Perspective required when rating Stormers
30 Jul 2012
JON CARDINELLI writes the Stormers’ campaign was compromised by a high injury count rather than a characteristic lack of composure.
The manner of defeat was disappointing, but was the result really that unexpected? This is the question Stormers fans should be asking following Saturday’s semi-final defeat.
It is usually the case that a team’s success is determined by how far it progresses in a particular tournament. For a regular play-off contender like the Stormers, a Super Rugby title win should denote success.
The Cape side has lost two finals and three semi-finals in the space of three seasons. Their title drought has spanned 11 long years. These are the numbers that critics and fans care about, and these are the facts that will be cited when most deliver their damning post-season reviews.
But to accept this view is to subscribe to a perception that is simplistic, narrow and more than a little hysterical.
I don’t believe the Stormers’ game plan and selections have been flawless, but I do believe the 2012 season has been different to those of the past.
It’s unfair to marvel at the manner in which the Stormers have responded to the challenges of the past five months and then denounce a play-off failure as just another in a long line of mental mishaps.
Indeed, what the Stormers have succeeded in doing this year is convincing a lot of people that they could survive without several key players. In reality, how can a team be expected to go on and win a championship when they’ve lost the quality of Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen? The Crusaders are always a less daunting prospect when Richie McCaw and Dan Carter are unavailable, and as the recent season will confirm, the Bulls are easier to beat now that Victor Matfield and Fourie du Preez have moved on.
Every team must cope with injuries and losses, but the Stormers’ loose forward stocks were depleted to the point where they had lost their capable reserves as well as their stars.
Nick Koster and Nizaam Carr were ruled out, forcing Rynhardt Elstadt to move from lock to flank. Sanzar turned down the Stormers’ request to include Canadian Jebb Sinclair in the play-offs, necessitating Deon Fourie’s shift from hooker to No 8. Club players like Don Armand and Tyrone Holmes were also promoted to the greater squad.
The Stormers’ results may have convinced the rugby public that they were capable of absorbing the losses, and credit must go to the coaching staff as well as the youngsters for fueling that belief.
Eben Etzebeth, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi… these are the rookies who made it look so easy during the regular season; they convinced everybody that the gap between junior rugby and Super Rugby was really not that big. On Saturday, however, we were reminded exactly why experience is crucial in play-off matches.
Etzebeth was the exception in the semi-final, showing a temperament and attitude that belied his years, but the other youngsters in the Stormers side didn’t rise for the big occasion. As a result, the Stormers weren’t successful as a collective.
I’m not suggesting that the Stormers are absolutely without fault. I maintain that their kicking game is inadequate, and it was certainly a weakness in their most recent defeat.
Peter Grant has proved a match-winner in front of goal, but his line-kicking is not up to standard. Coach Allister Coetzee complained that the Stormers couldn’t get out of their half in Saturday’s semi-final, and Grant’s boot was partially to blame.
Usually this weakness is offset by the contributions of Dewaldt Duvenage and Joe Pietersen, but when those players don’t come to the party, the Stormers struggle to win the territorial battle.
The set piece is still an area of concern. Kitshoff has emerged as one of the finds of the season, but as a unit, that Stormers scrum has been too inconsistent. The lineout is not the force it was in 2010, as the hookers are struggling to find their jumpers. The much vaunted maul has also delivered an underwhelming showing.
While these shortcomings and areas of concern need to be addressed, there should also be some perspective. The injury situation has forced many forwards to play out of position, and the changes in personnel has often prevented the pack from settling, even if that lack of synergy has rarely been reflected in the results.
Somehow the Stormers managed to top the log with what they had, somehow they managed to convince many people that they had a shot at winning the title. And who knows, if they had won through to a home final, it may have been possible.
There are reasons to feel encouraged if you consider that Burger and Vermeulen will be back for the 2013 season and a number of youngsters will be going into their second season with plenty of starting experience.
While there should never have been an expectation to win the 2012 trophy following the loss of so many key players, there will be great expectations for the Stormers to go all the way in 2013.
