[2017 Super Rugby] Round 10: Highlanders vs. Stormers (28/04/2017)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium
Time: 09:35 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

Teams

Highlanders: 15 Ben Smith (captain), 14 Waisake Naholo, 13 Malakai Fekitoa, 12 Rob Thompson, 11 Patrick Osborne, 10 Marty Banks, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Liam Squire, 7 Dillon Hunt, 6 Gareth Evans, 5 Tom Franklin, 4 Alex Ainley, 3 Siosuia Halanukonuka, 2 Liam Coltman, 1 Daniel Lienert-Brown

Substitutes: 16 Greg Pleasants-Tate, 17 Aki Seiuli, 18 Siate Tokolahi, 19 Joe Wheeler, 20 Jackson Hemopo, 21 Kayne Hammington, 22 Fletcher Smith, 23 Matt Faddes

Stormers: 15 SP Marais, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Dillyn Leyds, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Jan de Klerk, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble

Substitutes: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Kobus van Dyk, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Dewaldt Duvenage, 22 Shaun Treeby, 23 Bjorn Basson

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Hoping we can get back to winning ways. 2 Losses on the trot even if expected hurts. I see the 'Landers as our best bet for a win on tour and getting to the 2/5 I wanted for our run at Chiefs, Lions, Crusaders, Highlnaders and Hurricanes. 7/10 with our travel outside SA done and dusted should see us in a good position although the Sharks have in the past been an Achilles heal and looming large. Bulls might also prove a bit more difficult at home than they were in round 1.

Waiting for the line-ups to be announced and I expect we won't be resting anyone for this fixture or at least I hope not.

 

[Ground We Won]

Hoping we can get back to winning ways. 2 Losses on the trot even if expected hurts. I see the 'Landers as our best bet for a win on tour and getting to the 2/5 I wanted for our run at Chiefs, Lions, Crusaders, Highlnaders and Hurricanes. 7/10 with our travel outside SA done and dusted should see us in a good position although the Sharks have in the past been an Achilles heal and looming large. Bulls might also prove a bit more difficult at home than they were in round 1.

Waiting for the line-ups to be announced and I expect we won't be resting anyone for this fixture or at least I hope not.

Can't see you beating the Highlanders at home in all honesty, they have a lot of stars returning from injury and their main forward pack back, big ask for the Stormers.

 

[SomeOke]

The Highlanders definitely have the edge, and I'd back them to win this one. The last two weeks haven't exactly filled me with confidence about our ability to win games.

That said I do think we have a chance, the Highlanders have been a little more vulnerable this season, and I don't think they're quite as clinical as the Crusaders.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

Could go either way, we've had a good run of games after a tough start

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I suppose this game is not a 'must win' in order to reach the play-offs BUT how do you go into the play-offs mentally on the back of 'not earning' it so to speak? In that regard I really do feel we need to lay down a marker and win one of our remaining tour games or otherwise all our remaining fixtures thereafter simply so that we don't end up in a situation where we did not earn our play-off spot assuming we do make it. As is we are 12 log points ahead of the Bulls.

Our upcoming fixtures;
Highlanders A - loss
Hurricanes A - loss
Bye
Blues @H - win
Sharks A - loss
Cheetahs A - win
Sunwolves @H - win
Bulls A - loss

Bulls' fixtures;
Bye
Crusaders @H - loss
Highlanders @H - loss
Lions A - loss
Hurricanes @H - loss
Sharks A - loss
Kings @H - win
Stormers @H - win

A mixed bag for both with the two facing off at Loftus for a potential winner takes all but I can't see them overtaking our lead. I've put down what I feel are conservative enough 'expected results'.

As it stands our only games of note have been close wins over the Jaguares and Chiefs and losses to the Lions and Crusaders. Sure the losses were pretty heavy but in both those losses I do feel there is a lot of room for us to get back in it if we were to face those teams in the play-offs IE I feel we are the team with the most room for improvement and were the team that had the off day ITO intensity and bad luck in the 50/50s.

 

[SomeOke]

We're pretty much already got a spot in the play-offs, but I don't think we'll see ourselves as legitimate contenders unless we can take another Kiwi scalp or two.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

We're pretty much already got a spot in the play-offs, but I don't think we'll see ourselves as legitimate contenders unless we can take another Kiwi scalp or two.

That's about what I wanted to say in nutshell LOL. IF we can take the Highlanders and then hopefully the Blues at home (should be doable?) that'd be 2 or 3 out of 5. Which would be fantastic for a team and coach this green. Realistically us Stormers fans should be happy with 2/5 vs NZ opposition and a play-off spot ending at the QFs. I think all of us would've taken that at the start of the season.

