Stormers sneak thriller
9 Mar 2013
The Stormers dramatically beat the Chiefs 36-34 at Newlands.
The win was vital for the Stormers who lost their first two matches and tournament champions the Chiefs will have the comfort of two bonus points, even if they will feel aggrieved at not having being awarded a kickable penalty with the final play of the game.
It was an unfortunate end to a wonderful contest in which both teams played with enterprise and conviction. The Chiefs were the more cynical and lost two players to to the sin bin for professional fouls.
The Stormers, disappointing against the Bulls and dour against the Sharks, finally produced a performance balanced in defence and attack.
Gio Aplon scored twice and Nic Groom finished off a sustained period of Stormers attack to take the Stormers past 30 points, but it needed a fifth Joe Pietesen penalty to give the Stormers a two score cushion in the final 10 minutes.
The Chiefs were outstanding in their attack variation and flyhalf Aaron Cruden unlocked the Stormers defence with astute grubber kicks. Two such kicks resulted in tries but another misfired and the Stormers scored through Aplon.
Stormers No 8 Duane Vermeulen was aggressive and determined as the home forwards fronted the physicality of the Chiefs. Siya Kolisi and Andries Bekker were equally prominent and with the pack playing with early momentum the Stormers halfbacks of Groom and Elton Jantjies played with authority. It was disappointing that both were substituted within an hour.
The Chiefs are a quality side and even on a day in which their discipline was dubious and there was no sustained fluency to their attack they could have scored a bonus point win.
There will be discussion about Pyper’s refereeing and the Chiefs will make an argument that the home team got favourable decisions, but that’s par for the course in this competition. Pyper was not the reason the Stormers won and he wasn’t the reason the Chiefs lost.
The neutral would have settled on a draw because of the entertainment value, but in the context of South Africa’s tournament challenge the home team will know it was imperative the spectacle ended with a win.
And fullback Joe Pietersen’s unerring boot, in kicking eight from eight, made the win possible, if only just.
By Mark Keohane
471 Comments
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9 Mar 2013, 21:38 pm
This was the first time that Jantjies should have had a run on spot at Stormers he should have been eased in rather than chucked into the deep end.. If we’d have started either of the other options vs Sharks and Bulls and given Jantjies chance to settle like he has shown he’s doing only now 3rd game in then I reckon Stormers could have been 3 / 3 instead of 1 / 3 at this juncture.
9 Mar 2013, 21:38 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged as dog food-350:
I still don’t see what all the hype about Taute is, but maybe that’s just me.
I reckon if Jantjies is merely by us as a 6 months stopgap and not going to kick, then IMO we wasted 2 million and a polo and could have invested that money long term
9 Mar 2013, 21:40 pm
Joe P must retain his run on spot and not at wing.. Taute if ets better must share 13 with De Allende or JdV who would then go inside to 12.. though all 3 players are better at 13 than anywhere else on the field.. So De Allende JdV and taute are all actually 13 options with only De Jongh our real no 12 option.. Pietersen is better than Taute at 15 and also better than Jantjies with ALL the kicking duties.
9 Mar 2013, 21:59 pm
And for a second most ‘kenners’ thought Kolisi was a ‘one season wonder’.
9 Mar 2013, 22:02 pm
With Habana’s injury leaves door open to play De Allende at 14, Aplon 11, JdV 13 De Jongh 12 and Taute 13 or 15 off bench
Kolisi had mammoth game tonight if he would have scored off that back of the maul break where they kept him 1 mt out he should have been MOM.
9 Mar 2013, 22:08 pm
Plenty Stormers fanboys said during the week that from supporting the Stormers since dinosaurs roamed the Earth they would not waste their money on tickets to Newlands to watch the team play. So where are these Roamin Gladiolis? These ‘Hi’Land FeintHearts? These Blights of the Bound Fable? These Sir Dancealofts? Where are these fairweather fanboys who condescend to support their team only if and when their team wins? These copycats of Keegan Daniel who will only attend a match if ‘they’ win?
