2014 Super Rugby: Bulls vs. Stormers (Round 13) 10/05/2014

[TRF_heineken]

Loftus Versveld, Pretoria

19:10​

Teams:

Bulls: 15 Jurgen Visser, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Grant Hattingh, 7 Jacques du Plessis, 6 Jono Ross, 5 Victor Matfield (C), 4 Paul Willemse, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Callie Visagie, 1 Dean Greyling

Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Werner Kruger, 18 Morné Mellett, 19 Jacques Engelbrecht, 20 Wimpie van der Walt, 21 Rudy Paige, 22 Jacques-Louis Potgieter, 23 William Small-Smith

Stormers: 15. Jaco Taute, 14. Damian de Allende, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Peter Grant, 11. Cheslin Kolbe, 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Schalk Burger (c), 6. Nizaam Carr, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Jean Kleyn, 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Brok Harris
Replacements:16. Stephan Coetzee, 17. Alistair Vermaak, 18. Martin Dreyer, 19. Siya Kolisi, 20. Deon Fourie, 21. Dylon Frylinck, 22. Michael van der Spuy, 23. Devon Williams

 

[Bull]

The Stormers have a lot of injuries so there would be no excuse for the Bulls not to win.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Difficult one to pick. I do think the Stormers are on the up but I'd still give the Bull the benefit at home.

I just hope Scarra is fine as we need his better throw-ins at the line-outs especially against the Bulls with all of Matfield, Du Plessis and Willemse who got 4? steals last game. The injury situation is mostly a problem at lock which exacerbates the line-out situation (and I've noticed our scrum seems a bit less.. consistent). We've got adequate cover in the other areas where we have injuries.

Other than the line-out concerns (a major concern mind you!) I see it as 50/50.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Looking at this realistically.
Everything needs to go bloody well for a struggling Stormers side to be victorious, at any time throughout this season.
The victory last week should not remove the concerns we have from our minds and the underlying factors.
We are a team trying to change and have suffered an absurd amount of injuries.

We will have to play the Bulls off their feet in order to have chance, any "traditional" Stormers rugby will lead to a defeat.
As things stand right now I favor the Bulls to take this game but have a glimmer of hope

 

[Bull]

15 Jurgen Visser (21)
14 Akona Ndungane (104)
13 JJ Engelbrecht (44)
12 Jan Serfontein (23)
11 Bjorn Basson (66)
10 Handré Pollard (9)
9 Francois Hougaard (67)
8 Grant Hattingh (30)
7 Jacques du Plessis (12)
6 Jono Ross (14)
5 Victor Matfield (134, c)
4 Paul Willemse (15)
3 Marcel van der Merwe (14)
2 Callie Visagie (33)
1 Dean Greyling (49)

Replacements:
16 Bongi Mbonambi (11)
17 Werner Kruger (103)
18 Morné Mellett (19)
19 Jacques Engelbrecht (22)
20 Wimpie van der Walt (19)
21 Rudy Paige (6)
20 Jacques-Louis Potgieter (51)
21 William Small-Smith (3)

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

15. Jaco Taute, 14. Damian de Allende, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Peter Grant, 11. Cheslin Kolbe (Super Rugby starting debut for the Stormers), 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Schalk Burger (c), 6. Nizaam Carr, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Jean Kleyn (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Brok Harris
Replacements:16. Stephan Coetzee, 17. Alistair Vermaak (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 18. Martin Dreyer, 19. Siya Kolisi, 20. Deon Fourie, 21. Dylon Frylinck (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 22. Michael van der Spuy, 23. Devon Williams,


Very much an experimental team for the Stormers. A number of interesting and hopefully positive moves here but the worrying thing is the Stormers have just not been able to put the same team on the field 2 games in a row and that has been and remains very problematic. I rate both Botha and Kleyn as promising young locks but they certainly have their work cut out with Kleyn on debut. Grant in midfield hopefully means our dangerous runners in De Jongh, De Allende and the electric Kolbe get a lot of opportunity with space. But there are just soooo many inconsistencies here it's impossible to say whether things might 'click' or simply fall apart.

