Invest in Elton and Jan
25 Feb 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes the Stormers coaching staff must persist with Elton Jantjies and the Bulls must play Jan Serfontein.
Jantjies did not play any of the Stormers pre-season matches because of his father’s death three weeks ago and his performance did not betray the turmoil of what he has had to endure. His mind is understandably burdened and he showed the hesitancy of a player lacking in game time. He will get better but he can only do so if he plays.
Peter Grant is back from Japan this week, but it would be unfair on Jantjies to start Grant. Jantjies is an outstanding goal kicker and his failure at Loftus was not consistent with what he has produced in his Super Rugby career, which before Saturday’s match was an 80 percent success rate. His goal kicking, in particular, suffered at Loftus as he failed to convert four successive attempts at goal. It won’t easily happen again.
Joe Pietersen was introduced to provide a secondary goal kicking option and immediately succeeded with a touchline conversion and added two more successful kicks. It proved insufficient on the night.
Lions imports Jantjies, Jaco Taute and Pat Cilliers must have felt they were in familiar territory as the Stormers failed to get going in the first half and the feeling of defeat would have been all too familiar. It will change for all three players and for the Stormers who will win more this season than they will lose.
The Bulls were deserved winners, courtesy of their pack. Jantjies’s goal kicking had an influence in the flow of the match but it is not the reason the Stormers lost. The pack was second in the primary set phases, both at the scrum and at the line out, and the backs, like the Bulls backs, were guilty of too much lateral movement.
Jantjies in the first 40 minutes got very little quality ball to work with and played most of the half on the back foot. The Bulls attacked his channel and the youngster’s defence on the night was not of the required standard. It was a poor start for Jantjies but scrum half Nick Groom was equally sluggish and was also done no favours by his beaten pack of forwards.
The more experienced Dewald Duvenhage, whose line kicking game is stronger than Groom’s should have been introduced earlier, although it was up front where the match outcome was determined.
Victor Matfield’s influence in disrupting the Stormers ball was obvious. Matfield’s presence, even though it is now confined to a coaching and technical capacity, is massive and a lot of teams are going to curse the fact that Matfield is back with the Bulls, even if it isn’t in a playing guise. There is no better exponent of the line out in the world and the Bulls master identified that Deon Fourie, for all his skill at the break down, can implode at line out.
Fourie struggled with his throwing in against the Bulls and it affected his match contribution.
The Bulls pack was good and Pierre Spies, along with flyhalf Morne Steyn, prospered. Spies won the battle of the No 8s against Bok incumbent Duane Vermeulen, with the latter a victim of his tight five’s failure to dominate the hosts. Steyn’s tactical kicking was special, as was his flawless goal kicking and he also took the honours against fellow Bok Jantjies, who was spared nothing on social forums and in the Cape media.
The Bulls backs lack the x-factor on attack and SA under 21 centre Jan Serfontein must be played sooner rather than later. He will give the attack that individual brilliance that unlocks defences. Collectively, against a defence as good as the Stormers, the Bulls never threatened or looked likely to score a try, despite an overwhelming first half possession advantage.
The Sharks tight forwards – and desperate defence – were the pillars of the Sharks victory in Bloemfontein. Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen missed his first three kicks at goal but the Bok flyhalf, playing his first competitive match since August last year, also got significantly better as the game developed and centre Johan Sadie showed glimpses of the form that made him such an exciting prospect with the Stormers.
Pat Lambie, like Steyn at Loftus, excelled at flyhalf and was the beneficiary of his tight forwards’ dominant effort.
Tournament newcomers the Kings were huge defensively. They were brave and passionate and they fed off the emotion of their historic home debut. Luke Watson, in the first 30 minutes, led from the front before injury ended his night, his replacement Jacques Engelbrecht made a big impact, lock Steven Sykes was colossal, hooker Bandisi Maku was industrious and the midfield of Andries Strauss and Ronnie Cooke were composed. The night’s headlines went to 18 year-old winger Sergeal Petersen who scored two tries on debut.