For now, a little perspective should ease the pain that accompanies a play-off defeat. Fans and critics must also accept the fact that the Stormers were beaten by the most complete side in the tournament.
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249 Comments
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30 Jul 2012, 09:34 am
The Stormers had a great season. They implemented their coaches plan of playing 10 man conservative rugby and were successful beyond the limitations of the plan. They were top of the log and and only lost because they no longer know how to play winning rugby, only rugby were you don’t lose.
30 Jul 2012, 09:34 am
My perspective……
on the day just not good enough….
nothing more but just that!
30 Jul 2012, 09:36 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-98: You think we don’t have a more than decent little wine meander round these parts?
30 Jul 2012, 09:38 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-95: Difference , lets just talk last 11 years
3 S12/S14 titles
can remember, but about 5 cc titles
Campare that to 1 cc in 2001
I gues with actual competitions won you should have some bragging rights, difference is Strompies have won nothing and you claim all the bragging rights.
30 Jul 2012, 09:40 am
The more I read this article the more embraboer it sounds.
One long pseudo wankfest.
I want to hear from Willie how the de facto favourites could have lost this when they were wearing their status like a glove?
30 Jul 2012, 09:43 am
Cheers. Ek’s weg. Ontbyt.
30 Jul 2012, 09:48 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-103:
De Grendel is a decent drop.
Tell me more.
Do you do tours?
Where can I book?
30 Jul 2012, 09:50 am
@capebull-89:
are you an actor…?
must be with all your dramatics and theatrics…
30 Jul 2012, 09:51 am
@Transformation-94:
that doesn’t even make sense…
30 Jul 2012, 09:56 am
This is one stupid article. Can’t claim injuries, sorry it’s just never an excuse. The Stormers were fantastic this season and have bred some brillaint young players but all teams had to deal with Injuries..
30 Jul 2012, 09:56 am
@ufo-108: Just accept the facts , Strompies are not as good as you say they are.
30 Jul 2012, 09:57 am
@ufo-109: you’re right, seeing the old man frazzled WASN’T nice… whew
30 Jul 2012, 10:02 am
Hippocrates!! we must all now jump behind the sharks after you never supporterd the stormers? No sir!!
I will be delighted when the Chiefs mow down this Sharks team that mede my team a bunch of chokers!!
Simple as that!! And JC did never imply they lost due to injuries!! He only states that the stormers did well this season after so many injuries.. take of those glasses and see what is actually in front of yourselves..
Chiefs by 20… it is true!!
30 Jul 2012, 10:05 am
@Provvas-113: Hmmm them grapes be soooouuuur!
30 Jul 2012, 10:06 am
@Provvas-113: Thats exactly why I don’t rate the Strompies or their support.
Its one thing to go at each other while your team is still there, once you are out, support the SA team or move to England or NZ
30 Jul 2012, 10:10 am
@Provvas-113:
How can you blame Hippocrates?
He’s been dead for over two thousand years.
You plank.
30 Jul 2012, 10:12 am
@capebull-111:
hehehe…
how good did I say they were…? you’re reading from the wrong script for your dramatic final scene…
i said before the game that the sharks were gonna be very hard to beat and would most probably go on to win the trophy… you see it’s easy to speak after the fact… i spoke up before the fact…
@Transformation-112:
your old man is obviously an excellent man..!!
30 Jul 2012, 10:13 am
@capebull-115: Why?
Why did you support the Sharks and not the stormers? You will give this excuse of they play better rugby or they are the better side etc etc, but deep down you know you just hate the stormers. So I am not allowed to hate the sharks a little bit after the weekend? No I will support the Chiefs because they ar ethe better side for the whole of the year.. yes.. 2 plays 6 so There you go!
As a stormers supporter, to back the sharks will be to hope that the sharks become the second SA team to win this thing…. nope, I will support the Chiefs…
30 Jul 2012, 10:16 am
Based on last season’s results and performances the Stormers should have known they need a powerhouse prop and perhaps a backline specialist. Get destroyed by the Franks brothers in last year’s home semi and get destroyed by Beast and co this past Saturday. We couldn’t score tries last year either.
