[2014 Super Rugby] South African conference

[Gena_ZA]

Elton is NOT a loss, lets get that out of the way
Colbe is 78kg, not 68kg, thats a media error - he is the same size and has the same potential that Jason Robinson had for England, they should give him an extended run.
I hope and pray that JdV gets a bit of a rest and de Allende is a capable replacement.
Taute is yet to convince me on the attack, apparently he is fast (fast to get a sick note it seems), he is a monster on defense though
Definite loss with Etzebeth being out but also a blessing in disguise based on his age and effort he puts in.

Had high hopes last season and disappointing results, this year I am reversing my outlook.
They have the players, just need to believe in themselves

 

[Gena_ZA]

Bulls will like last year surprise many but my general gut feel is they would fall just short of the play-offs
If and a BIG if Spies and Pollard shines they will be very competitive.
Pitty Basson is such a great attacker but such a pussy on defense, would have loved to to see Sampie Masriet there as well.
I rate Callie Visagie highly and Paul Willemse is going to develop into a second Cobus Wiese.
Arno Both is pure class and in my opinion the best loosie is SA.
Hope Jan Serfontein will mature this year and JJ will move back to wing where he could be our next Habana

So with a bit of luck in regards to injuries (and the already favorable draw) they get it together they will kick ass big time.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I also had high hopes last year. My expectations this year around are still that the Stormers and Sharks will be SA's contenders but I am somewhat reserved.

I love Kolbe. I can almost not believe he is 78kgs; he seems to look smaller. Certainly I agree he can add a lot for the Stormers though I wouldn't give him a look in in any level higher.

Our main problem in my view is we have no halfback pairing to speak of.

 

[Icemn]

that list of departures...

you need to seriously add Allistaire "Execution" Coetzee too it :lol:

while u at it... some add Robbie Fleck as well

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

that list of departures...

you need to seriously add Allistaire "Execution" Coetzee too it :lol:

while u at it... some add Robbie Fleck as well

Couldn't agree more. We have better coaches coaching at school level in the region.. and had Jake White literally asking to come on board.

 

[Icemn]

Couldn't agree more. We have better coaches coaching at school level in the region.. and had Jake White literally asking to come on board.

jake white? u serious? then i'd rather stick with Excecution Coetzee...

WP+stormers has a history of running rugby... that is what you need to hold on to instead of selling your soul to the devil seeking victories as the cost of values and what you stand for...

I would get snorre in...

 

[Gena_ZA]

NOT, your running rugby does not equals winning rugby, like Jake White winning world cups ring a bell?
Every team has there own way of playing, that is what they stand for, not our perception of it
Go watch seven's

 

[Icemn]

NOT, your running rugby does not equals winning rugby, like Jake White winning world cups ring a bell?
Every team has there own way of playing, that is what they stand for, not our perception of it
Go watch seven's

so you only support a team cuz u live in that region and if they win... glory hunter? win at any cost...

nothing to do with morals, playing style? its not about winning.. its how you win...

that is sad...

 

[Gena_ZA]

That is your own view and who only supports teams where they life - I stay in Bulls region btw
Silwerware don't give brownie points for style and history shows who won and not how

I'd take a 9-6 victory of brutally hard rugby above 55-53 touch rugby marked with pathetic defense.

Everyone likes running rugby off course, but not to your extend above everything

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I like the way teams under Jake White play. They play a territory based game for sure but the Bokke under him and the Brumbies last year played some rugby I found highly attractive.

Snorre? If ever you wanted to kill rugby... ah, I see you want to saddle us up with that Trojan horse.

 

[Draggs]

Victor is back, wonder how long he will last.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Say what you like about Matfield returning and Spies' lack of impact but with both there it'll add what the Bulls lacked during last year (both SR and Currie Cup) and that is leadership and direction.

They have an exciting backline and huge forwards. There are question marks remain over the form/experience of the halves in Hougaard/Van Zyl and Pollard and if they don't shuffle their pack from the Currie cup they are a bit unbalanced (but I doubt they'll continue with the entire CC pack) but if these fall into place and they find someone solid at 15 they'll be pushing.

I still see them behind the Sharks and Stormers though; the Sharks simply because they just have more depth in firepower and the Stormers because the latter are just more consistant throughout the regular season.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Victor is back, wonder how long he will last.

Well, he did look very fit during the Proteas vs. Springboks cricket match earlier this year. And he has bulked up a lot since I last seen him (even though he was in a suit).

All the newspapers say that their sources say this will happen. Well I also have a source that confirmed it, his father, I saw him at the gym last week, and he said that Victor will be playing again. I don't care how long he'll last. But we need him. our pack is very green at the moment. actually our unanounced squad is a bit green.

What is great news however, is the return of Arno Botha, Pierre Spies, Deon Stegmann and Francois Hougaard. I'm curious to see how the squad will look come 31 January 2014, when I guess all the SA teams deadlines are.

By the way,

Happy New Year you guys! May it be a blessed year!!

I think that I will be a bit less active this year, especially from now up to end of May... My wedding is in March, then I'm on Honeymoon at a location without cellphone reception or Wi-fi, and then when I come back I have to study for my final exams, before I get my degree.

 

[Icemn]

love the "Kamp Staaldraad" away kit!!!

can't wait to see Dean Greyling in it... he might give away more penalties now

 

[Amobokoboko]

Hmmm, good to see Matfield back . Hope he can still bring some added value

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Stormers have released a 38 man squad for SR;

This list includes 21 forwards and 17 backline players. Eben Etzebeth is not included and is only expected back in the latter half of the tournament.