The season will get significantly tougher for a Kings squad lacking the necessary squad depth, but already they have made a statement of what is possible if there is greater investment in the region.
The New Zealand teams were all-round the most impressive although they won’t always be able to play with a similar fluidity when confronted by the tougher and more physical South African forwards, especially when playing the Sharks, Stormers and Bulls in South Africa.
The Tahs were disappointing in losing to the Reds and the Brumbies clearly are the best coached team in Australia and the best performing after two rounds.
167 Comments
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25 Feb 2013, 15:10 pm
@mxhosa-150:
ren-a-quote = rent-a-quote
25 Feb 2013, 15:52 pm
@Heavens Game-142:
And yet again, more hot air.
Cant validate anything you say. Just childish BS.
25 Feb 2013, 16:02 pm
The stormers lost the game on the board by not coverting their kickable chances at goal. Simple as that.
But they were dominated in the forwards, from the front row to the loose forwards, Spies had a good game, he is looking strong. We got smashed in the scrums, must have given away 9 points there and also got bullied at the breakdown.
Elton missed his kicks at goal so he cost us the game technically, but really, on the field we lost the game upfront.
Elton’s on field play wasn’t spectacular but it wasn’t terrible either. Ditto for Taute. By their standards it was a poor showing though.
If I were to single out the 3 biggest culprits for a tunnel after the game it would be Steven, Elton and Deon. But mostly Deon, he was just abysmal in the one role that is most important for his postion: Line out throwing. If you cannot even find Andries then you are having a really kuk day.
25 Feb 2013, 16:12 pm
NZ teams looked good ’cause nobody was tackling or really doing all that much physical anything. Nice flowing rugby, but they’ll be murdered if they try that against SA.
Unfortunately as soon as a South African side is involved, we’re back to percentage/boring rugby.
25 Feb 2013, 16:26 pm
Where can I find a clip on the internet of Meisikind running over and trapping Jantjies? need a new screen saver.
25 Feb 2013, 16:31 pm
@Stawm-152: Fuckoff and scroll by then… Take your Poppers with you too…
Farken emo twit…
25 Feb 2013, 16:34 pm
@stormersboy-153: Generaly you okes were kak to be honest with Elton spearheading it. I have a bit of sympathy for the guy given his situation with his dad but I’m sure he’ll bounce back. Taute on the other hand…..I really dont know
25 Feb 2013, 16:42 pm
@KWAGGA ROBERTSE-157: Generally we were, true.
25 Feb 2013, 16:51 pm
I hope the Stormers supporters like “skopdiekan” keep on and Jantjies will come running back to the Lions in a flash, you should appoint “Skop die Kan” as your selector he is clueless.
25 Feb 2013, 16:57 pm
Skop im a huge fan of Deon. But im not blind. He play his best rugby at 6. Even you should admit it. Stormers had a line out on the bulls tryline and deon fuckit up. Not saying hes bad. Just not at hooker, please. I would give elton another game or three. He will come around.
25 Feb 2013, 19:47 pm
I always invested my money in Elton Jantjies, that is to lose matches
About 85% in SR,
25 Feb 2013, 20:29 pm
Why should the Stormers persist with Jantjies? He can’t tackle his grandmother and they’ll target him all day long. And his goal kicking is second rate.
What’s so special about him? Oh **** I forgot…he’s a quota.
25 Feb 2013, 22:51 pm
I always knew the 5 second rule is going to help the Bulls. and thats that. (Stay fit)
25 Feb 2013, 22:52 pm
@Mugabe-162: WHY ooooh Why!!!? Why me!
26 Feb 2013, 15:50 pm
@stormersboy-153:” Spies had a big game”.Well done Stormersboy for giving credit when deserved.
Am not a Bulls supporter.Good to see someone w ho is not a bandwagon
poster
26 Feb 2013, 22:53 pm
Jantjies couldn’t do it at the lions and won’t do it at the stormers.
26 Feb 2013, 22:55 pm
Who buys all these loser lions players? Pathetic to say the least.
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