The Stormers thread

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yeah, I agree with almost everything of what's been said here (RE; the Stormers' form) and I am glad to hear that JdV called for an improved effort from the boys. What we need is a true team effort and the rest will follow.

For some reason I am not confident this week will be it though.. well, at least we have the ability to win ugly if it comes to it and the Highlanders will definately push us all the way.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ex-Lions and Saracens hooker Ettienne Reynecke has joined up with the Stormers but coach AC has indicated that Reynecke will have to play at Vodacom Cup level first before he will be considered. Good news as our depth at hooker is extremely limited and while Deon Fourie is good in open play, our set pieces have gone down 3 notches with Liebenberg's injury. At least the line-out throwing did improve from the Lions game and I hope it can improve further. Aplon is available to play and likely to be on the bench. Hopefully he can add that spark we need on attack. For me, I am tired of the ugly grinding wins over average teams and think we will lose against better opposition if we don't step it up and that includes cutting the dead weight IMO at least until they impress at Vodacom cup level;

1 Wicus Blaauw
2 Deon Fourie
3 Brok Harris
4 Rynhardt Elstadt
5 Andries Bekker
6 Pieter Louw
7 Duane Vermeulen
8 Nick Koster
9 Dewald Duvenhage
10 Peter Grant
11 JJ Engelbrecht
12 Tim Whitehead
13 Juan de Jongh
14 Gio Aplon
15 Lionel Cronje

16 CJ van der Linde
17 Ettienne Reynecke
18 Adriaan Fondse
19 Siya Kolisi
20 Ricky Schroeder
21 Gary van Aswegen
22 Jean de Villiers

Let the rest find their form in VC and let the hungry youngsters have a go I say. Players injured: Tiaan Liebenberg, Anton van ZYl, Schalk Burger and Jaque Fourie.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

News 24 says Jantjes is carrying a little bit of an achilles ****le. Rest the man before what happened to Juan Smith happens to him. Aplon should also not be rushed in. I'd like to see Lionel Cronje play from deep personally.

Steve Walsh. Is 'refereeing' this match against the Highlanders. Now I know why I had this bad feeling at the back of my neck yesterday. Oh, well, at least I have 4 Highlanders in my fantasy rugby team.

 

[Boggle]

Steve Walsh ?

Well we might as well kiss all semblance of clarity goodbye, goodness knows he managed to **** up the previous match so spectacularly. (if the Highlanders weren't the obvious better team last week, I'd say the Bulls would have had a -lot- to complain about from a refereeing standpoint).

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I'd be fine with anyone except Walsh and Dickinson. Legoete is pretty clueless as well but at least his crazy interpretations go both ways.

We just need to be the pro-active team and adjust to his interpretations at the breakdown. And be VERY physical in that dept. Going in one at a time also won't help. The Stormers will have to play as a team and do everything they do at pace or we will lose this one.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Stormers team to face the Highlanders

http://www.superxv.com/news/super15_rugby_news.asp?id=29224

15. Gio Aplon,14. Danie Poolman,13. Juan De Jongh,12. Jean De Villiers (C),11. Bryan Habana,10. Peter Grant,9. Dewaldt Duvenage,8. Duane Vermuelen,7. Francois Louw,6. Pieter Louw,5. Andries Bekker,4. Rynhardt Elstadt,3. Brok Harris,2. Deon Fourie,1. CJ van Der Linde
Reserves:16. Siyabonga Ntubeni,17. Frans Malherbe / JC Kritzinger,18. De Kock Steenkamp,19. Nick Koster,20. Ricky Januarie,21. Gary Van Aswegen,22. Jaque Fourie

Duvenhage to start (whoop!) and Aplon on for the injured Jantjes. Fourie back but on the bench from where I hope he has a huge impact. All in all I think this XV is better on paper at least than against the Cheetahs.

 

[Boggle]

Holy shitcakes, Duvenhage to start ?

How bloody awesome is that !
Methinks with some proper scrum half work from the start of the match we might actually play with a bit of attack in mind.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Boggle, change your signature!!! We won 6 Currie Cups by now

 

[Amobokoboko]

Curious to see if the highlanders can keep their momentum.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

After beating the Hurricanes, Chiefs and the Bulls, they can beat anyone. The Stormers haven't been the best defensively and their discipline has not been that good against the Cheetahs. They managed to cover it up against the Lions partly because of Jantjies' bad kicking.

I wouldn't be surprised if they win at Newlands

 

[Amobokoboko]

Would be really good actually. If they can keep this up they are worthy of playing the final ( and win it)

 

[Darwin]

Was considering starting a need thread for the Stormers v Highlanders match, but I see the conversation on the match has already started in this thread, so I'll just post my thoughts in here

Unfortunately (for the Highlanders) the Stormers team looks stronger than last week - I really rate both Aplon and Duvenage, while Fourie could be very dangerous from the bench.

The Highlanders team has yet to be announced, but I wouldn't expect too many changes. Joseph may be tempted to rotate a couple of his players (particularly in the forward pack) as they have played a very physical game three weeks in a row, so there may be some sore bodies. I'd expect Donnelly to be back in the starting lineup, alongside either Bekhuis or Hoeata, while they may also be tempted to start John Hardie on the openside flank to give Soakai a rest. I don't expect they will make any changes to the Highlanders backline, as it was very effective last week against the Bulls.