I will blame the coaching staff. The same mistakes were made as the previous year. They players lacked BMT and looked rusty and useless after a 1 week break. We were as predictable as a family braai on a Sunday afternoon.
Time for the junior coaches that actually win stuff to get promoted.
30 Jul 2012, 10:18 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-116: OK gunther…. Mr spellchecker.. Tweegat jakkals back stabbing Bulls supporters dan!! Is dit beter vir jou? verstaan jy dit ook nou daar van Tswane met n IK van 3….. dis nou as jy jou ma en pa saamtel..
30 Jul 2012, 10:20 am
@capebull-115: Using bragging rights that are already grey with age is no way to justify an argument in the NOW. Ask the Pom soccer fraternity how this works.
@Skeppie-114: I’m being brutally honest when I say that because this a provincial competition, it is franchise against franchise – not nation against nation IMHO. I just find it unnatural to support another franchise with as much passion as what I support my own (ok apart from the Blues). I would like the Sharks to win, but I don’t mind if the Chiefs win. And contrary to belief, I don’t hate any other teams, I just don’t SUPPORT any teams apart from my 2 faves. If I supported every Saffa team with passion (in the way the Bulls lot are declaring their allegiance on forums, in homes, at offices etc), what is the point of having a fave team. What I want to win, is the Rugby championship, cos that’s nation against nation.
@capebull-115: You sound feeble as sin. This is a provincial competition. Do I support Chelsea when Man U are knocked out? Or Real Madrid when Barcelona are knocked out? Do I mind if the Sharks win – NO. Do I mind if they lose – NO. Ditto for the Chiefs.
30 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
Hehehehehehehehehehe….
30 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
Hahahahahahahahahaha….
30 Jul 2012, 10:21 am
BOOM!
30 Jul 2012, 10:22 am
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA….
30 Jul 2012, 10:22 am
Dynamite Destiny…
Tastes good.
30 Jul 2012, 10:24 am
Ok my take on the game and our season. The simply truth is we failed. End of story , this **** utter BS written by JC is a joke.
How can we even think to start using the fact we were dealt a hard hand re injuries ? So what ? The sharks may I remind you all
also had some very key players out like Lambie and Jordaan ! Lets not forget also that one of the best loosies in SA (Willem
Alberts) was forced to play lock for them as well. The stormers lost not becos we dont have the players , not becos we dont have
the commitment but becos we play the game not to lose and not play the game to win.
Common , we have seen this before for a few years now at the stormers and the Boks. Its frustrating as hell to watch how we fail
to kill off teams like the rebels and the lions who with no disrespect to them we should have killed off. I said at the time while
I was happy that we were winning I was not sure if I want the champion Super team to be a team that plays not to lose and that
cannot score tries.
The game of rugby is after all about scoring tries !! Not penalties. Its really simple , you have 15 players and their job is to
get you into a position to cross the oppositions tryline with the ball. Conversions and penalties are bonuses. A drop goal can
still be seen as a skill becos its in the arena of live play but the Stormers really only played to get the ball in the
oppositions half and wait for them to err and kick the ball over. Its like playing for a 0-0 draw in soccer and hoping that the
penalty shootout goes your way becos your keeper is a better defender most of the times and your shooters are safe bets. Kark
man.
The problem with the Stormers is at Exec level and coaching. Winning the 2007 WC could have been one of the worst things ever to
happen to a coach like AC becos it only supported the safe rugby approach he is drilling in at WP rugby. We are paying now for 5
years for that and the irony is that the architect of it all Jake White has moved away from that way of playing as evident the way
the Brumbies play. The way we played in 2007 was okay , we won the WC and it worked then , surely though we should move on cos
the rest of the world has.
