[2016 Super Rugby] Stormers vs. Bulls (Round 1) 27/02/2016

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Newlands Stadium
Time: 17:10 (SA, GMT+2)​

Teams

Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble

Substitutes: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Leolin Zas

Bulls: 15 Warrick Gelant , 14 Travis Ismaiel, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Francois Brummer, 9 Rudy Paige, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jannes Kirsten, 6 Nic de Jager, 5 Grant Hattingh, 4 RG Snyman, 3 Marcel van der Merwe, 2 Adriaan Strauss (captain), Trevor Nyakane

Substitutes: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Lizo Gqoboka, 18 Hencus van Wyk, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Roelof Smit, 21 Piet van Zyl, 22 Tian Schoeman, 23 Burger Odendaal

 

[TRF_heineken]

Bulls team have been announced. Some of these guys didn't participate in any of the Warm-up games.

I am very interested to see how this exciting backline will go. No Marvin Orie? Pity, but that just gives RG Snyman and Jenkins the oppurtunity to show their talent.

 

[Bull]

The loose trio looks a bit weak to me, would have gone with Roelof Smit in the starting 15.

 

[saulan]

I'm no expert on the bulls, but to me it looks like a very different team to the past. Seems like a solid front row, not sure on your locks (haven't been impressed with Hattingh and don't know the other one) and only know one of the loose forward (Arno). Any reason Ulengo isn't playing? Thought he had a solid Currie Cup. Generally think you will be fine in the backline but I think there will be issues for you in the forwards.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I'm no expert on the bulls, but to me it looks like a very different team to the past. Seems like a solid front row, not sure on your locks (haven't been impressed with Hattingh and don't know the other one) and only know one of the loose forward (Arno). Any reason Ulengo isn't playing? Thought he had a solid Currie Cup. Generally think you will be fine in the backline but I think there will be issues for you in the forwards.

Yeah it's a very different team. Ulengo and Orie apparently picked up ****les during the last warm-up match and wasn't picked to avoid risking the ****le from becoming a worse.

I have to say I don't know much about Jannes Kirsten or Nic de Jager, so I hope they impress me... Roelof would also have been my first choice along with Hanro Liebenberg.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Leolin Zas

Good to see Kolbe and De Jongh starting. It just makes our backline look a little more legit and settled at least on paper. The big one for me is us finally giving Du Preez the go-ahead. Catrikilis and Coleman were all limited i aspects of their play. I expect Du Preez will still be prone to error like he was in the CC final but at least he has a higher ceiling and one would expect his play to get more rounded and his decision-making more accurate with time. We'll probably make the play-offs but I don't see us getting past the QF.

Kitshoff and Vermeulen the only departures of note in the forwards. Vermeulen is a monster but mybe we'll be better served by Carr and Notshe for SR in any case where more enterprising play seems to be the way forward. I'm more optimistic than I was a month ago but not as much as I was prior to Jones pushing off for the England job and hearing of De Allende's injury and Hendrick's illness. I was also expecting an astute signing or two under Jones but no strings have been added to the bow.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Stormers: 15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Schalk Burger, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble
Replacements: 16 Scarra Ntubeni, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 19 JD Schickerling, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Leolin Zas

You lazy bugger.

You could just have added it to the OP...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

You lazy bugger.

You could just have added it to the OP...

I daren't risk giving you offense..

To make up for it I did change up the hues of the two blues.

 

[TRF_heineken]

I daren't risk giving you offense..

To make up for it I did change up the hues of the two blues.

WTF?? Why are the Bulls now in Griquas colours!

 

[Bull]

I reckon the Bulls are going to have a torrid time in the scrums, also can't understand Roelof Smit on the bench and the omission of Hanru Liebenberg.

 

[WaterboySA]

WTF?? Why are the Bulls now in Griquas colours!

I think you will have to hit the Stormer with a week ban or something, that colour is UGLY.....

Each year I do the same thing.....scream "here comes the Blue Machine" when the Bulls play the Stormers.....most of the time I just hide for one week after the game. This time I won't need to hide, lol....

I think the Bulls staff missed something by letting Burger Odendaal bench. I would love to see him start with Jesse Kriel at centre.....also keep your eyes on the Bulls 15....he's gonna be a try machine for the Boks before long.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Looking forward to this game, Gelant and Kolbe in particular.

Etzebeth looks like he's gained some weight.

 

[bazwaz]

all the live streams are showing some indian sport...it's just not cricket

 

[saulan]

Very happy with that result. I felt like the first half was spent by both teams finding their feet with poor handling and way too many kicks. But once the Stormers settled in the second half things picked up quite nicely. It's also really nice as a Stormers supporter walking away from a Bulls match with a bonus point, generally we have been pretty poor at bonus points for the past five years.

Really chuffed about Eben pitching up well and Rob Du Preez showing that he can play in the big games, mainly because I picked them in my fantasy teams but also because they both play pretty vital roles in this team. Was disappointed in Gelant, don't know what he was instructed but he was not a threat on attack and was playing too much of a kicking game. Also expected more from Kriel in this match. He was barely even mentioned and I don't think he contributed much to the team.Sorry Heineken, but unfortunately the only real positive I can think of from the Bulls perspective was their first half scrum play, which I was really not expecting. I really hope you guys don't get many injuries because the depth does not seem to be there. Good luck for the return fixture at Loftus though.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

A very satisfying result. This 3 try differential is going to help the Stormers no end as we seem to remain pretty solid on defence and prefer t slowly gain ascendancy through what remains a pretty handy forward pack though to kerb my optimism I understand that Bulls pack is grass green except for the 1st choice front row.

Etzebeth had a field day and its good to see Du Preez keep his composure throughout. We are missing De Allende but bagging 5 log points in the meantime can only be good. Next up Cheetahs away then hosting the Sharks and Brumbies after which we should have a clear idea of where we are at. I'm not going to take the Cheetahs lightly. They are our banana peel team and we don't like chasing games whilst we know the Cheetahs have the ability to get the scorebard ticking (especially in Bloem) over despite being outclassed in the tight which is what I am expecting us to do.

 

[Bull]

Expected the Bulls to lose but they were **** poor. Only watched till about the 65th minute but the loose trio looked ordinary, Paige and Van Zyl way below par, backline didn't get going at all. Looked way too much like Ludeke's Bulls.

 

[Gena_ZA]

Last 15 showed how strong the Stormers are/how poor the Bulls were.
Still rather be on the winning side, let's see if they keep this up, forwards can dominate this season