Stormers must stay sensible
11 Mar 2010
Forget an expansive performance. Aggressive defence, clinical lineout work and an abrasive breakdown display will set the stage for a win over the Hurricanes.
Ever the diplomat, Allister Coetzee said the Stormers will keep the ball in hand on Saturday. For those desperate for the Sevens-style touch rugby showcased in the Lions vs Chiefs fixture, this may be cause for excitement. For those who took note of Coetzee’s comments earlier in the week, it’s clear the Stormers will keep with a more sensible approach.
Ball retention is the Stormers’ priority, and this means the Cape franchise will look to make better use of their possession than they have in previous weeks. The decision-making hasn’t been great, as players have often kicked when the run was on, or run from their own territory when the clearance was more prudent. They’ve also dropped the ball at crucial moments, and a number of try-scoring opportunities have gone begging.
Against bottom-four teams like the Lions and Highlanders, it’s not a big deal, but you can’t squander chances against teams like the Hurricanes. The Stormers missed out against the Brumbies, and they’ve no doubt taken a lesson from that error-strewn defeat.
You can’t set out to beat a team like the Canes with an all-out attack. As disjointed as the Kiwis are at the moment, they have the individuals capable of turning the spilled passes that have characterised the Stormers backline’s season into try-scoring chances. They are lethal on the counter, but are limited if you tighten your approach.
The Stormers defence has been nothing short of magnificent. They’ve conceded two tries and 48 points in four matches. The miserly Crusaders are a distant second with seven tries and 84 points conceded. The Stormers’ line defence has been impresssive, but so too has their defence at the breakdown. Schalk Burger and Francois Louw have worked well together under the new laws, and pose a big threat to the Canes at the tackle.
The lineout is another strong point, and after two tries earned through powerful mauls that would’ve had northern hemisphere critics out of their armchairs, why would they want to move away from what works? Sure the Canes pack has several All Black individuals, but as the early rounds have proved, they’re not nearly as dangerous as a unit.
Coetzee wants his backline attack to keep striving for that elusive synergy, and has even uttered the Peter de Villiers phrase of ‘when we come off, we’re going to be one helluva force’. You have to appreciate what the Stormers are trying to do in their quest to become the complete team. Their scrum is steady, their breakdown and lineout is thriving, their defence is top of the competition and their kicking game, although still lacking distance, is working. The backline attack is the only concern, but now is not the time to ‘keep trying’.
The Canes thrive in broken play, so why give them the opportunity of scooping a knock on and scoring at the other end of the park? The Stormers have already beaten the Waratahs, they should have beaten the Brumbies and are favourites to beat the Hurricanes. An ugly win will suffice when you’re playing the top teams. As it is in Test rugby, you shouldn’t increase the risk by persisting with something that is yet to come off.
The Stormers’ finishing requires work, but these ambitions need to be placed on hold for the time being. The Canes are too great a counter-attacking threat, and as any coach will tell you, you don’t play to the opposition’s strengths. As Coetzee himself has said, the Stormers want to starve the Canes of possession, and that begins with respecting your own ball. This means playing tighter, smarter rugby.
Whether it rains in Cape Town this Saturday or not, the humidity afflicting the Mother City at present is hardly conducive to an expansive spectacle. These conditions will suit the hosts in what some may call a more conservative approach and others may call a winning one. As a team, the Canes have shown nothing to suggest they’ll trouble the Stormers at home, but of course, this all depends on the Cape side staying true to their winning formula.
By Jon Cardinelli
367 Comments
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 » Show All
11 Mar 2010, 05:59 am
good luck stormers….
11 Mar 2010, 07:02 am
Leke Stormers!! Gaan breeeek daai seuntjies!!
11 Mar 2010, 07:05 am
yes Stormers…just stick to your guns !!!
11 Mar 2010, 07:10 am
Good morning all.
Yip…. will be walk in the park for the Stormers this weekend.
Hou dop.
11 Mar 2010, 07:30 am
Well I’ll be damned!
No mention of Ricky’s inferior kicking game.
No wonder the sun is shining in Cape Town this morning!!