On Saturday the sharks halfbacks showed us how to control a game and how there is a time to kick and a time to run. The stormers
halfbacks seem to have a pattern of running and kicking , like they time it per move. Its like Grant thinks that after 3 runs he must now kick the ball no matter what the situation says. There is absolutely nothing wrong with kicking the ball and in fact Ludik scored a great try from a very clever kick but like anything in life there has to be a purpose in the action , not just the action and a hope.
I really feel for the players and guys like Kollisi , Kitschoff and they would have learned a heck of a lot from this , others like Etzebeth and Elsted played above their years and as long as players like them are around there is hope. For the Stormers to want to win anything they are going to have to start changing their halfbacks though. I really hope the rumours of Janjies and Sarel Pretorius are true.
From a stormers perspective the highlight for me was the run by Etzebeth , not that I would want Bissy to get injured but I was very happy that it was against him cos he is as hard as they come . It was the moment Etzebeth said , I have landed !! One of those highlights that will be shown for years.
Good luck to the sharks and may the best team win this weekend.
30 Jul 2012, 10:26 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-121: Yip!! No need to move to another coutnry to support the team I believe deserve to win the comp!!
The thing with the bulls supporters is: they did not want the stormers to win cause that way they can carry on justifying their same old excuse: we won it 3 times.. you last won a cup in 2001.. bla bla bla!!
They know that were the stormers champs they would have to tweak the rants to : but you only won it once etc etc…
I believe the Chiefs should win the comp after their season, not the sharks.. simple as that!!
30 Jul 2012, 10:26 am
@<a href="#comment-21@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-121:
when are we doing the route?
91109″>Provvas-120:
let it out buddy.
you are amongst friends here.
30 Jul 2012, 10:27 am
@wp_boytjie-119: Don’t get your emotions confused with mine.
I supported the Sharks cause they play ry=ugby , what the Strompies do is not Rugby.@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-121: So on what base are you then bragging….nothing ?
30 Jul 2012, 10:29 am
@Provvas-128: Accept ther facts, by the way Bulls 0/21 35 Wp 23
30 Jul 2012, 10:30 am
@Provvas-68: best chance of winning the trophy (not some little trinket trophy) absolute Bullshit you are talking there.
If they cannot beat a jet lagged tired guppy team then there is no way I hell will they beat a fresh Chiefs team. Get it?
30 Jul 2012, 10:31 am
@Provvas-118: I don’t understand your mentality? I would think all real SA rugby supporters would back a south african team? I am a sharks supporter through an through but will always backtg he Stormers or Bulls when they play teams from oversea’s.
30 Jul 2012, 10:31 am
@capebull-130: You I had kinda mixed feeling on Saturday when the sharks scored their second try. As a stormers I was gutted but as a rugby fan I really enjoyed the play of the sharks .
30 Jul 2012, 10:32 am
@sparticus-127: I salute you
30 Jul 2012, 10:33 am
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-121: I understand what you are saying but for me personally it’s always country first. I get almost as excited (not quite but almost) to watch the Bulls play the Saders or Stormers play the Brumbies as I do watching my beloved Sharks.
30 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
@the artist formerly known as gunther-129:
I see myself as a true Stormers supporter!! And the loss was not easy to swallow…. I do not know if I should be angry or just upset at the way we lost… I am sure most true supporters feel this way… feel the pain with the team..
@Skeppie-133: It is simple… this is a provincial comp… there have been hate between Wp and bulls since they played each other… Never ever does a bulls supporter deep down support the Stormers in any game.. believe me… just like the Wp supporter dont want the bulls to win… it is really that simple.. Come the Tri nations and players play along in the green jersey… different Story!! I cant wait to support JP in the rugby championship, but while he wears black and white….
30 Jul 2012, 10:38 am
@Provvas-128:
exaclty.
I’ll be happy if either of the finalists win.
They both deserve to be there.
30 Jul 2012, 10:44 am
@Provvas-137: Well I suppose I have to respect that it is after all a provincial comp but for me personally I will alwasy back a saffa team. I can also empathise with your post to Gunther, it is not surprising that you feel like that after losing but the Stormers have a lot to be proud of, topping the table to me is as good as winning the whole thing.
