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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10 Mar 2013, 01:09 am
@nortierd-390: Never sure how I feel about him, but today he was a leader that galvanized the troops.
10 Mar 2013, 01:11 am
@nama1-400:
Fair point, let me rephrase.
He looked good because he managed to break tackles, but it doesn’t change the fact that he enjoys the fancy stuff more than the hard graft.
Maybe it’s their game plan, and he is supposed to be in the backline, who knows?
If so, then all good
10 Mar 2013, 01:14 am
@skopdiekan-392:
“nagmerrie tyd”
Gepraat van “nagmerrie tyd”.
Dis wat die Bulls ondersteuners nou deurmaak. Arme sotte.
Nadat Tac nou al die afgelope drie weke vir ons probeer vertel het hoedat ons 0/3 sal wees na die naweek, kry hy nou nagmerries oor hoe sy span op hul moer kry oor ‘n paar uur.
Ek het g’n simpatie nie. Mog die Blues hulle goed op hul moer speel.
10 Mar 2013, 01:15 am
Well played Stormers. Pity the neanderthals got two bonus points though. Will be great if the Kings could pull off an upset next weekend.
10 Mar 2013, 01:18 am
@nama1-400: We had this conversation Nama about giving AC another four years as HM had the same luxury or was I talking to myself, that happen sometimes. My wife worries about that.
10 Mar 2013, 01:23 am
@Dusky-404:
Thanks
Congrats to your team, 3 from 3 of which two were away games is a very nice start
10 Mar 2013, 01:23 am
@nama1-403: Wys jou net hoe kan jy jou misjudge met mense ek het altyd gedink jy’s n closet bull supporter. Ons bou op die oomblik ek hoop net ons bou om klaar te kry en nie om besig te bly…soos bv. die Stormers en Sharks.
10 Mar 2013, 01:24 am
@nortierd-402:
I think it is part of the plan. I don’t necessarily agree with it. I still believe that a tight forward must do the hard yards up front. If Schalk comes back, you’ll see him playing much tighter with Schalk taking up the ball where he does it at the moment.
PS: His father played like that. Scored a lot of tries on the wing. Hennie held the record for the most CC tries by a WP player for a while before Carel Dup broke it. Neil Burger then broke Carel’s record. It was an embarrassment for WP rugby that a forward was the try scoring record holder given the fact that WP was known as a province that played running rugby.
10 Mar 2013, 01:36 am
@jet jungle-405:
Another four years as Stormers coach?
Look, if Stormers continue to play the brand of rugby that they did last year AND in the 1st two games of this year, then he must vokkof.
I’ll rather lose… playing constructive, entertaining rugby than the kak that they dished up against the Bulls two weeks ago.
They did play a good brand of rugby tonight but we still did not get a try scoring bonus point while the Chiefs, despite our much talked about defence, did.
10 Mar 2013, 01:47 am
@nama1-409: They did leak tries but they scored tries as well. This was better to watch than any of those super defensive games last year. SBW cousie and co. would make any team leak though. With the Cheetah and Stormers games today I feel so much better about SA rugby. Can they keep it up? Kudos to Coenie O for all those steals and disruptions, they kept on confusing him with Brussouw.
10 Mar 2013, 01:50 am
@jet jungle-407:
Die Bulle gaan nog lank bou.
As die span nie die jaar die semi’s haal nie word Ludeke gefire en Victor word hoofafrigter. Dan kom hy weer met sy nuwe planne.
Intussen droom ouens soos Tac nog steeds dat FdP moet terug kom om ou, verlore glorie vir die Bulle te kom herstel.
Daai tyd is verby. Tyd om aan te beweeg.
10 Mar 2013, 01:53 am
You must absolutelty dominate the Kiwis up front to stand a chance. You got a junkyard dog forward pack in the making. If Eben and Schalk are back, Bekker stays fit, Elstadt stay away from the yellows, Kolisi keep performing. Scary sh.t.
