Stormers grunt starts up front
7 Mar 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes the emphasis should be on the Stormers forwards finding form and not the lack of form of Elton Jantjies and Gio Aplon.
All the newspaper headlines this week have been about how Saturday is a make or break game for Springbok flyhalf Elton Jantjies. It is amazing how each match Jantjies, just 22 years-old plays, comes with the pressure that if he doesn’t produce a world class performance his place is under threat. Sharks flyhalf Pat Lambi and Cheetahs flyhalf Johan Goosen don’t suffer similar scrutiny. The three represent South Africa’s Test match flyhalf options, especially with Morne Steyn’s confirmation of a move to Stade Francais. Jantjies deserves similar treatment to Lambie and Goosen.
I have written of the disservice done to Jantjies since the start of the competition and his 52 minutes against the Sharks was as good as what Lambie produced for the Sharks in a match in which there was nothing between the two teams and limited attacking opportunities. The difference is Lambie kicked four penalties and Jantjies wasn’t entrusted with the goalkicking.
Jantjies has a career Super Rugby strike rate of 80 percent and in 2011 produced a record goalkicking Currie Cup final performance, but his four misses in the season opener is seemingly will be held against him all season.
Gio Aplon has also come in for unwarranted criticism because he fumbled a slippery ball in what would have resulted in a probable try against the Sharks. Aplon has received little ball in the first two games, so just how he is in the firing line is beyond me. He has been no worse than Bryan Habana or a struggling and one-dimensional Stormers midfield.
The reality is a back division is only as good as the effort of the pack and the Stormers tight five, collectively, has been poor, which has resulted in the back row being equally ineffective. The knock on effect is that Nick Groom has had little protection at the base of the scrum or at ruck time. Groom’s service at scrumhalf has suffered because of this and this has put additional pressure on Jantjies and the midfield.
In the first two games there was minimal front foot ball for the Stormers halfbacks, so all the pressure should be on the pack to be strong at scrum, effective on their own ball in the lineout and more physical and stronger in the collisions.
The Stormers, in the two defeats, have physically been second and have lost the contact battle at the gain line. To beat the Chiefs this has to change. I believe it will and with the Stormers forwards finding their growl in the first home game of the season, so too will Jantjies find the form of 2012.
If the forwards again take a beating, so will Jantjies and every back outside of him.
205 Comments
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8 Mar 2013, 15:32 pm
@brains_trust-42: What does siza have to do with it? His default instinct is to kick. His passing isn’t that great, let alone his distribution
8 Mar 2013, 15:33 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-49:
He’s taking chances.
Probably hasn’t seen him play, but doesn’t like the choices he’s made so far – or his face.
8 Mar 2013, 15:34 pm
@Angostura-35: totally Kebble was so hyped as a 128kg monster than ran the 100m in 12 secs and allegedly popped Brock the Rock at his first Stormers training session….. only to be horribly shown up in the U20 WC and when the unknown Van Dyk came on our scrum started to dominate.
8 Mar 2013, 15:35 pm
Is it not ironic that to see that despite our differences in SA we have a lot in common?
When Afrikaners became affluent they started saying: My paw was ook daw – which means: my dad was also there
Now post 94 I increasingly hear in TV ads: cawstle light
So I’m saying that ‘aw’ sound is clearly an affluent SA sound
8 Mar 2013, 15:36 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-49: much like your comment. i commented on his rugby ability. you feel different, then present your views, but to ***** and moan is just a bit silly.
8 Mar 2013, 15:37 pm
@hendrikp-52: Hendrik, i trust you know rugby. My challenge to you is also to present a rugby analysis. If you can’t then rather not say anything. If Pollard proves me wrong, then so be it. My observation on him is based purely from what i’ve seen.
8 Mar 2013, 15:38 pm
@pompies2-51: my friend, are you judging Pollard on what he achieved as an 18 YO schoolboy playing @ 10 for the victorious baby bok U20 side?
I have watched him play for Gim and he is THAT good.
