Stormers must handle first-half heat
24 Jul 2012
Allister Coetzee believes the Stormers will need to dominate the forward exchanges and bank early points if they’re going to stall the rampant Sharks.
The Stormers have produced some commanding first-half performances over the course of the 2012 season. If there has been one period of the game where they have consistently flagged, it’s been in the third quarter, and it is that lack of concentration that has often allowed the opposition back into the contest.
That being said, it’s interesting to note that the Stormers are not a team that excels at chasing the game. Indeed, in their two losses to the Crusaders and Sharks this season, they have trailed at half-time.
The Sharks won that derby in Durban 25-20 after leading 20-6 at the break. They also made a massive statement when they went to Brisbane last Saturday and scored 17 unanswered points in the first half hour.
No doubt they will be looking for another strong start in this weekend’s semi-final, as it will put the Stormers into a position where the Cape side will need to chase the game.
The Stormers coach believes there are lessons to be taken from the Stormers’ earlier defeat to the Sharks, and that the first-half showing will be important to the outcome.
‘It’s always a tight affair when these two teams play,’ he said. ‘There was three points in it in the first match, five points in the second and I’m sure it will be similarly close this Saturday.
‘[In the Durban fixture] they did well in the first half, they really looked to attack our set piece. When you can’t get lineout or scrum ball on your own terms, it can make life very difficult.
‘We were really unhappy with our first-half performance in that game. We lost a lot of ball in contact and made errors which they duly punished. It’s something the Crusaders did to us in last year’s semi-final, where they really pressured us at the set pieces.
‘We are looking for a good start but we are also looking to sustain that for 80 minutes.’
The Sharks boast an all-Springbok front row and have been one of the leading scrummaging teams in 2012. Their lineout is competitive, which as Coetzee suggests makes it very difficult for opponents to secure good set-piece possession.
They have some powerful ball carriers capable of dominating the collisions, as well as several players who are exceptionally good when it comes to turning the ball over at the breakdown.
Coetzee again highlighted the need for a top set-piece effort this Saturday, as well as an accurate breakdown performance that will limit the Sharks’ turnover opportunities. The Stormers boast the best defence in the competition, but that defence is more susceptible on turnover ball.
‘You can’t give them turnover ball, they use it very well,’ said Coetzee in reference to the Sharks’ performance against the Reds. ‘That’s what happens when you lose the collisions and you don’t look after your possession. And by looking after your possession, I mean winning clean ball at the set pieces too.’
The Sharks won’t be as fresh as their Cape counterparts, having had to fly to Australia and back within the space of a week. Coetzee, however, insists that the Stormers wouldn’t be taking anything for granted this Saturday.
The Stormers coach said the prospect of hosting a final at Newlands would serve as extra motivation to beat the Sharks.
‘This is what we’ve worked for all season, and knowing that we could have a home final is also a massive incentive. We are really close to achieving that. That’s why we view this weekend’s game as a big opportunity.
‘There’s going to be pressure, but we’re going to embrace it. We’re not just going to absorb it, but handle it.’
By Jon Cardinelli
428 Comments
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] Show All
24 Jul 2012, 23:14 pm
Tomorrow is national tequila day.
#letsripit
24 Jul 2012, 23:18 pm
Yep I reckon the Stormers have this game wrapped.
- home ground advantage
- fully rested
- motivation of knowing a home final will follow
- best defence in the tournament
- 14 wins from 16
I would say the Stormers are 70% likely to win.
There is always the prospect of an upset but I reckon this game will be one hurdle too far for the Sharks.
24 Jul 2012, 23:23 pm
Yep, just as I was saying… the odds are very firmly stacked in the Stormers favour.
Even the experts agree (from Sport 24):
Well renowned South African sport scientist, Ross Tucker, believes the Stormers will have an 8-10 point head start over the Sharks in their Super Rugby semi-final at Newlands on Saturday.
