[2017 Super Rugby] Round 3: Kings vs. Stormers (11/03/2017)

[TRF_heineken]

Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Time: 15:05 CAT (SA, GMT+2)​

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I've watched both Kings matches so far and they look a lot better than last year. They deserve credit for on the field improvement given all the chaos off the field. They are not good enough to beat the Stormers as the Kings lost to a weaker Jaguares side than the Stormers defeated, but still the think this could be within 20 points.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of those games where we try to force things because we are the 'obviously better' side and end up barely scraping it. That said if we keep with trying to keep the ball alive and are more accurate at it than against the Jaguares we could/should come out of this with a BP.

Odd how this Stormers side has scored 4 tries in both of our opening matches yet as always sit without a BP. Seems like we refuse to play to the format. Good thing we are arguably the top side in arguably the weakest conference.

Not that Lleyds has done anything wrong but I really hope we see some more of Senatla sooner rather than later.

EDIT:

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/kolbe-to-miss-kings-clash-20170307

Kolbe sustained a lateral ankle ligament injury in last Saturday's 32-25 victory against the Jaguares at Newlands.
Centre Dan Kriel suffered a lateral knee sprain and will be rested this week as a precaution along with flyhalf Jean-Luc du Plessis who has a minor groin strain.

So Senatla the odds on favorite to replace Kolbe in the starting line-up. Not the ideal circumstances leading into Senatla starting as I wanted but I suppose Kolbe isn't out for the season. Hope Dan Kriel stays fit. We have options but with De Allende already out is inside center the position the Stormers injury curse hits this season?

I really do hope we go into this match with the intention of out-playing rather than out-muscling the Kings.

 

[George Ford]

Teams:

Kings

15 Masixole Banda, 14 Makazole Mapimpi, 13 Waylon Murray, 12 Luzuko Vulindlu, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Lionel Cronje, 9 Rick Schroeder, 8 Riaan Lerm, 7 Themelani Bholi, 6 Chris Cloete, 5 Irne Herbst, 4 Tyler Paul, 3 Ross Geldenhuys, 2 Michael Willemse, 1 Schalk Ferreira (captain)

Substitutes: 16 Kurt Haupt, 17 Schalk van der Merwe, 18 Chris Heiberg, 19 Willem van der Sluys, 20 Andisa Ntsila, 21 Johan Steyn, 22 Pieter-Steyn de Wet, 23 Berton Klaasen

Stormers

15 SP Marais, 14 Dillyn Leyds, 13 EW Viljoen, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Robert du Preez, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 6 Rynhardt Elstadt, 5 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 4 Eben Etzebeth (captain), 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Bongi Mbonambi, 1 Oli Kebble

Substitutes: 16 Ramone Samuels, 17 JC Janse van Rensburg, 18 Wilco Louw, 19 Chris Van Zyl, 20 Jaco Coetzee, 21 Justin Phillips, 22 Kurt Coleman, 23 Damian Willemse

 

[SomeOke]

Where is Senatla I guess the feeling is it's better to give him another week of training, than play him against the Kings...

 

[George Ford]

Suppose Fleck is giving everybody else a chance first. Senatla joined late which pegs him low in the pecking order for selection - fair.

Think right now for the Stormers the focus or key area on selection is more up front.

The front row - barring Koch - being last season's regulars (and they were dominant), is starting together for the 1st time this season. There is real depth there.

The combination of the backrow changes every week and the players seems to slot into their roles quite easily; one gets the idea this is something both management and players agreed to.

Seems they are building their team around the lock pairing of Etzebeth & PSDT who starts every week - who wouldn't?

 

[saulan]

The ref seems too scared to make any difficult decisions. Should have been at least a yellow, possibly a red for Elstadt and their fullback who tackled a player without the ball to stop the likely charge down try should have gotten a yellow.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Only caught bits of this but the King halfbacks looked decent enough - particularly Cronje. I guess at 27 he has missed any chance for international consideration given Springbok struggles in that area?

Some nice stuff from the Stormers- still haven't made my mind up about them. My third SR prediction of the weekend that looked good after 70mins then goes wrong. Just as well I'm not a gambling man.