Size has a great deal to do with rugby, just ask Aplon, Joe P, Brussouw and Keegan.
8 Mar 2013, 15:41 pm
@pompies2-50:
maybe it was my imagination but i could’ve sworn a ball bounced off his head against the Sharks.
8 Mar 2013, 15:42 pm
@brains_trust-57:
“Size has a great deal to do with rugby, just ask Aplon, Joe P, Brussouw and Keegan” What are you trying to say with this statement? The guys you mentioned will tell you that rugby doesn’t have to be about size.
8 Mar 2013, 15:43 pm
@pompies2-56:
My analysis of him is…
He can kick. He can tackle. He can run.
He’s been one of the stand-outs in everything he does up until this stage. That may change as he faces more pressure rising through the grades, but I don’t think so given that he seems very confident in his own abilities and his physique will help him cope with the physical demands.
And he doesn’t just kick the ball. If you’re expecting a Quade Cooper/James O’Connor/Kurtley Beale type though, then you’ll definitely be disappointed.
8 Mar 2013, 15:43 pm
@brains_trust-57:
Size only 33.3% of what you need
Skills the rest: distribution, decision-making, retention
It is for that reason that we cannot even beat Australia consistently with only 70 players on their payroll
8 Mar 2013, 15:43 pm
@pompies2-59: don’t expect too many Bok caps to be handed out to them in the next 3 years.
8 Mar 2013, 15:45 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-58:
Wasn’t that Rhule? Or did it happen to both of them?
8 Mar 2013, 15:45 pm
@pompies2-55:
well you certainly wont get a lot of takers.
8 Mar 2013, 15:46 pm
@Sheriff-61:
OK – let me put it this way: would you have rather a 1.9m / 97kg flyhalf with speed, skills, cool temperament, accurate goal kicking, monster boot, huge defense, proven leadership and good distribution ….. or ELTON JANTJIES ?
8 Mar 2013, 15:47 pm
@brains_trust-65:
Elton Jantjies any day, but with a Mitchell’s Plain Town centre haircut
8 Mar 2013, 15:49 pm
@Sheriff-66: I surprised that Elton doesn’t slip more tackles with the oil slick of a ” hairstyle” (I use the work “haistyle” very loosely)
8 Mar 2013, 15:50 pm
@brains_trust-65:
8 Mar 2013, 15:53 pm
@brains_trust-67:
No there is nothing wrong with Elton’s hairstyle. Let him express himself.
Let’s afford him that opportunity.
I just want it be even cooler and I reckon the barbers in Ti-own Centre (down AZ Berman drive)
8 Mar 2013, 15:55 pm
@Sheriff-54: Nee. na my beskeie mening is dit slegs die ronding van die klinkers waarna jy verwys, & wat vir my nie-Transvaalse oor net tipies Transvaals is – ‘n Mens **** dit nie so seer in die ander streke nie. Ek twyfel baie sterk dat dit noodwendig ‘n aanduiding van welgesteldheid is.
8 Mar 2013, 15:57 pm
@Angostura-70: hmmm, crazy site this
**** = h_oor
8 Mar 2013, 15:58 pm
@hendrikp-52:
yip
something like that.
@hendrikp-63:
i dont watch Kiwi teams play and will only make am exception for one, at most two, of their teams against the Bulls. so unless you’re referring to the Cheetahs-Sharks game i dont know.
Joe P fielded a high ball or a pass infield and it looked to me like it bounced off his head, i might be wrong of course.
8 Mar 2013, 16:01 pm
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-72:
Oh okay.
I think it happened to Rhule last week versus the Chiefs. He went up to take a high ball and it hit him square on the head.
Wouldn’t have happened to Habs
8 Mar 2013, 16:02 pm
@Angostura-70:
So you reckon it has to do with the rounding of the vowels?
I’m not so sure…
It would seem to me that the more affluent you gauge yourself to be the higher the likelihood that the ‘aw’ sound will proceed from your mouth
Can I have one ice cold cawstle light please?