10 Mar 2013, 01:57 am
@nama1-411: Sad but true. Ek is bly en respekteer FDP vir sy stance op die comeback wat HM voor gehoop het. Dit is tyd om aan te beweeg.
10 Mar 2013, 01:57 am
@jet jungle-410:
I heard that. Could not understand why, since Brussow had an orange scrum pet on and Coenie nothing. Just shows how perception wrt players can influence the commentators. When HB came on they talked about his abilities to create turn overs, so when it happened they sommer assumed it was him effecting the turn over.
I would like to see how he goes next weekend. I thought the Cheetah trio played very well together this morning before HB got on.
10 Mar 2013, 02:06 am
@jet jungle-412:
All we need is a front row, neh
Kolisi played well today but he is still no 6. If Pocock and George Smith play together against us in 2 weeks time, we’ll get fucked in the loose.
Of that I have no doubt.
Rather Carr at 6, Kolisi 7 and Vermeulen 8. That’s the only way how we’ll be able to compete against them on the ground and by extension, in the forwards. If not, Jakie will show the student that he is still the master.
I thought Rooikop did well today. Our hooker didn’t miss anything afa line outs were concerned, but that was probably because Bekker called every ball on himself.
10 Mar 2013, 02:09 am
@nama1-414: My wife and swaers are staunch cheetah supporters so that kind of make them my second team. The loosies were magnificent I think Labuscagny? was exeptional. Like I say the Kiwis cant perform when they get bullied up front. Tag tackling the whole game long. Somebody said that at least three or four of your forwards should look like they had their children for breakfast. They had that look about them.
10 Mar 2013, 02:11 am
@nama1-415: Pocock got injured, but George will be there. A wily old cat if ever I saw one.
10 Mar 2013, 02:22 am
Nama1 dont be a fool. Yes, Smal, Kruger, Venter and Smith were the greats of Springbok 7s but to say a player must be compared to them to warrant a being rated is idiocy. If that was the case we would only send out 14 Springbok players. Elstadt does not have to rate among the historically best ever 7s to earn present day selection. He simply has to rate among the best 7s currently playing and vying for the position. Which he does. But the fact that you have to haul out the names of four greats of the game to try and exclude Elstadt says more than you realise. You are the one bringing up and mentioning his name in the same sentence.
10 Mar 2013, 02:24 am
@jet jungle-416:
You’re are so right about the way to play the NZ teams. You must be in their faces all day long. Could not believe how the Highlanders made school boy like errors against the Cheetahs. When last did you see a NZ team pass the ball over the head/behind the wing into touch?
What did you think about Sarel Pretorius today? I always liked him but some esteemed rugby kenners like PA called him a “kak” player in the week.
I saw Pocock with an ice pack on his knee. Will that injury prevent him from touring to SA?
10 Mar 2013, 02:30 am
@BudYza-418:
“He simply has to rate among the best 7s currently playing and vying for the position.”
So, who in your esteemed opinion is the best no. 7 currently playing that he has to compete against?
Look, Elstadt was nowhere last week and the week before. I always try to rate my special players on how they perform when things don’t go well for the team.
Guys like Smith, Venter, Smal, Kruger always got a special mention even when their team did not perform well. Can you say the same about Elstadt?
Remember: I’m a Stormer supporter.
10 Mar 2013, 02:31 am
NortierD did you ever consider that Bekker broke the attempted tackles of the Chiefs? Bekker is huge and strong and ran with intent and determination today making it very difficult to bring him down. Chiefs did NOT ‘let’ any Stormers do anything and resorted to illegal and off the ball dirty tactics to try and stop and beat the Stormers. Ask anyone who was at the game.
10 Mar 2013, 02:31 am
@BudYza-418: Agree totalmente with you Buddy. Its like “Mats Hummels, hmmmm, not bad player but he is not Franz Beckenbauer so he is not good enough for the Mannschaft”
10 Mar 2013, 02:43 am
Nama1 so in your ‘esteemed’ opinion Zane Kirschner obviously rates amongst the greats of Springbok fullbacks to warrant his selection?
