SA franchises in 2013

[TRF_stormer2010]

All the teams are going to have to adapt their game...

next year there are the new scrum change of touch pause set... and the 4-second clear time at the rucks.

This will mean that the Stormers defense system will be under a lot more pressure due the pace of the game.

But the Stormers are missing the point once again. their problem is not in their backline, but in their forwards!! Michael Rhodes and Pat Cilliers are great purchases, but they need more! especially in the prop, and flanker positions as this is what has been their downfall so far.

C'mon, we were decimated in the forwards with injuries last year and still managed to domiante most packs other than the Sharks and Crusaders. Hopefully with some luck on the injury front and with a tighthead worth something in Cilliers we could finally go the distance. I certainly think a lot of the problem was that the ball never went past Grant and JdV crashballing.

 

[Icemn]

Hein, the biggest issues will be with the Bulls. The ruck has been a major factor of their defense where they add players to the ruck to increase the distance between the opposition and the scrum-half to perform a box-kick. That won't be an option anymore. The Stormers have a quick recycling, the only issue is the number of times they hit the opposition in stead of passing wide, like the Sharks and Cheetahs do.

Yip I also don't think the problem is with the stormers forwards BUT more with the gameplan they had... all thanks to Allister Doos Coetzee

Man the stormers look good for next year (esp the backline)... i might even hang up my Hurricane jersey and come and support the cape boyz :lol: now they just need to get a decent 12 and maybe move captain to 14 (hell maybe JDV will fire with a playmaker like "Spencer") :?

 

[Icemn]

C'mon, we were decimated in the forwards with injuries last year and still managed to domiante most packs other than the Sharks and Crusaders. Hopefully with some luck on the injury front and with a tighthead worth something in Cilliers we could finally go the distance. I certainly think a lot of the problem was that the ball never went past Grant and JdV crashballing.

Hear Hear... the gameplan also did not help... what about replacing Duvenhage??? he too much of a safe player for me and a bit too predictable... and MOER slow (clearing the ball but that is the problem with most SA halfbacks if not all)

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

• Wicus Blaauw (Biarritz)
• Paul Bosch ( Montpellier)
• Lionel Cronjé ( Blue Bulls)
• JJ Engelbrecht ( Blue Bulls)
• Nick Fenton-Wells ( Saracens)
• Adriaan Fondse ( Newcastle Falcons)
• Conrad Jantjes (Biarritz)
• Rohan Kitshoff ( Bordeaux)
• Pieter Louw (released)
• JD Moller (released)
• Danie Poolman ( Connacht)
• Quinn Roux ( Leinster)
• Johann Sadie ( Blue Bulls)
• Tim Whitehead ( Sharks)

Just had a look to remind myself how many players we lost for this year so it's great that we are getting a couple in even if it as because of SARU's mishandling of the whole Kings saga at the cost of the Lions.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I changed the ***le since this is more a SA debate, not specifically Stormers.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

It's official, Franco van der Merwe is joining the Sharks on loan for the Super Rugby season. Good to see. We can use some experience in our lock-department with Bresler, Marais (x2) and du Toit.

Taute and Jantjies have stated they will not make a decision before this weekend's clash with the All Blacks.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Great,so it wasn't even official. Thanks for making and then ruining my day, News24. Good idea renaming the thread. Kinda got sidetracked but makes for a more interesting thread in any case.

 

[Draggs]

Taute would be better off in Cape Town. We have Jordaan and Whitehead, alongside young players like Heimar Williams and Wandile Mjekevu eventually.
At fullback (where Taute is better suited), we have Viljoen and Ludik.

I'd welcome Cilliers back, but our props performed well for SA U20.

Van der Merwe is a decent signing, but I see him as a new Sykes, blocking the path for better prospects. We need to keep the Marais brothers and du Toit.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Draggsy, don't be so short-sighted. You disappoint me ... Franco van der Merwe is on loan from the Lions and will only play in Super Rugby. We can use some experience for those matches, we play 18 matches on our way to the trophy and we cannot let 3 rookies and 1 sophomore lock take care of our line-outs the whole season. He won't be with us during the Currie Cup so plenty of time for our young stars to shine then.

 

[Draggs]

Draggsy, don't be so short-sighted. You disappoint me ... Franco van der Merwe is on loan from the Lions and will only play in Super Rugby. We can use some experience for those matches, we play 18 matches on our way to the trophy and we cannot let 3 rookies and 1 sophomore lock take care of our line-outs the whole season. He won't be with us during the Currie Cup so plenty of time for our young stars to shine then.

I know... I just like seeing young players play. Once they hit 24 they are too old and off they go, onto some new nippers.
I am sure he will bring some good experience, I just don't feel confident after Sykes and Skeate. I'll give him a chance, of course.

 

[TRF Mr Fish]

Haven't read through the thread, but the Kings have signed Hadleigh Parkes from the Blues, as well as hooker Bandise Maku(?) and Argentine reserve halfback Nicolas Vergallo(!).

Great to see the first Argentine in Super Rugby!!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Nah, Juan Martin Hernandez and Eusebio Guinazu already played Super Rugby for the Sharks and Stormers respectively.

 

[Draggs]

Nah, Juan Martin Hernandez and Eusebio Guinazu already played Super Rugby for the Sharks and Stormers respectively.

Hernández never played in the Super 14. Injured before the start of the season, hence, Andy Gooooode.
http://www.itsrugby.fr/joueur_430.html

 

[psychic duck]

Also going back a bit Federico Mendez played in the inaugural Super Rugby season for Natal in 1996.