Tucker, who works at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town, predicts the Sharks will be exhausted after travelling to Australia to beat the Reds last Saturday and then back to South Africa for their semi-final.
“The competition’s history shows that home ground advantage is already worth five points,” he told Die Burger.
“With the physical toll of the overseas flight, combined with the bumps and bruises they have to recover from, I’ll speculate that the Stormers will start with an 8-10 point advantage.
“Some guys don’t get affected by jet lag, but it’s very tough if most of your players’ sleep patterns are disturbed for four nights over a two-week period,” said Tucker.
However, Sharks coach John Plumtree is adamant that the travel factor can’t be used as an excuse.
“We’ll be up for it alright, but we’ve got to be smart about our preparation this week,” he told the Sharks website.
“Everyone will be talking about the travel factor, but we knew we’d have to travel again if we got through our playoff. We’ve had to come back to South Africa and the players are positive, at least they can sleep in their own beds and spend time with family. It’s always nice coming home.”
Should the Sharks prove Tucker wrong they’ll nevertheless remain heavy underdogs to lift the trophy as they’ll then have to travel back to Australasia to tackle either the Chiefs or the Crusaders – who clash in the other semi-final on Friday.
24 Jul 2012, 23:34 pm
“Well renowned South African sport scientist Ross Tucker,” hey? Tickles will be delighted to have someone new to add to his Christmas card list. Noakes hasn’t been returning his calls recently.
24 Jul 2012, 23:35 pm
The Sharks are going to rewrite the record books.
Nighty night.
24 Jul 2012, 23:35 pm
Lol. Do you remember that “Prof Noakes takes on The Tackler” thread?
24 Jul 2012, 23:37 pm
@kaksioek-405: dude, no need to preach to me. I am a believer.
Unfortunately I am also a realist. If my life depended on it my money would be on the Stormers.
I hope for a very pleasant surprise though.
24 Jul 2012, 23:41 pm
Sharks r riding high – I still reckon stormers will stop them at source even with vermeulen and schalk injured it’s still a better pack
24 Jul 2012, 23:46 pm
Jirre you can’t argue with Beast, The Bis-ness, J-Doop, Alberts, Coetzee, Deysel these guys don’t stand back to anyone.
I highly doubt the packs are going to be outmatched.
24 Jul 2012, 23:49 pm
In fact it was men vs boys at the Kiings Park fixture a few rounds ago. Sharks raced into a 20-6 lead remember?
Nah, it’s not the packs.
It’s the weary legs. I don’t expect the Sharks to keep the intensity up for the full 80.
The Stormers, on the other hand, are fully rested and will be champing at the bit to go.
I will say it’s likely to be close for 60 minutes.
25 Jul 2012, 00:01 am
@wooden spoon-410:
It is of course possible that the Stormers might be rusty.It often happens that a team is a bit “off the boil” after a 2 week break.I hope Ross has taken this into consederation when he worked out that the Stormers have a 8-10 points advantage.
25 Jul 2012, 00:02 am
@Robzim-411: the Stormers won both games immediately after their two byes this year.
Being “rusty” after a week off hasn’t been a problem for them before.
25 Jul 2012, 00:13 am
@wooden spoon-412:
The fact that they won both games does not mean they were at their best or played well– anyway, I am not saying they will be rusty, just pointing out that it often happens to teams and could be a factor.
Re the game in Durban, the Stormers were shocking that day- it was their worst game of the season – i am not taking anything away from the Shartks as they did play well and placed the Stormesr under pressure but it was one of those days that everything went wrong for the stormers- – i remember the Canadian dropped a sitter with no pressure on him from a kickoff, someone lost the ball when diving over the line to score , passes went astray, Kolisi withdrew just before the game……..
It is very unlikely that the Stormers will be as bad as that day again.
My prediction taking everything into consideration is Stormers by 7.
25 Jul 2012, 00:14 am
Anyway, let’s just hope there are no ref controversies– i am out.