I will wait until the Highlanders starting team has been announced before I make my prediction.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Yes, the Stormers backs look more dangerous than last week on paper but its in the forwards that the Highlanders will look to beat us first and I am a bit worried there as we don't have a lot of depth and allready lost our 3 forwards with the most grunt. That and the team has just not gelled as a unit yet which is a little strange for me as all these players have played together for a while now. I think the Highlanders will be as competitive as they have been these previous games and won't change much at all. It all then depends on what Stormers team pitch up. Even though our defense hasn't been what it was last year and the year before so far we are still a better defensive team than the 3 the Highlanders have faced so far in 2011 so i hope we get up quick and put pressure on the Highlanders, maybe get some turn-over ball for Aplon to attack off of.

My prediction.. if we improve from our last two outings we will be competitive. Can we win? Of course but it will take a much improved effort and I am guessing Walsh's style of reffing will suit the Highlanders more than us so that doesn't help the confidence..

 

[Boggle]

Boggle, change your signature!!! We won 6 Currie Cups by now

Honestly I've tried, I can't find where to edit my damn signature anymore.

I think the Highlanders might have trouble with the Stormers defense, which is (even if it is worse than last years) miles better than what they got from the Hurricanes and Bulls. The only problem is that like what was mentioned, our forwards have all been injured, which is a worry considering how powerful the highlanders look up front.

Hopefully with Duvenhage startinng, Aplon and Fourie back we will have a much better attacking game than previously.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Honestly I've tried, I can't find where to edit my damn signature anymore.

I think the Highlanders might have trouble with the Stormers defense, which is (even if it is worse than last years) miles better than what they got from the Hurricanes and Bulls. The only problem is that like what was mentioned, our forwards have all been injured, which is a worry considering how powerful the highlanders look up front.

Hopefully with Duvenhage startinng, Aplon and Fourie back we will have a much better attacking game than previously.

Yes, I'm also hoping our more aggresive defense will disrupt the Highlanders' momentum and I am sure we are going to have more sting on attack (with Duvenhage usually not likely to take 3 steps before passing like Januarie) with De Jongh, Duvenhage and Aplon in the mix and Fourie possibly coming up off the bench.

The worries; we have not been playing as a team and have not yet found our rhythm if I can put it like that. Injuries hasn't helped this either. We have lost a lot of grunt up front and we might get bullied by the Highlanders, particularly at the breakdown so I hope we are ready to face up to them in that department. Lastly, though this will go against what the Highlanders have done so far to an extent, I am concerned that the Highlanders can shut us up totally with playing a field position game; Aplon has no boot and Grant, though accurate doesn't have a lot of distance either. Deon Fourie has been struggling at the line-outs as well when opposition apllied even just a little pressure (particularly Steenakmp for the Cheetahs) and this all combined with the Highlanders' performances so far at the breakdown and probable/likely forward dominance over us.. we might get strangled like what we did to teams last year. But I'm hoping they will be looking to keep ball in hand at all times and not play a territory game.

 

[Sparty]

You certainly did but a lot of people make the mistake which results in confusion. Jantjies (Elton from the Lions) is pronounced with a K (Jankies) and Jantjes (Conrad from the Stormers) is pronounced just like it's written. Saturday, the commentator (cannot remember who it was) said during the match they got a bunch of emails and messages on Facebook and Twitter about the wrong pronouncing of the name when in fact it was correct

Hi , Yes I heard that as well , its was Bob Skinstad who said so I think.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I dont recognize voices, only faces haha

 

[Darwin]

Highlanders announced:
15 Ben Smith, 14 James Paterson, 13 Kendrick Lynn, 12 Shaun Treeby, 11 Siale Piutau, 10 Robbie Robinson, 9 Jimmy Cowan, 8 Nasi Manu, 7 Alando Soakai, 6 Adam Thomson, 5 Josh Bekhuis, 4 Jarrad Hoeata, 3 Chris King, 2 Jason Rutledge, 1 Jamie Mackintosh (c).
Subs: 16 Mahroni Schwalger, 17 David Te Moana, 18 Tom Donnelly, 19 John Hardie, 20 Aaron Smith, 21 Tony Brown, 22 Telusa Veainu.

1 change in the starting lineup from last week, with Paterson replacing the injured Poki. Poki is a huge loss for the Highlanders, as he has been the Highlanders most dangerous back over the first few weeks (along with Ben Smith). Disappointed to see Paterson has been selected to replace him rather than Veainu, as Veainu is a much more dangerous than Paterson. Slightly surprised to see Donnelly still on the bench - they seem to be easing him back slowly - but I expect he will get half a game this week.

I'm expecting it will be a close game. On paper he Stormers have the better team , but the Highlanders have had the weaker team on paper for the last three weeks!

 

[Shaggy]

... The referee is Steve Walsh

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Certainly the Stormers are the 'better' team on paper but I'd say that the Highlanders are massive favourites form-wise. That said they haven't faced an organized defense yet this season. Pity about Poki, I always hate it when guys in great form go out injured. And I sold Sivivatu earlier in Fox Sports fantasy rugby to make room and now I'll have to use my last transfer. Well at least I kept one just in case.

I'm never happy drawing Walsh or Dickinson. Those two always seem to pick on one team. I hope the Stormers get the shine from him this time round LOL but its never an enjoyable game with these guys around.