30 Jul 2012, 10:46 am
@capebull-111:
Still better than the Bulls, at least.
I don’t actually care who wins the final on Saturday as my team is not playing.
If the Sharks do the near impossible and win, good for them and they’ll have my respect for their achievement.
If the Chiefs win…pffft…who cares?
30 Jul 2012, 10:49 am
i would seriously consider jpp at 13 for the boks with frans at 12…
30 Jul 2012, 10:52 am
I disagree with you. The game plan adopted by the Stormers was pathetic. They kicked away possession to a dangerous back 3 and played with no confidence. In fact, the only started playing in the 71st minute and backed themselves. It looked as though they had traveled rather than the Sharks….badly prepared and badly executed. No excuses!!!
30 Jul 2012, 10:55 am
What a weekend, second in a row.
Sharks and Cameron.
I feel for the Stormers supporters, you had a great year and came close but unfortunately you faced a team that is really playing great rugby at the moment.
And how about Bissie standing up and be counted after being hit by that monster Etzebeth. Lesser players would have shrinked away after that hit.
I’m so proud of the boys and believe we can do it again this weekend. Just believe Sharkies and the sky is the limmit.
And please Bulls and Stormers, stop your fighting.
30 Jul 2012, 10:56 am
@ufo-141: Nope. JPP did not perfrom there earlier in the season. We need a big wing like him. That was stormers biggest weak link at the back three.. They have Joe and Aplon which are small players and Habana is not very big himself.. You need a big wing to enforce some size when it comes to gary owens etc..
The boks can do really well with aplon, JPP as wings… for fullback.. I am not sure Lambie is the answer….
30 Jul 2012, 10:57 am
@capebull-130:
Are you lost
30 Jul 2012, 11:00 am
@ufo-141: Bad idea. JPP had a good game last weekend but overall he was not good at 13 this year. A good example was against the Lions when Mapoe smoked him more than once. Leave JPP on the wing.
30 Jul 2012, 11:01 am
Ok on to better things!!
Bok team should be:
1. Jannie
2. Etsebeth biaatch Bissy
3. Beast
4. Etsebeth
5. Bekker
6. Kolisi
7. Alberts
8. Duane
9. Hougaard
10.Lambie
11. Habana
12. Frans Steyn
13 JDV
14 JPP
15. really do not know!! Do not rate Taute, Lambie or Le roux here..
30 Jul 2012, 11:07 am
@ufo-141: Hi UFO – we were totally outplayed. Let’s hope the Sharks can create history – it will be extremely difficult. If they do however it will be a big “up yours” to jetlag and other travelling reasons. Duvenhage was very poor – took the wrong options often: the guys were so set on defence that they forgot to attack when it was on to play. Pietersen and Grant also did not play well, but hats off to the Sharks!!
On a different topic: we spoke about Chris October, the coach. He has just been appointed as SA U/20 coach, so he is still around – good to know. I just don’t know where he is coaching during the rest of the season.
Now I first have to wait before I get the “you are posting too quickly, please slow down” message. It has happened 3 times this morning already
30 Jul 2012, 11:08 am
@Provvas-147: That team list is proof that the average Stormers supporter got farkall knowledge whatsoever about who’s who in the playing zoo and indeed about the game played in Sharks heaven to boot…
For starters, Beast is 1 and Doc DuP is 3…
You poor sod… Maybe I been a bit harsh and the trauma of realising your League “Topping”, Conference Title “Holding”, “Finals” rugby playing team is no match for either of the sides who are actually contesting the Final Proper
Yip…Chiefs vs Sharks… The best 2 teams, playing the best rugby in Super Rugby this year, contesting the Final…
As it should be….
But then again maybe I am not been harsh enough, for your plain ignorance…. Heyneke Meyer you definitely are not
30 Jul 2012, 11:10 am
@Provvas-147: Not a bad side but Kolisi in for Schalk?
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