25 Jul 2012, 01:32 am
As long as the Stormers score more points than the Sharks we should be able to pull the win off.
25 Jul 2012, 08:45 am
Sports Scientist Ross Tucker says the Stormers have a head start of 8-10 points because of home advantage and Sharks’ travel (Die Burger)
25 Jul 2012, 08:46 am
@Robzim-413: We missed Kolisi big time in that game!
25 Jul 2012, 09:16 am
@Sasuke-417: And Bekker was playing with an obvious back injury at the time, he called the line outs but took 2 balls at most. He was on the field, but absent in body.
That schooling the Sharks forwards gave our lads, might have been a blessing in disguise, as it truly was the ONLY game of the year in which we were utterly and totally bossed in all facets for 40 minutes.
I’m not buying the travel fatigue kak but what I am buying, is the 122 tackles the Sharks made in the 2nd half in Brissie last week. They were outstanding on D, but it is NOT something they have focused on and ‘played’ week in and out.
I don’t think that sort of D is something mere mortals can handle, week in and out, unless you are the Stormers and your body is used to the recovery in the way the Stormers bods are.
Travel fatigue is a factor, but those 122 tackles in the 2nd half might contribute more to the ‘exhaustion’ theory than what Singapore airlines does.
25 Jul 2012, 09:25 am
@Sasuke-416: so the prediction is Sharks by 30 minus 8-10 = 22 to Stormers 20?
25 Jul 2012, 09:25 am
@shooter-419: sorry. maths.
Sharks 30 minus 10-8 = 21 vs 20 Stormers.
25 Jul 2012, 09:39 am
@kaksioek-404: That was damn funny how a few cyber snipes by a blogger got Tim Noakes to come out snorting and get his own article to rubbish Tickle balls.
25 Jul 2012, 09:51 am
@SuperStirrer-421: Yes, old Noakes is clearly rather insecure. Tickles won that one in straight sets if you ask me.
25 Jul 2012, 09:57 am
@SuperStirrer-421: @kaksioek-422: “I read with great interest the claims by The Tackler that I am the “pseud and mouthy charlatan” who is responsible for this burnout issue. These are certainly complex words for a blog on rugby matters. Although the word mouthy does not appear in my Illustrated Oxford Dictionary, pseud as an adjective refers to someone who is intellectually or socially pretentious and not genuine; the noun defines a poseur. Similarly a charlatan is someone who falsely claims a special knowledge or skill. The word apparently originates from the Italian meaning a ‘babbler’.”
25 Jul 2012, 10:02 am
@Transformation-423:
25 Jul 2012, 10:05 am
Come back Tickles, we have another sports scientist for you to tackle!
25 Jul 2012, 10:09 am
@kaksioek-424: @kaksioek-424: can you say “precious” hehehehe
28 Jul 2012, 01:37 am
@Dusky-298:
‘church street bombing’
The fact that the PAC accepted resonsibility for that, does not bother you at all.
They are ALL black and therefor they are the same.
I get you. They ALL look alike.
For some, all whiteys look alike also, you know. So, when the Supreme Court find a whitie guilty of high treason, don’t be surprised when some sommer start moering any “whitey” who they see on the street.
You guys should think before you talk any kak that runs through you’re head.
It goes both ways!!!
Just saying.
Lekker om in ‘n ander land te bly en kak te praat, ne!!!
28 Jul 2012, 01:49 am
@kaksioek-405:
“The Sharks are going to rewrite the record books.”
Rewriting the record books?
What do you mean? By beating the Stormers at Newlands?
How the **** is that “rewriting” the record books?
You do that ALL the time, don’t you? Beating the Stormers at Newlands.
Hahahaha……
How delusional can one fucked up Shark supporter be?
A 3kg snoek will devour a 5kg “sandhaai” tomorrow, boet.
Deal with it. You will be in the same state of snot en trane like the Saders supporters.
Thanks for coming.
Pages: « 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [9] Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.