Bye julle, daw is my paw nou net om my op te laai
Can you hear it?
8 Mar 2013, 16:02 pm
@Angostura-71:
Keo and co cant spell w h o r e in afrikaans.
8 Mar 2013, 16:04 pm
Keo
Who is Lambi
A Disney animated character?
8 Mar 2013, 16:04 pm
@Angostura-70:
Transvaal?
8 Mar 2013, 16:06 pm
@Stawm-75:
Bedoel jy ‘n hoer?
8 Mar 2013, 16:06 pm
where is that doos suffer_guy?
8 Mar 2013, 16:08 pm
i’ve got tickets to the presidential suite for tomorrow, holla @ ya dude!
8 Mar 2013, 16:09 pm
@Sheriff-74: ja, well, we’ll have to differ on that.
When I hear people speak like that I tend to ask them (rhetorically) whether they are from the Transvaal, & invariably they answer in the affirmative. Perhaps then it is just an indication that on average “Transvalers” are more affluent than “Oos-Kapenaars”, which of course I’d be stupid to deny
BTW, does that pauper Rupert speak Afrikaans like that?
8 Mar 2013, 16:10 pm
@Transformation-80:
I’ll be on my presidential couch
8 Mar 2013, 16:12 pm
@willievz-76:
Keohane desperately needs a proofreader before any more of his credibility slips down the tubes
Or maybe it was the dog
8 Mar 2013, 16:12 pm
@Angostura-81:
Don’t know him personally.
We can ask Jake White; his wife is friends with Johann’s wife
So you don’t recognize the new names of our provinces eg Gauteng?
8 Mar 2013, 16:13 pm
@hendrikp-78: hahahaaaa
“h_oor” is banned, but not so “hoer”
8 Mar 2013, 16:14 pm
@Transformation-80:
Affluent?
8 Mar 2013, 16:16 pm
@Angostura-85:
some hores are not worth leaving out.
8 Mar 2013, 16:16 pm
@Angostura-85:
Dalk is die h_oore iets vieslik wat ons nie eers van weet nie.
8 Mar 2013, 16:16 pm
@Sheriff-84: of course, I do
But Afrikaners don’t speak Gautengs, they speak Afrikaans, & that is exactly my point that Afrikaans Gautengers, don’t pronounce vowels in Gautengs but in Transvaals – capiche?
8 Mar 2013, 16:18 pm
@Angostura-89:
Jaw ek verstawn
8 Mar 2013, 16:19 pm
@Sheriff-84:
Jake is still married?
So what he does on tour really does stay on tour then.
8 Mar 2013, 16:19 pm
@Angostura-89:
Sharif sees a racist under every rock
8 Mar 2013, 16:20 pm
If I have it my way I will give people a chance until say end of Dec 2013 to speak Afrikaans in South Africa; thereafter no more
I reckon we will shut the language down entirely by end Dec 2018
8 Mar 2013, 16:20 pm
@Dawn-92:
8 Mar 2013, 16:21 pm
@hendrikp-91:
Can you elaborate on your statement which you have failed to transform into a question?
8 Mar 2013, 16:21 pm
@Sheriff-93:
Here’s some Afrikaans for you
jy praat ‘n klomp bollie
8 Mar 2013, 16:22 pm
Dawn is a razist
8 Mar 2013, 16:23 pm
@Dawn-96:
Bollie?
As in ‘Bollie die konyn’
The only konyn I know is Mark Konyn
8 Mar 2013, 16:23 pm
@Sheriff-93: Why is that, Sheriff?
As it is I hardly ever speak Afrikaans, yet I’m so proud that I’m at least fully bilingual … & now you want to take that away from me.
8 Mar 2013, 16:24 pm
Angostura se tesis is korrek.
Die verskil in uitspraak is ‘n streek-ding, nie ‘n inkomstegroep-ding nie.
Die Kapenaars sê “a” – soos in “my pa”.
Die Transvalers sê “aw” – soos in “my paw”.
Al die ryk Afrikaners wat ek ken praat Engels
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