Let me report to these flipfloppers that they were not missed at a crowded vibrant Newlands today when the Stormers played very good positive rugby. And oh yes, WE won. I am issuing these Sparletta 300s notice…
DBCNM
(Dont Bother Coming Next Match)
9 Mar 2013, 22:11 pm
@skopdiekan-353: you really are a nasty piece of work. The least you can do is to acknowledge Jantjies’ performance properly. He shoved your acidic word towards him right down your ***** *** throat.
The weakness in the Stormers is still Joe P. he was a bit better today, but take away his goal kicking and you not left with much. In fact, if you get your wish and replace Jantjies with Grant, Joe is even more of a luxury in the team. How was Joe’s fumble from the kick-off?
9 Mar 2013, 22:12 pm
For those who wrote off Andries Bekker. A fit Bekker is still the best lock in the country. Head and shoulders above all others and a quality inspirational leader on the field.
9 Mar 2013, 22:13 pm
@BudYza-356: easy there bud. 1 win. New lands is unlikely to be empty, because most of the fans go for the dancing girls and gees. The rugby is a distant second.
9 Mar 2013, 22:15 pm
what kind of a thoat is a ***** *** throat
Jantjies had a far better game and shows he shouldn’t have started either of the last 2 games where he cost Stormers 2 straight wins…
Stormers should have clinched this game within 60 minutes we should have had the bonus try wrapped up long before Chiefs were given open opportunities to get right back in it..
Joe P is not any liability in this setup.. he might be small and light but he makes up for it with a cool kicking head and courage in the tackle..
Thank goodness Joe P was taking the kicks tonight and not Jantjies otherwise it would have been another hopeless fiasco like the first game up where we went into half time 4 penalties missed from 4.
9 Mar 2013, 22:19 pm
Vermeulen – colossus
Kolisi – knight of shining armor
Bekker – colossus 11
Elstadt – colossus 111
Fourie – dancing dragon fighting tiger .. must just hold onto those last ditch try scoring opportunities better
Groom, Jantjies, Habana, De Allende, JdV, Aplon, Joe P. – work alike knights of the round table.
9 Mar 2013, 22:24 pm
Well done Jantjies. Keep putting these naysayers in their place. Fcking luv it.
De Allende was k4k 1st half but 2nd half a different player. Well done.
Stormers loosies was great tonight.
Good job.
I love a SA win over the Kiwi’s but Peyper shocking tonight. Chiefs could feel hard done by some of his calls.
Chiefs will be out for revenge next week. Get ready Kings.
9 Mar 2013, 22:27 pm
World thugby has a new face and new name. Its name is Brodie Retalick. 80 minutes of cheap cowardly off the ball hits charges blindsides illegal interferences and dirty play too many to enumerate. He fouled and infringed on Bekker all game but Bekker still outplayed him with ease.
Retalick was closely followed by many of his team mates and they were lucky to get just two yellow cards for repeated deliberate orchestrated and cynical fouls. The Chiefs showed a distinct lack of dignity and class when being outplayed by the Stormers in all departments. Obviously these players find it easy to be good guys when the tide ebbs in their favor but when it flowed against them today this ‘champion’ team resorted to every dirty trick they could muster. They are a disgrace to the competition and the sport.
Bakkies Botha has passed his bloody baton to Brodie Retalick.
9 Mar 2013, 22:34 pm
And those who think Elstadt should play 4. Watch this game repeatedly until it sinks through your skulls. Elstadt is a much better 7 than a 4. If he can deliver consistently he has every chance of making the Bok 7 jersey his own.
9 Mar 2013, 22:35 pm
RT @chrishwhelan: Season starts now. Well done, @thestormers @BrewerDHL http://t.co/g6mAxdZfwZ
9 Mar 2013, 22:37 pm
what dross. Peppers was dammit fair. The Chiefs clearly have it as part of their game plan to hold players in ahead of the ruck. a known about play too. Maybe Wayne Smith’s influence? Another clear tactic of theirs was to not have players rolling away after the tackle. And the clear instructions must have been to give away maul penalties as early as possible to give away less ground. They cheated so blatantly and so often that it almost gets embarrassing for the ref to penalise it Again. There was a stage where the Chiefs should have had about three men off the field. when they lost the first guy to not rolling away, then all of a sudden that tactic stopped, but then creeped in again towards the end. Very few ref’s would actually spot the obstruction that Peyper did. He is top class.