11 Mar 2010, 07:40 am
“As a team, the Canes have shown nothing to suggest they’ll trouble the Stormers at home”
yep, one loss at Altitude (and to borrow a Saffa Euphemism “travel disadvantage” ) and they have absolutely nothing… talk about putting the cart before the horse JC…
I hope they get up this weekend now, just to wipe the smile from your face for one… how about some objective reporting for a change…
The Canes will be a much better side this week because they are at sea level and have spent the extra week in SA…
11 Mar 2010, 07:44 am
WPW we can always start tearing into Ricky’s kicking game… but what good will that do?
Best to support them and hope the coach has got the formula right.
11 Mar 2010, 07:49 am
can someone please send this racist accusing clown Poppa69 to Zimbabwe? let him go live on a farm for a few days. The puz is in NZ but keeps on calling every afrikaner a racist or a KKK member … idiot.
11 Mar 2010, 07:49 am
Hurricanes will be blown away….
11 Mar 2010, 07:56 am
@Ashleigh_Langenhoven: bwahahaha theres only one person I call KKK, but so good of you to get all the facts before launching a tirade…
looking to cause trouble huh. the same old nic stealer as usual… why dont you get a life??
11 Mar 2010, 07:58 am
Infinitely tougher test for the Beauty Boys, but they’re up for it no doubts…….. Go Stormers!!!
11 Mar 2010, 07:59 am
@Ashleigh_Langenhoven: the fact youre using the nic of another bloggers daughter speaks volumes more about you then it ever would about me..
you rascist nic stealer you…
11 Mar 2010, 08:02 am
@poppa69:
Just ignore him bru.
For a grown man he sure is very childish!!
11 Mar 2010, 08:05 am
@wpw: yeah agree..
your team are looking strong for this weekend, match of the round for me..
11 Mar 2010, 08:05 am
how the hell do peole know so much about each other on this blog? huh?
11 Mar 2010, 08:07 am
i agree, if you want to post here, best you leave race out of it. The newspapers are full of the racist chants by Malema, but you don’t see every second white guy shouting rape on keo. stick to rugby talk, and if you loose a argument or your team is just k@k, don’t blame it on race. Bulls are superior to every other team in the world, they are mostly a afrikaans union unfortunately ..accept it … move on, SA did – 15 years allready
11 Mar 2010, 08:11 am
@What: that was a quick change of nics, log in and log off again… only took you 5 minutes, youre getting faster… standing ovation here..
11 Mar 2010, 08:14 am
poppa ffs go f^ck a goat, this has been my nick for years now.
11 Mar 2010, 08:14 am
@poppa69:
I agree, for me Stormers Canes is the match of the round, but I support the Stormers and therefore think they will win!!!! What do you think will happen in Chiefs Crusaders?
11 Mar 2010, 08:18 am
@poppa69:
Yep. I am a bit nervous because the Canes will definitely be up for this one.
I believe Conrad Smith is back as well… He will definitely make a difference to their attack.
11 Mar 2010, 08:18 am
@HongKongSlong: I think Dan Carter will be the difference between the two sides… will lead his team better around the park.. I tipped the Saders..
@What: in your own words “stick to rugby talk” … classy response by the way…
11 Mar 2010, 08:21 am
@wpw: yeah Smith back adds quite a bit to their backline, I think Nonu is half the player without him there…
your team has their confidence up, and their defense has been superb all season so far… not going to miss this one..
11 Mar 2010, 08:23 am
@What:
Dude, you’re one to talk!!
You are always stirring and making ridiculous comments about players based on their race.
Leave Malema and the current politics in SA out of this. This is a rugby thread so I suggest you discuss rugby!!!
11 Mar 2010, 08:26 am
@poppa69:
WHo do you support bru?? Sharks??
11 Mar 2010, 08:29 am
Who will the “Newlands faithful” support?
11 Mar 2010, 08:30 am
@wpw: Im a Auckland Blues fan, so another long season for me lol.. we will end mid table again, dont have the necessary forwards to challenge for the title…
11 Mar 2010, 08:30 am
stormers have got to get into, and stay in, the zone from before the first whistle to the sound of the last whistle…
no time to chill or zone out… any lapses will see Masaga and co punish us…
I believe our defence is key here… Canes used to wreaking havoc with their fancied runners… if we close ‘em down, don’t think they really have a plan B…
that’s when Bryan, Gio, Jaque and Joe can weave some of their own attacking magic…
easy on paper…!!
really nervous for this one…!!