I'm getting ahead of myself here but we will get Kitshoff back next season, and hopefully a full season of Senatla, JL du Plessis and De Allende. My hope is we get a fetcher. Chris Cloete has been a revelation for the Kings. I said we should find space for him last season and I feel well vindicated. With the Kings out surely we should be option #1? That or find a way to get Marcell Coetzee in. He is at 28 Bok caps. With the rule for 30 caps he cannot play for the Bokke unless exceptions are made or he comes back to play in SA for a season. That AND retain our current squad (with a year of SR under the belt for the green horns and Fleck should go a long way to shaping our credentials for the year thereafter).

 

[SomeOke]

Good assessment Cloete coming back to Cape Town would be great, we have a pretty obvious balance problem that isn't fixed by just putting a work horse like Elstad or Wiese at 6. Having turn over ball would help with our new counterattacking game plan as well.
As for DdA he really hasn't been great in recent times but I do feel 12 is a position where we could use an upgrade. Dan Kriel and Dan duP haven't shown anything that suggests they are Super Rugby level.

I feel bad for Senatla because on current form we can't really drop anyone from our back three, my immediate thought at the beginning of the season is that we would drop Leyds but he's become quite vital to our aforementioned counter-attacking.

Is Kitshoff definitely back next season? If so that fills another hole and we'll have a formidable front row this season. We're (for once) covered at tighthead with Louw being really good this year in addition to Malherbe.

Another guy I'd like to see back is Snickerling, our back up locks are a big step down and Eben and PtdT need to be rotated a big more.

edit: Despite the losses I'm still relatively positive about the direction the team is taking and the form of some of our players. Rob du Preez is awesome, and we might actually have a top class fly-half for once. It seems like forever since it wasn't a problem position. Journeyman like Catrakelis and Coleman are not competition winning fly-halves whereas I feel Rob could be world class.

edit edit: We need to hold on to Rob though, I have the somewhat unpopular opinion the Jean-luc is a little bit overrated in Stormers circles. He has some clever tricks but to me doesn't have a strong enough all round skill set. Rob might be a bit more pedestrian as a play-maker but we have Leyds and Marais for that.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yes, #10 has been an issue for some time for us. Add Peter Grant to that list as well. Decent enough to keep you afloat but WILL be shown up when going up against test level 10s.

I read Shickerling is fit and is flying in to join the squad and, yes, Kitshoff is apparently a done deal for whatever a signature is worth these days. Apparently we are paying him well indeed but that is what we have to do IMO; pay proven players and be leaner elsewhere.

 

[SomeOke]

Sweet that's good news, it probably helps that Kitshoff is no longer eligible for Bok duty. For whatever that's worth these days.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

...faddes man of the match last week and this week on the bench...hope they know what they're doing

We're riding high on form, hoping that translates into a dominant performance and not over confidence and cocky decision making...but ya just don't know

 

[TRF_heineken]

Both teams have been announced and added to the OP.

Interesting to see if Treeby will get a run against his old team...

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I do hope he gets a run, should get a bit of a welcome

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'd trust Treeby (with a bit of expected rust?) ahead of Kriel TBH. Line-up looks better than against the 'Saders at least. Hope the defensive structure has had a good look at and that our guys make their 1 on 1 tackles. We need intensity and accuracy we saw against the Chiefs back. How typically Cape of us to go one good game and then go on vacation. This Cape mentality doesn't translate well in the worlds of competitive sport and big business.. oh, well I suppose if I had a choice I'd still choose the worlds prettiest beaches, Table mountain, most beautiful women, the winelands, the hiking, the restuarants, trails etc etc

 

[TRF_heineken]

Why is PSDT on as a flanker???

<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ePQxWOZ1h0M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

He's a big, slow flanker or a somewhat mobile lock. We really have been hit hard by losing both Elstadt and Wiese, harder than I'd have thought. But with Kolisi back and with the Highanders a different prospect than the Crusaders I don't think we need more bulk in the backrow and rather quality across the park and work rate. In that sense I'd rather PSdT at lock and Notshe on the flank.

 

[SomeOke]

I think it might just be rotation - giving Notshe a rest, our flank and lock reserves are pretty hard hit at the moment. I don't approve of it though.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

I'm feeling outnumbered in here at the moment

 

[Captain_Az]

Man can we seriously get an injury break for our loosies.Crazy.

Expecting this to be a very tough game for the Highlanders with the Stormers being embarrassed last week and by the sounds of it a few of their players coming back in I'm they'll be sure to bring it.