The prop Patricio Noriega also joined a Super Rugby side for the inaugural season in the Brumbies, and then changed his nationality to Australian after the 1998 season after completing 3 years residency. He later played for the Waratahs as well.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

It would be nice to have 1 Argentine player per franchise in the next couple of years. It won't happen, but to get Argentina to the next level (being a top team in SH rugby, having a decent domestic competition combined with participation in Super Rugby) SANZAR has to do a bit more effort. We have Pampas XV in the Vodacom Cup, which is a nice gesture by SARU, but I am afraid things will end there.

 

[psychic duck]

It would be nice to have 1 Argentine player per franchise in the next couple of years. It won't happen, but to get Argentina to the next level (being a top team in SH rugby, having a decent domestic competition combined with participation in Super Rugby) SANZAR has to do a bit more effort. We have Pampas XV in the Vodacom Cup, which is a nice gesture by SARU, but I am afraid things will end there.

There are rumours that the Pampas XV will be added to the Currie Cup 1st Division, the UAR president said there is discussions to join in 2014.

http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=1296778&s=rug&type=story

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Hmm, honestly, Currie Cup involvement is something I don't want to see since the Currie Cup is the national championship for provincial teams. It's the oldest rugby competition in the world. Super Rugby is a different story though. That's already a cross-country competition.

 

[TRF_heineken]

Hein, the biggest issues will be with the Bulls. The ruck has been a major factor of their defense where they add players to the ruck to increase the distance between the opposition and the scrum-half to perform a box-kick. That won't be an option anymore. The Stormers have a quick recycling, the only issue is the number of times they hit the opposition in stead of passing wide, like the Sharks and Cheetahs do.

I Agree totally with you. that's why I said all the teams will have to adapt. They implemented that tactic as there was time for them to do it, although, 4 seconds is a long time in rugby and I think there will still be time for them to do it.

But with scrumhalves that clear so quick like Vermaak and Hougaard, I don't think it will bother the Bulls that much.

Since HM's era at the Bulls, they learned to adapt pretty quickly to rule changes and to the way refs handle the matches.

Next year is going to be something else, and I think the young guns will shine, not just the under-21 Bok champs, but just in general the youngsters. the pace of the game will suit the younger ones better that the older guys, and the margin for error will be bigger. so they will have a bit more freedom to play.

I think guys to watch out for will be:

Stormers (/Lions):

Steven Kitshoff
Siya Kolisi
Pat Cilliers
Eben Etzebeth

Sharks:

Anton Bresler (I'm not a big fan of him at all, but Eze praises the soil he walks on, so this is just for you Eze).
Cobus Reinach
Tim Whitehead
Paul Jordaan

Cheetahs:

Raymond Rhule
Willie le Roux
Coenie Oosthuizen
Marnus Schoeman (Griquas - with Brussouw out for 6 months, it will give this guy the best platform to slot in Brussouw's place)

Bulls:

Arno Botha
Jan Serfontein
Handre Pollard
William Small-Smith
JJ Engelbrecht

Kings:

Ah who cares about those assholes?

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I Agree totally with you. that's why I said all the teams will have to adapt. They implemented that tactic as there was time for them to do it, although, 4 seconds is a long time in rugby and I think there will still be time for them to do it.

But with scrumhalves that clear so quick like Vermaak and Hougaard, I don't think it will bother the Bulls that much.

Since HM's era at the Bulls, they learned to adapt pretty quickly to rule changes and to the way refs handle the matches.

Next year is going to be something else, and I think the young guns will shine, not just the under-21 Bok champs, but just in general the youngsters. the pace of the game will suit the younger ones better that the older guys, and the margin for error will be bigger. so they will have a bit more freedom to play.

I think guys to watch out for will be:

Stormers (/Lions):

Steven Kitshoff
Siya Kolisi
Pat Cilliers
Eben Etzebeth

Sharks:

Anton Bresler (I'm not a big fan of him at all, but Eze praises the soil he walks on, so this is just for you Eze).
Cobus Reinach
Tim Whitehead
Paul Jordaan

Cheetahs:

Raymond Rhule
Willie le Roux
Coenie Oosthuizen
Marnus Schoeman (Griquas - with Brussouw out for 6 months, it will give this guy the best platform to slot in Brussouw's place)

Bulls:

Arno Botha
Jan Serfontein
Handre Pollard
William Small-Smith
JJ Engelbrecht

Kings:

Ah who cares about those assholes?

You forgot Taute and Jantjies for the Newlands Lions..
What about Venter for the Bulls? Do you think Serfontein and WSS will be the centers with JJ on the wing? Then there's Mapoe as well. Personally I'd be surprised if Small-Smith got much game time.

 

[TRF_heineken]

You forgot Taute and Jantjies for the Newlands Lions..
What about Venter for the Bulls? Do you think Serfontein and WSS will be the centers with JJ on the wing? Then there's Mapoe as well. Personally I'd be surprised if Small-Smith got much game time.

Taute and Elton hasn't confirmed anything yet, so there's still a chance that they might go to other Franchises.

The Bulls I think will implement a rotation structure around their youngsters, giving each guy equal time on the pitch, until the coach is satisfied of who will make the jersey his own.

I think Mapoe and JJ will play both wing and centre equally. (Although, it will be some serious pace if they combine as 12 and 13 with Mapoe at 12). But I have a strong feeling both will start out on the wing, with the youngsters in the midfield, and as the game goes on, one of them will move to 13...