Dont be silly man. He only has to be the best of the current 15s in the current coaches opinion to earn his jersey.
The same with Elstadt. My original comment said ‘if’ he can do so consistently.
Also by your criteria you should rubbish Jantjies who had 2 bad games and ignore the fact that he had a good game today.
You should be honest and fair and judge all players by the same criteria. That is if you want to be seen as honest and fair of course.
10 Mar 2013, 02:43 am
Markel77 Exactly.
10 Mar 2013, 02:46 am
@BudYza-421:
Hey, Nortierd is a staunch WP/Stormer supporter.
He already corrected himself. “He looked good because he managed to break tackles,…” (P.402). Read through the thread before you try and “educate” everybody else. OK?
@Markel77-422:
Yes, you’re right. He is not good enough….AT THIS STAGE.
One good game out of three does not a Bok player maketh.
Even if he is a Stormers player.
10 Mar 2013, 02:50 am
@BudYza-423:
“Nama1 so in your ‘esteemed’ opinion Zane Kirschner obviously rates amongst the greats of Springbok fullbacks to warrant his selection?”
Please explain how you came to that earth shattering conclusion.
Don’t be shy. Give it straight up.
You seem to have a lot of preconceived ideas about me as a rugby follower and commentator on this blog. Elaborate, please. I don’t think you and I have been in conversation that much.
10 Mar 2013, 02:51 am
@nama1-419: Some say it might be a career ending injury, I dont know for sure. I rated Pretoruis as the next big thing before he went to OZ. Did not perform very well over there. Very, very opportunistic player, I think when you play against him there is no relaxing for the whole eighty.My perfect scrumhalf would be a combination of him and Hougaard with Fouries intelligence and boot.
10 Mar 2013, 02:55 am
@nama1-384: Fair enough.
10 Mar 2013, 02:57 am
@Markel77-422: Cheers, how’s life in Euskal Herria?
10 Mar 2013, 02:59 am
Nama1 so you are the policeman of this site telling people what they can and cannot say and if youre a staunch supporter youre okay? Get off your high horse man. Your comments on Elstadt were stupid and to divert attention you try and tell me I didnt read the thread. If no one ever made their own comments which repeated comments made by others these threads would be a lot shorter. Next time you post a comment already made by someone else should we assume you havent read the thread or show the tolerance of letting everyone everyone expressing their own opinion?
If you are the official thread Nazi have me censured.
10 Mar 2013, 03:03 am
@polaris-429:Cheers Polar. Not very well, we are still part of Spain hehe.
Sorry but ¿Are you Wooden Spoon?
10 Mar 2013, 03:03 am
@nama1-419: Most likely Pocock will miss whole season.
10 Mar 2013, 03:05 am
@Markel77-431: Nope. I am that Latvian oke, we had conversations before. I took a few months sabbatical after some farkers started to post under my old nickname.
10 Mar 2013, 03:11 am
@polaris-433: Uueeeeeehhhhh!!!!!!!!! Nils man, nice to “see” you!!
The nicest All Blacks blogger here. Congratulations, your team won the world Cup.
10 Mar 2013, 03:11 am
Nama1 stick to the point. Tell me who among the current players rates alongside Smal, Kruger, Venter and Smith to earn the 7 Springbok jersey?
Youre being silly again. I have responded only to your comments here. I dont care who you are and what your opinions on others issues are. I pointed out that your opinion that Elstadt is not good enough because he is not as good as past greats is not a valid reason for excluding him. And if it is a valid reason in your opinion then you should apply the same criteria across the board in all positions. If you only selected players who were as good as the greats in each position you would not find close to 15 Boks to play. The coach can only choose from what is currently available. He cant choose ‘ghosts’ of Springboks past.
10 Mar 2013, 03:22 am
@jet jungle-427:
“Some say it might be a career ending injury…”
Really??? I did not know it was that serious.