9 Mar 2013, 22:40 pm
Elstadt had a mammoth game tonight.. Elstadt finally starting to deliver the promise I saw in him at blind side flank beginning of 2011 already when I said he should become the next Juan Smith..
Though we pretty healthy in that department
Vd Walt, Viljoen and Labuschagne of Cheetahs today with P. Steff Du Toit, Kolisi, Louw, can all make big contributions to Boks alongside Alberts or Elstadt at No.7
Tough choice when you got 7 or 8 blind side flanks to choose from and you can only choose one or two.
9 Mar 2013, 23:00 pm
Stormers sneak thriller http://t.co/dMRuzFWG2E via @sharethis
9 Mar 2013, 23:31 pm
@nortierd-352:
“I still don’t see what all the hype about Taute is, but maybe that’s just me.”
You are not alone,
I am here with you…
I’ve been asking that question since last year already. Why did Mitchell AND Ackers prefer COETZEE at FB ahead of Taute?
I never got an answer. Some people tried to suggest that Taute has the POTENTIAL, I repeat, the POTENTIAL to become a great FB.
They said the same thing about Frans Steyn. I’m still waiting for him to show me WHY people thought that about him.
Btw, congrats on OUR team winning the game against the current champs. I know that Hondo will give credit to Peyper for the win and ignore the role that a guy like Aplon played. “lol:
No problem from my side.
5 points out of a possible 15 with two away games in the mix, is a good enough return for me. Before the tournament started, I was aiming for between 6-8, but I’ll take the 5.
9 Mar 2013, 23:33 pm
@skopdiekan-360: Fact: If Jantjies didn’t have the first to games he wouldn’t have had the game he had tonight.
Fact: Joe Pietersen, apart from his kicking was dire last week and tonight and cost the Stormers the first Chiefs try tonight
9 Mar 2013, 23:42 pm
@skopdiekan-367:
Skop, I’m sorry to say but I don’t agree with you. Elstadt for me was one of the players who did not stand up tonight.
I like the boy but he must impose himself way much more.
Bekker just continued where he stopped last week. What a game by the tallest outside centre in the world.
People who criticized him for not ever calling line out ball on him…their mouths were properly shut today. Today, he took responsibility for Stormers’ ball and sommer for Chiefs ball as well.
My Stormers MoM, two weeks in a row.
9 Mar 2013, 23:43 pm
@nama1-370: Look I am not a Bekker fan but he had a Stormer (sic) tonight
9 Mar 2013, 23:50 pm
@BudYza-364:
As a Stormers supporter, I don’t agree.
To play as a 7 for the Bokke, you measure yourself against 4 players imo. If you can measure up to those guys, by all means, then you are the right man for the job.
Gert Smal.
Ruben Kruger
Andre Venter
Juan Smith
You have to be at least close to their class to be considered for that position.
Elstadt still has a long way to go to get there.
9 Mar 2013, 23:57 pm
@Baylion-371:
He did.
Always good to hear someone giving a player his due even if he doesn’t “like” the player.
Bekker was great last week as well. Better than Deysel in the game imo. The Sharks won the game and Deysel got MoM.
So, if you are BAYlion, are you a Lion supporter vannie BAAI?
10 Mar 2013, 00:04 am
Congrats to the Stormers, majestic win. I am allways a little bit nervous about Peyper.Do not trust his bias judgement that much. Well done though for spotting and penalising the Chiefs of the ball infringements today. This practice of playing defenders off the ball must stop.
I think the Stormers showed the rest of the SA teams how to beat the chiefs. Strange though that the moment Duvenhage And Grant came on the tries dried up. Some Stormer supporters have still not put two and two together.