 

[Shaggy]

15. Jaco Taute, 14. Damian de Allende, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Peter Grant, 11. Cheslin Kolbe (Super Rugby starting debut for the Stormers), 10. Kurt Coleman, 9. Nic Groom, 8. Duane Vermeulen, 7. Schalk Burger (c), 6. Nizaam Carr, 5. Ruan Botha, 4. Jean Kleyn (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 3. Pat Cilliers, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Brok Harris
Replacements:16. Stephan Coetzee, 17. Alistair Vermaak (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 18. Martin Dreyer, 19. Siya Kolisi, 20. Deon Fourie, 21. Dylon Frylinck (On Super Rugby debut for the Stormers), 22. Michael van der Spuy, 23. Devon Williams,


Very much an experimental team for the Stormers. A number of interesting and hopefully positive moves here but the worrying thing is the Stormers have just not been able to put the same team on the field 2 games in a row and that has been and remains very problematic. I rate both Botha and Kleyn as promising young locks but they certainly have their work cut out with Kleyn on debut. Grant in midfield hopefully means our dangerous runners in De Jongh, De Allende and the electric Kolbe get a lot of opportunity with space. But there are just soooo many inconsistencies here it's impossible to say whether things might 'click' or simply fall apart.

Wow! ... you guys have got a few injury worries ... I see JDV is out with an AC joint injury - any idea how long he's out for?

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm really looking forward to the battle at flyhalf.

Glad to see JJ Engelbrecht has recovered from his injury. But my biggest worry is still that loose trio of ours.

Cheslin Kolbe is back! very happy for the guy, I just hope he doesn't bamboozle my team too much.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Wow! ... you guys have got a few injury worries ... I see JDV is out with an AC joint injury - any idea how long he's out for?

Every year the same story. I can't believe we havn't had a closet cleaning in the province. I mean somewhere between the style of play (coaching staff) and the conditioning of the players (conditioning/training staff) something has got to change. I have no idea how oong JdV will be out.

On JdV being out I think it is a HUGE pity we aren't playing 12De Allende, 13De Jongh but I get why we are doing it with all other wing options depleted.

I'm really looking forward to the battle at flyhalf.

Glad to see JJ Engelbrecht has recovered from his injury. But my biggest worry is still that loose trio of ours.

Cheslin Kolbe is back! very happy for the guy, I just hope he doesn't bamboozle my team too much.

Hope Cheslin goes well and doesn't try to overdo it on his return game. I don't know what battle at fly half you are talking about though. Coleman is nothing more than steady and Groom is not a SR player.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Every year the same story. I can't believe we havn't had a closet cleaning in the province. I mean somewhere between the style of play (coaching staff) and the conditioning of the players (conditioning/training staff) something has got to change. I have no idea how oong JdV will be out.

On JdV being out I think it is a HUGE pity we aren't playing 12De Allende, 13De Jongh but I get why we are doing it with all other wing options depleted.



Hope Cheslin goes well and doesn't try to overdo it on his return game. I don't know what battle at fly half you are talking about though. Coleman is nothing more than steady and Groom is not a SR player.

I'm just curious to see how Handre and Coleman go about. This is after all a Derby match, and both of them are youngsters.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Well, for SA I hope Pollard delivers, yes. An exciting prospect that the Bulls have managed pretty well I have to say. I just hope he doesn't lose his natural game along the way.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Stormers highly effective, for 15 minutes only
Bulls won well

 

[TRF_heineken]

Stormers highly effective, for 15 minutes only

That first 15 minutes made me a bit naar!

But then your guys just stopped playing. WHY??

Paul Willemse had another blinder! He is just getting better and better, looks like Victor's influence is rubbing off on the young mammoth.

But, the guy who was absolutely superb was Handre Pollard. just wow!

 

[Bull]

That first 15 minutes made me a bit naar!

But then your guys just stopped playing. WHY??

Paul Willemse had another blinder! He is just getting better and better, looks like Victor's influence is rubbing off on the young mammoth.

But, the guy who was absolutely superb was Handre Pollard. just wow!

Slow poison I reckon, the Bulls strangled the Stormers forwards and they were unable to continue with the expansive play.

I've not been a big fan of Willemse but each week he is playing much better. As for Matfield what else can be said of this guy? When I heard about him coming out of retirement I reserved judgment and he has gone on to silence all the critics.

Hougaard and Serfontein have both improved over the last couple of games and hopefully they improve more.

I've never had an opinion on Pollard because I've never watched him closely but at the moment he is way better than any of the other young 10's in SA. Good job also by the Bulls not to rush him into the team. Goodbye Louis Fouche!

 

[TRF_heineken]

Slow poison I reckon, the Bulls strangled the Stormers forwards and they were unable to continue with the expansive play.

I've not been a big fan of Willemse but each week he is playing much better. As for Matfield what else can be said of this guy? When I heard about him coming out of retirement I reserved judgment and he has gone on to silence all the critics.

Hougaard and Serfontein have both improved over the last couple of games and hopefully they improve more.

I've never had an opinion on Pollard because I've never watched him closely but at the moment he is way better than any of the other young 10's in SA. Good job also by the Bulls not to rush him into the team. Goodbye Louis Fouche!

Amen Brother!