Would be a great pity. The boy is seriously talented and was busy rewriting the book wrt playing as a fetcher. A better player than guys like Mc Caw and George Smith at the same age imo.
Hope it isn’t so.
@BudYza-430:
What is it that I said about Elstadt that pissed you off, if I may ask?
You come accross as having another agenda because afa I can remember, I just did not agree with Skop that Elstadt had this GREAT game. Nowhere did I slate him as a kak player or something like that. Yes, I did say that he is nowhere filling the shoes of people like Smal, Kruger, Venter or Smith. But even that statement does not warrant your “attack” on me because it is merely my OPINION. All you need to do is tell me that you don’t agree with it and give me at least a reason/some reasons why.
Your consistent reference to things other than what I talked about give me reason enought to believe that you have another agenda. Be at least honest so that I can know how to defend myself because at the moment I am totally kontfuse.
10 Mar 2013, 03:30 am
@BudYza-435:
You see that little arrow on the right of a comment?
Click on it so that I can know which one of my comments you are referring to.
So, I ask again. Who, in your opinion is the players competing for the no.7 jersey at the moment? It can’t be that difficalt.
Sharks have: Deysel and Alberts
Cheetahs: Labuschagne
King: F.uck Knows
Stormers: Elstadt
Bulls: Tarzan Potgieter
Make your pick.
10 Mar 2013, 03:30 am
@nama1-436: Yes the English commentaters in the studio were talking about who’s gonna fill his boots in the Lions tour, and because the fetchers get injured so much, they critisized Deans because he said George Smith was defnitely not in his Lions plans.
10 Mar 2013, 03:34 am
@jet jungle-438: But really how serious can it be when he was sitting next to the field with a icepack on his knee. It might be wishfull thinking from the Brits.
10 Mar 2013, 03:41 am
I think Elstadt should play 4 rather, he can look cumbersome trying to get around the park sometimes. Kolisi should be the Stormers blindside if they want to play with a fetcher. Though I missed most of the game today.
10 Mar 2013, 03:46 am
@jet jungle-438:
They still have Hooper though.
I don’t think Deans will use George Smith as he will not be in the reckoning come the 2015 RWC.
That’s why I am so surprise that it could be a career ending injury. He sat with the reserves with the ice pack, not looking in great discomfort. I thought it was just a twist of the knee or something like that.
*I did not watch the game. Only saw some highlights
10 Mar 2013, 03:50 am
@lightie-440:
Rather you say it because when I say it, I apparently have some freakin agenda.
Miskien is daai vokken jong net gesuip.
Carr at 6
Kolisi at 7
Vermeulen at 8.
Elstadt in the 2nd row.
10 Mar 2013, 03:51 am
@nama1-441: Yes Hooper and another upcoming youngster. In some ways Hooper is more dangerous in my opinion, he’s very fast and strong with the same turnover ability as Pocock. Dont know how Jake allowed him to get away.
10 Mar 2013, 03:52 am
@nama1-442: From Budwisers?
10 Mar 2013, 03:53 am
@nama1-442: “Elstadt in the 2nd row” and when Etzebeth is back? justasking
10 Mar 2013, 04:01 am
@jet jungle-443:
Jake is very one track minded.
He wanted Pocock so…
@Markel77-445:
We need depth. Can’t play Elstadt for 16 games like last year. That is why he is crocked now. Too much rugby.
Give him and Bekker some breathers with Elstadt also an option in the 2nd row.
10 Mar 2013, 04:04 am
@jet jungle-444:
Most probably.
Nothing that can make you as Y’s as a few doppe.
10 Mar 2013, 04:05 am
@Markel77-445:
On the bench? They need to rotate Etzebeth better when he’s back, can’t let him over work his young body and pick up injuries which will haunt him.
10 Mar 2013, 04:07 am
@nama1-446:
Oh snap, great minds and all that…
10 Mar 2013, 04:07 am
@nama1-447: Getting Y,s from Buds make you a lightweight though. Nothing against buds , but its a before breakfast beer.
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