10 Mar 2013, 00:04 am
@nama1-373: Ja, but from the drinking village with a fishing problem, not PE
10 Mar 2013, 00:07 am
@nama1-373: My problem with Bekker is that he doesn’t do his jib in the tight phases but the way the Stormers scrummed shows he upped his game there as well
10 Mar 2013, 00:10 am
Congrats to the Sharks but the same old story as every year. Indifferent performances waiting for the magic click. With all that talent over the years you should have done much better and unlike the boomprophet and his blaffende hond I think the problem lie with Plumtree and co. Years and years of “just not good enough”
10 Mar 2013, 00:10 am
@jet jungle-374: Jantjies and Groom clicked tonight.. Jantjies plays so close to the advantage line that he pulls in two or three defenders opening space elsewhere while Grant hangs back and tries to make runs to a set defensive line
10 Mar 2013, 00:14 am
Lovely performance by the Cheetahs, but again dont they do it every year causing an upset or two. Hopefully with Goosen staying fit and Brussouw back in the team they can keep their snarl for longer this year. Last weeks last twenty against the Chiefs just made me sorry for the Cheetah fans.
10 Mar 2013, 00:15 am
Anyone who didn’t see Elstadt tear into and overpower some those big Chief 2nd row warriors tonight and carry the ball up with some menacing intent.. didn’t watch the same rugby game I watched. .. Elstadt was huge.. big contribution from the big ball carrying and hard crunching No.7 tonight.
10 Mar 2013, 00:16 am
@Baylion-378: Agree with you it is the only way your backline can be an attacking threat.
10 Mar 2013, 00:20 am
The Kings did well but i will be very suprised if they can keep it up. I would not start to gloat about them too soon. A long hard season ahead with limited talent. I like the way they kicked off though. Good luck to them.
10 Mar 2013, 00:21 am
@hendrikp-240:
“Anyway, gonna watch Sharks hand the Kings a proper hiding in peace.”
Did you enjoy the game?
@polaris-251:
There are 5 Kiwi teams in this competition.
Yes, we have a bad record against the Saders. Doesn’t mean we have a bad record against the Kiwis though. In fact, we have a great record against Kiwi teams the last 3 years or so.
10 Mar 2013, 00:25 am
Jantjies still put too much good ball on the boot.. and cost turnover that way.
Groom had a better game than last week also..
And Jantjies was only ready tonight definitely not 3 weeks ago where he single handed cost the game to Bulls.
Stormers first try was off a rehearsed team tactic close to Chiefs line where Jantjies took up the offensive draw position and popped it neatly inside to a storming in Aplon..
second try was from a miss grubber by Cruden that Eklstadt toed through for Aplon to pounce on.. and 3rd try was from a forward thrust movement which Groom rounded off close to the line…
Jantjies can be semi credited with the first try.. neither of the other 2.
Jantjies had a far better game as a result of all the pressure placed on him to deliver and needing to step out of his cocoon of over expectation… he is beginning to grow into the responsibility through sheer requirement to mature into the position. Thank goodness Pietersen is there to take the burden of the place kick responsibility off him else he could implode again like at Loftus.
10 Mar 2013, 00:33 am
@skopdiekan-384: Thanks to Pietersen the Chiefs scored their first try just as last week his poor high ball play cost he stormers at least 3 points.
10 Mar 2013, 00:34 am
@skopdiekan-384: @skopdiekan-384:Its only the brave flyhalves that plays on the gainline , so all that pressure come from the whole line standing closer to their opponents. You cannot give the Chiefs two or three metres, then its game over allready. It is only the talented flyhalves that play flat. You operate on instinct there.
10 Mar 2013, 00:38 am
@jet jungle-374:
“Strange though that the moment Duvenhage And Grant came on the tries dried up.”
Thank you for putting that into words.
For the life of me, why the hell was Groom subbed?
@Baylion-376:
If he is given that role, he’ll do it. Like in 2010 when he was assigned the role as “enforcer.” He did it with aplomb.