11 Mar 2010, 08:30 am
@HongKongSlong: This match may get down and dirty,rain forecast over Newlands…could be in for NH test match rugby…
Happy to see Teabag starting,also Duvenhage and Naquelevuki..
My money’s on the ‘Saders…have upped their game and DC’s in form…
11 Mar 2010, 08:35 am
@wpw: Just ignor the KKK dude. He is simply looking for attention.
11 Mar 2010, 08:36 am
@Storm outta hell: I would never trust Nakalevuki. Never!
11 Mar 2010, 08:37 am
Hope Stormers lose with Duvenhage starting! Whats the excuse going to be, JC!
11 Mar 2010, 08:37 am
@ufo:
Dude, I’m telling you now… IF we can win this one it will do wonders for our confidence and then maybe, just maybe we will begin to play with more freedom and ‘try things’ on attack.
I think the balance between attack and defence is good BUT we are not there yet.
We need to shut teams out!!
Lastly, is it just me or is the Stormers playing ‘Jake White’ rugby??
The Boks played the same brand of rugby… HUGE on defence and capitalise on their opponents’ mistakes!!!
11 Mar 2010, 08:38 am
@poppa69: I’m not going to lie and say I’m not glad they lost to the Saders. But they were looking good there for a spell and were organized againt the Reds.
11 Mar 2010, 08:39 am
@wpw: The Sharks are still doing it , from 2007 – 2010, it can backfire as you can see with the Sharks.
11 Mar 2010, 08:41 am
@rossoneri: yeah agreed, but when push come to shove they were found lacking in the forwards (same as last year) so while I’ll still back them every week (not on Superbru hahaha), if they happened to make the finals it would be a pleasant surprise…
11 Mar 2010, 08:43 am
@wpw: JW rugby = AC rugby
11 Mar 2010, 08:43 am
in a rain induced match in the 4th ODI between Aus and NZ (Aus lead series 2-1), Aussie are currently 2-1 chasing 200 off 34 overs…
11 Mar 2010, 08:43 am
Gonna be a very physical match!!
11 Mar 2010, 08:44 am
@poppa69: reduced, not induced
11 Mar 2010, 08:52 am
@Storm outta hell: So true. Rather win ugly , than lose pretty.
11 Mar 2010, 09:01 am
@Ashleigh_Langenhoven: Are you an Afrikaner racist?
Last time I read a post from you it was along kkk lines. At least Poppa has rugby knowledge and information on the NZ sides part of this competition.
What do you contribute really? Seems like the only person who must fark off anywhere is you.
11 Mar 2010, 09:02 am
@poppa69: Are you comfortable with Keven as your skipper?
11 Mar 2010, 09:04 am
@What: You are another one. It’s 09H00. Shouldn’t you be going for your fitting for your custom made white sheet. The only people talking race here is you farker.
11 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
@wp_boytjie: Yah…fortunately we got the players to win both pretty and ugly
11 Mar 2010, 09:06 am
@rossoneri:
Ja but we have a decent coach.
The Sharks have Plumtree!!!
11 Mar 2010, 09:07 am
@Ashleigh_Langenhoven: @What: Where are you two KKK racist, nic stealing pieces of ****. I’m in the mood to piss on your collective retarded batteries.
11 Mar 2010, 09:08 am
@rossoneri: yep, not a problem because he is a great player… his after match speeches are pretty cliched though
11 Mar 2010, 09:09 am
@rossoneri:
Aai tog. Lets rather stick to rugby shall we??
I used to love watching the Blues!!
They have always been a decent side… they just need their tight five sorted and I’m sure they’ll be much more competitive!!
11 Mar 2010, 09:09 am
@wpw: Taking pots **** hey? Look. For now its working for the Stormers.
11 Mar 2010, 09:11 am
@wpw: Poppa is right about the forwards. What is a concern is that some of those guys are All Blacks.
Kaino, Woodcock, Mealamu, Tialata, Boric,… They should be a devastating team.
Pages: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 » Show All
Have your say
You must be logged in to post a comment.