PROPS:
Steven Kitshoff
Frans Malherbe
Pat Cilliers
Brok Harris
Oli Kebble
Allistair Vermaak

HOOKERS:
Scarra Ntubeni
Tiaan Liebenberg

LOCKS:
De Kock Steenkamp
Michael Rhodes
Ruan Botha
Manuel Carizza (Argentina)
Jean Kleyn
Tazz Fuzani

LOOSE FORWARDS:
Schalk Burger
Siya Kolisi
Duane Vermeulen
Nizaam Carr
Sikhumbuzo Notshe

UTILITY FORWARDS:
Deon Fourie
Rynhardt Elstadt

SCRUMHALVES:
Louis Schreuder
Nic Groom
Godlen Masimla

FLYHALVES:
Demetri Catrakilis
Kurt Coleman
Gary van Aswegen
Scott van Breda
Ryno Eksteen

CENTERS:
Jean de Villiers
Damian de Allende
Juan de Jongh
Michael van der Spuy
Kobus van Wyk

OUTBACKS:
Gio Aplon
Jaco Taute
Pat Howard
Cheslin Kolbe

No real new signings with the selectors preferring to bring through players from the highly successful u21 team (although many of our more promising youngsters continue to move to the Bulls and more recently the Sharks...

EDIT:
My expected matchday 23:

1 Steven Kitshoff
2 Scarra Ntubeni
3 Frans Malherbe
4 Rynhardt Elstadt (I expect him back in the engine room with Bekker and Etzebeth unavailable and Burger back)
5 De Kock Steenkamp
6 Deon Fourie
7 Schalk Burger
8 Duane Vermeulen

9 Louis Schreuder
10 Demetri Catrakilis

11 Cheslin Kolbe
12 Jean de Villiers (c) - I prefer to have JdV at 12 and would rather shift De Allende out
13 Damian de Allende
14 Gio Aplon
15 Jaco Taute

16 Pat Cilliers
17 Tiaan Liebenberg
18 Michael Rhodes
19 Siya Kolisi
20 Nic Groom
21 Gary van Aswegen
22 Juan de Jongh
23 Brok Harris

 

[TRF_heineken]

@Stormer, That squad has a lot of new faces. But the balance is all wrong! Why have 5 fly halves with only 2 specialist hookers?? 3 if you count Deon Fourie.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

@Stormer, That squad has a lot of new faces. But the balance is all wrong! Why have 5 fly halves with only 2 specialist hookers?? 3 if you count Deon Fourie.

I think it shows that our staff have no clue; we don't have a class 10 so we have 5 (even more if you go down the ranks) close to mediocre ones while not keeping hold of either of Handre Pollard (->Bulls), JL du Plessis or Tim Swiel (both -> Sharks) who have been the young 10s showing the most promise. I don't think they realize that we can only have one no.10 on the field at any given time.

Like you said we are stretches at 2. Deon Fourie can cover BUT that leaves us short of our only true fetcher on the flanks with both Burger and Kolisi not even as proficient as our no.8 in Vermeulen on the deck.

Our tight 5 is very capable but on the young side and with losing both Bekker and Etzebeth I don't feel we have backed up well enough, this while we let PS du Toit leave.

I have very little faith in our scrummies when it comes to tight games... a very average set of 9s when you look at the amount of quality 9s SA typically produce.

And we have only Taute at 15 who hasn't played rugby in a year and a half; Aplon and Kolbe don't have distance on their kicks and our style don't give them the room they really need; they'd be amazing playing for a team like the Cheetahs. All while Willie le Roux and SP Marais have been moving up the ranks in our own backyard but never got a look in.

It just seems as if there is either no communication with players or set career plan for them or just no forward planning from the WPRU in general.

Ja, very frustrating stuff.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I think it shows that our staff have no clue; we don't have a class 10 so we have 5 (even more if you go down the ranks) close to mediocre ones while not keeping hold of either of Handre Pollard (->Bulls), JL du Plessis or Tim Swiel (both -> Sharks) who have been the young 10s showing the most promise. I don't think they realize that we can only have one no.10 on the field at any given time.

Like you said we are stretches at 2. Deon Fourie can cover BUT that leaves us short of our only true fetcher on the flanks with both Burger and Kolisi not even as proficient as our no.8 in Vermeulen on the deck.

Our tight 5 is very capable but on the young side and with losing both Bekker and Etzebeth I don't feel we have backed up well enough, this while we let PS du Toit leave.

I have very little faith in our scrummies when it comes to tight games... a very average set of 9s when you look at the amount of quality 9s SA typically produce.

And we have only Taute at 15 who hasn't played rugby in a year and a half; Aplon and Kolbe don't have distance on their kicks and our style don't give them the room they really need; they'd be amazing playing for a team like the Cheetahs. All while Willie le Roux and SP Marais have been moving up the ranks in our own backyard but never got a look in.

It just seems as if there is either no communication with players or set career plan for them or just no forward planning from the WPRU in general.

Ja, very frustrating stuff.

And WTF is with Oli Kebble getting a nod? Did daddy throw his weight around?? Oli is one of the ****tiest props I have seen. I pity you guys, but then again you could just go and surprize us all, even with these mediocre guys.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

And WTF is with Oli Kebble getting a nod? Did daddy throw his weight around?? Oli is one of the ****tiest props I have seen. I pity you guys, but then again you could just go and surprize us all, even with these mediocre guys.

I wouldn't know about Kebble. Wilhelm van der Sluys also comes from a rich family but didn't get a look in so I don't know.

As for us surprising.. would it really be a surprise if we end top/mid table? I think our style of play will ensure that we win a fair amount of regular season games and we should be pushing for a play off spot if we can get you Bulls and the Sharks sorted LOL. I do think we can put out a very dangerous 1st XV (if our halves play above the ability shown so far and) with Etzebeth back but if the injury curse hits us again, we won't be making a bid for the ***le.