10 Mar 2013, 00:41 am
If it weren’t for Pietersens cool kicking head Stormers would have lost, the difference between Stormers and Chiefs tonight was the 8 kicks Pietersen converted otherwise Chiefs would have won.. if Jantjies was responsible for kicking like in Pta Stormers would have lost without doubt. Thank the god of rugby mercy it was Pietersen on the kicking tee and not Jantjies tonight.
Jantjies is a nuggety little player who must lose the attitude of entitlement he was fed on at Lions and then he will fit into the bigger team dynamic which he showed some definite attribute of gaining tonight. He must stop attempting half chance pop kicks and trust his outside backs which again he started doing better tonight.. The speed of service from Groom was far quicker and more efficient than last week which assisted the back line to get momentum off first and second phase ball.
10 Mar 2013, 00:45 am
@nama1-374:
Bekker shut me up tonight
He had a good game, but because the Chiefs contributed by allowing him to break tackles.
It looks good when he goes through gaps, but it doesn’t answer what the heck is he doing there in the centers or on the wing when the other forwards must fight in the mauls.
Against SA defenses they cut him down and we lose momentum.
Stil, as I said, tonight he looked very good and his line outs was exceptional
10 Mar 2013, 00:50 am
So all the 0 / 3 pundits.. Bulls and Sharks pundits declaring emphatically Stormers were going to emerge from today at a 0 / 3 devastating position .. where are they? Including the Philly fanny f’aggots who were baying with much enthusiasm how the AB Chieftains were going to slaughter the WP Stormers with gaylord abandon
10 Mar 2013, 00:51 am
nagmerrie tyd
10 Mar 2013, 00:51 am
@skopdiekan-389: Its what you call finding your feet. There is not a lot of humans out there that will walk into a new setup and start performing at optimum level, and I am sure there must be a little resentment from some members in the squad that he just walked in there. So the pressure is really on him. The entitlement issue I have never picked that up myself.
10 Mar 2013, 00:52 am
@skopdiekan-389: Maybe him and Grant should petition the IRB to create a kicker position like in gridiron football because apart from their kicking they’re not worth much
10 Mar 2013, 00:53 am
@nama1-388: Youre the one punting AC for the top job Nama
10 Mar 2013, 00:53 am
When Kolisi has a standout game, Stormers inevitably win.
10 Mar 2013, 00:55 am
@skopdiekan-391:
I’m relieved, more than anything.
I will confess I was not sure that we could pull this one off, but what I enjoyed most was the manner we played.
More purpose and intent and got some tries as well.
I hope we can break the 4 try bonus point hoodoo soon.
Also, credit and respect to the Chiefs.
To travel and score 4 tries against our defense is not something that happens often.
10 Mar 2013, 00:55 am
@skopdiekan-381:
Elstadt is a very good player, make no mistake. I rate him highly but he is no Smal, Kruger, Venter or Smith. That is the players to rate your 7 against.
Where do you rate him compared to the names I mentioned?
@skopdiekan-385:
Jantjies had a better game because the forwards (and Groom) had a better game. Much better protection of the ball by the forwards. Much better play by the loose trio. Much better service by Groom (because of the aforementioned points).
Grant cost us a bonus point when he went for the try with an overlap on his outside.
I’m still worried with the ease with which the Chiefs created and scored their tries. Says something about the lack of creativity from our side. What do you reckon?
10 Mar 2013, 00:56 am
@nama1-373: And the temper problem…. would not tune him k#k though.
10 Mar 2013, 01:07 am
@nortierd-390:
“…but because the Chiefs contributed by allowing him to break tackles.”
That’s not nice. Did the Saders “allow” Savea to break tackles yesterday?
Bekker is difficult to tackle because of his height. Where do you tackle him? His ankles, which is 2m from the ground or his hips, which is 5m from the ground.
He broke the tackles because, with his height, he is strong as well. Just watch his ability to keep opponents from going down to the ground when he is doing the tackling.
I just hope that he will last the full season without getting injured.
@jet jungle-395:
I’m one of those who say AC must vokkof from Stormers if we keep on playing the game, “not to lose” instead of playing to win.
No, my man. I don’t know where you get that from. Maybe from a Shark supporter. You are not one by any chance?
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