Newlands and it is in this match that they will score the four tries needed to get the additional league point. I am taking it as a given that they won’t lose to Australia’s newest franchise, a squad that plays with great ticker but which, in only their second season of existence, still has too many journeymen to challenge the better teams on the road.
The Rebels have the greatest prospects of the Australian teams to become a dominant force. There is much interest in Melbourne, excellent financial backing and already the two biggest backline names in Australian rugby, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale, were signed as soon as they came off contract last season. Most players are at the end of their contracts at season’s end, so expect more big-name players to be among the Rebels’ challenge in the next two years.
For now, they represent the most favourable prospect for the Stormers, whose achievement to sustain a winning momentum cannot be overstated.
Other teams that have suffered equally severe disruption have taken a few on-field beatings, dropped points regularly and used the lack of consistency in performance as mitigation for their failure to make the play-offs.
The Stormers, as a unit, have shown remarkable resilience to be in such a position of strength with one week of the regular season remaining.
I have been critical of their lack of attack, which is not to be confused with any lack of ambition to score tries. There is certainly effort every week, but the Stormers for the past three seasons have played to a predetermined style that is defensive-orientated.
It was the view of the management and senior players that defence would be more effective in their play-off hopes than all-out attack.
With a week to go, they are justified in their approach. I don’t particularly favour the mindset that lacks a balance in defence and attack, and there are many among the most loyal Stormers support base that will argue there is little joy in watching the Stormers.
Again, the Stormers will point to the league position, a home semi-final with the potential to still host a final, and ask for some perspective.
They would also be justified in thinking they are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. I do recall the Kobus van der Merwe school of Stormers who favoured all-out attack and got pumped in every second home game and took 75 points against the Bulls at Loftus.
The side has not evolved their play on attack, but they have certainly consolidated their standing as the best defensive unit in the competition, regardless of whether they play home or away. The players have also shown dedication to the jersey, the franchise and the supporters in their absolute commitment to defend their line and maintain their discipline every week. They have done it with an inexperienced front row, without Andries Bekker for half the tournament, and without their frontline four loose-forwards including the incomparable Schalk Burger.
Those who have been highly critical of the Stormers this season — and I have been very vocal — have to also ask themselves: is the aim of the squad to make the semi-finals and create an opportunity to win the tournament, or to be a mid-table finish playing flamboyant rugby, but rugby that comes with risk and a style that may actually suit weaker opponents?
The Stormers took a business decision in their strategy and have achieved the necessary results. This needs to be recognised because it unfortunately is not a sport but a business in which home play-off matches and trophies determine the success of the season financially.
The romance that the Stormers have always played expansive rugby is also nonsense. They’ve won nothing for the last decade and the rugby was damn awful at times.
The most balanced South African side, in approach, has been the Bulls. But they, like the Crusaders, have also been among the most inconsistent.
I was surprised at the defeat against the Sharks, but it was more a case of the Sharks winning it than the Bulls losing. The Sharks were brilliant and the Lions, thank goodness, were brave and got the reward of a rare win.
164 Comments
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9 Jul 2012, 14:52 pm
@Sasuke(Sasuke)-147:
hehehe…
sheesh… we were getting frustrated with his kicking the ball right back to the open arms of the cheetahs nearly every time… very little variation… never tried a good solid grubber which would have been very hard to handle in the conditions…
it’s always easy to focus on a player one mistake or bad moment… all players can get run over at one or other time… as long as those mistake don’t convert into regular points against the team… i’d rather focus on the number of good things they do…
@Gumboots(Gumboots)-148:
yeah bill… but he did really REST our boks when they came back… (except for jean who asked to play)… unlike the bulls boks who FL brought straight back en masse into the starting team…
9 Jul 2012, 14:54 pm
@ufo(ufo)-151:
FL –
9 Jul 2012, 15:02 pm
@Jeraldjay(Jeraldjay)-150: Yes sorry you are right man. One game at a time.
9 Jul 2012, 16:50 pm
Stormersboy @ 3.
Well done Stormers and good luck in play offs.
Also good luck to my team(Sharks)
Lots of good Stormer supporter comments re Sharks performance vs Bulls.
9 Jul 2012, 17:21 pm
@THE MAULER(THE MAULER)-82:
By your logic no team will ever lose two games in a row. What happens when both teams have lost their previous home games? Who wins in that scenario according to your theory of pumped-up-ness?
9 Jul 2012, 17:44 pm
STUBR it obviously doesnt count for all teams but a top team like the Chiefs will definitly want to correct their “wrongs”… As in the Sharks losing to the Lions required them to win with a bonus and low and behold they ripped into the Bulls…
9 Jul 2012, 17:48 pm
I think a very relevant point has been completely overlooked in lauding the Stormers for their conference title. The conference system has done the Stormers a huge favour in that they have faced neither of the top sides from Australia or NZ in the form of the Brumbies and the Chiefs. Had this been the case I doubt their record would look as good.
I’m not taking anything away from them but the fact that they have not played the top 2 sides in the competition does not bode well for them. They do not have the game to beat teams but merely live with them and kick points when they force penalties.
It will be another dissapointing end to the Stormers campaign in the Semis. I think both the Sharks and the Bulls would stand a far better chance of progressing from the same position. I really hope they prove me wrong as a second year with no SA side in the final would be very dissapointing.
9 Jul 2012, 17:50 pm
Pity Keohane went and put the bloody mockers on Stormers with his goddamn prediction.. I wish he’d just focus on his beloved Bulls 100% and leave our Stormers results to work their own magic out for themselves.. we certainly don’t need Keohane to come and declare his undying support at this late stage of proceedings and go and screw the cat in the process.
9 Jul 2012, 19:53 pm
@tigereaver(tigereaver)-157:
I am also sorry that the Stormers did not meet the brumbies as they are not even remotely in the Stormer’s class as a team. The 2 teams might still meet in the one semi final at newlands in 3 weeks time and then you will see what I mean.
Why do you say the Bulls would stand a better chance of progressing from the same position?- it makes no sense as the Stormers have already beaten them twice this season including at loftus (with a much weakened team).
9 Jul 2012, 20:13 pm
Can you re-call the article on this site (I think Keo wrote it) where The Stormers were slammed as being a k@k side that would not progress in the S15?? Now we won the SA conference – where is the retraction\apology???
9 Jul 2012, 22:20 pm
Tiger posted the same post on the rugby365 forum ….and deservedly got humiliated by some of the bloggers on there.
10 Jul 2012, 05:21 am
@tigereaver(tigereaver)-157: The Stormers are one of the top two sides in the comp. we can’t play against ourselves. If you think we don’t have what it takes to beat sides look at the table. No other side has won as many games as us. None. Back to the drawing board Tiger.
10 Jul 2012, 12:36 pm
@tigereaver(tigereaver)-157: Your argument would hold weight if the Stormers lost againt the Sharks or Bulls, as it stands the only loss to another SA franchise was against the Sharks in Durban (5 points). The only other loss was against the Crusaders (7 points).
Also if any other SA team beat the Chiefs that would make sense (not including the Brumbies who are benefitting from the conference system.)
If the Bulls and Sharks were better teams week in week out they would have the higher position on the log.
10 Jul 2012, 21:47 pm
Tigereaver @157
I think its defiantly the opposite there old chap !!!! The Brumbies and the Chiefs are the lucky ones for not playing the Stormers and when we meet one of them in the play offs. They going to be manhandle by the Stormers . Just u wait and see !!!
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