So, I see there’s a lot of talk doing the rounds about how the Stormers now have a tight five to be reckoned with. To my mind, they seem to have overlooked the fact that they, in fact, didn’t win on Saturday night.
Now claiming brownie points for “standing up physically” to a Bulls pack that doesn’t include Bakkies Botha and has the lightweight Derick Kuün at hooker is not exactly something to write home about. The only hard men left in that Bulls engine room these days are Rayno Gerber and Danie Rossouw, for goodness sakes! Add the fact that the Stormers at least have a proper tighthead prop and have stopped picking a centre at hooker and it starts to be pretty self evident that they should have been encouraged by their performance.
So it seems that Rassie wants to tweak the machine further, by bringing in Bulls discard Adriaan Fondse to partner Andries Bekker in the second row. It all makes good sense and I’m pretty pleased for the Stormers that they’re finally building a credible tight five. Let’s just have a look at the task that awaits them in Durban, before we get too excited, though.
The Sharks will line up with Mtawarira, Bismarck du Plessis, Botha, Ackermann and Muller in the tight five, just as they did last week. The Stormers will comprise Moller, Liebenberg, Mujati, Fondse and Bekker. In reserve, the Sharks will have some (or all) of Lensing, Burden, Jannie du Plessis, Sykes and van den Berg, whilst the Stormers will call on the likes of Brok Harris, Schalk Brits, Ross Skeate and Francois van der Merwe.
Comparing the units that each team employed last year (and considering that the Sharks were infinitely superior in last year’s tussle) we see that the nucleus of the Sharks tight five is the same, with only Beast and Bismarck coming in. Although there are still a few question marks over Beast’s scrumming abilities, I’m sure few would doubt the effectiveness of John Smit’s replacement. Like John, Bismarck is tall for a hooker. I’ve been told that a tall hooker next to a short tighthead (like Botha) often proves a handful for the opposition.
The Stormers have done well to shore up their leaky ship from last year, but if you look closely, you’ll see the same “soft” tight forwards, the Mollers, Skeates, Harrises and Britses, still feature and will likely all be on the field in the second half. The Sharks, in contrast, have established heavies in the likes of Sykes, Lensing and the other du Plessis. All-in-all a pretty simple equation. One good tight five coming up against two.
They say comparisons are odious and in the context of tight-five discussions, it makes little sense to compare direct opponents. To my mind, though, the Sharks unit, man for man, is technically superior in every position to what the Cape side is likely to put out there. Liebenberg is a good hooker, sure, but Bismarck is the Bok incumbent. Mujati is a proper tighthead, but Brok Harris isn’t. The Sharks have BJ Botha and Jannie du Plessis – again, no contest. Bekker is highly-rated as a lineout jumper (hell, he is so tall he doesn’t need to jump) but lacks the hard edge that Johann Muller brings. Fondse is young and promising, but Ackermann has forgotten more about hardness than Fondse has yet learned. Beast and Moller will both struggle in the scrums, given the quality of the tightheads on display. Who does more work around the field, though? And Lensing might not be good for much, but what are the odds that Brok Harris will move him backwards?
The comparison of Burden and Brits is an interesting one. Burden was a centre now playing hooker, whereas Brits was a flank who became a hooker only to play like a centre. Both still struggle with their basics, particularly lineout work. Both are explosive in open play with a good step and blistering pace. Surely a mouth-watering contest, should the two come up against each other. But Rassie wants Brits to be a number 8…
So, in conclusion, take this from whence it comes, but also don’t be too surprised if the REAL team in black wins the battle up front in convincing style on Saturday night. It will be hot in the Tank, all right, so lets see if Rassie’s new-look hardmen can take the heat.
Tweet
Stormers are going to get whacked.
RobDylan 3-16
Go Sharks!!!!
Have booked my tickets for Loftus next weekend – can’t wait.
Brok Harris 🙄 ai
Whens Eddie going to be back on the field,Eddie instead of Harris would even be welcome.
robdylan
“Fools to the left of me, jokers to the right, here i am stuck in the middle with you”. Pretty much describes 80% of the other site.
As for your prediction, unfortunately I can’t disagree. 😥
Yeah Rob …all our guys have got to do is “turn up” for the game ????
I think not!
Very balanced article Rob. 😉
Stormers pack surprised the Sharks last year in the CC, and I reckon they might again.
Dont be fooled; Mujati hasn’t single-handedly turned that pack around; they have failed in the past cos of mental weakness, not physical. With Rassie to focus them, they will be tough, whether or not Fondse starts.
Furthermore, they have the likes of JDV, Fijian, Jantjies and Chavanga, who can all score from nothing.
Stormers at Newlands are a very different team to Stormers at ABSA. However, they are going to be no pushover that’s for sure!
they failed to do it at home in the shadow of the mountain, you expect miracles now at kingspark. i cannot see bj, bis and beast (‘scuse the aliteration)breaking down. especially with the johan giants. only chance stormers have is attacking with the ball the sharks kick to them. and aplon doesn’t do much of that.
Focus on the tight five, Fish… that’s all I’m saying in this article.
Don’t for a minute think I’m discounting the danger posed by the Stormers loosies and backline. If we think we just need to pitch up to win and if we kick good ball down their throat, they’ll thrash us, sure as eggs is eggs
Yup good arti, anyone who believed that the Stormers stood up to the Bulls are delusional, the lack of ability to contest the breakdown cost the Stormers the game last week
who was in the Sharks pack that lost to the Stormers last year, Fish?
talking about mountain, does anyone remember that tv show under the mountain?
here is how the sharks should play on saturday. attack, get free kick, take scrum, push stormers back, release ryan (as he won’t have to catch a ball), slip the ball to ruan fred barritt, setup and start again.
here is how they will play, get a free kick, ruan takes it quickly, gets caught ball comes out of ruck, frans gets ball, kick, kick, kick kick kick kick kick. lose ten meters repeat the process.
i hope they wake up.
was that the one with Dawie die Kabouter?
tt – i fear you have a time machine!
yes rob. thats the one. narc, raid rob’s house. 💡
it’s a loooong way away!
it was the show with the aliens that were protecting their queen under the mountain, and two twins were the only ones who could save earth. looking back the story line was lame, but at 10 years old i kakked myself.
pretty much like the bulls, there game plan is lame, but if they were chasing me i would kak myself.
man-for-man i think the tight 5 comparison is correct, but erasmus will be pushing the Stormers hard right to the end and where’s there’s a will, there’s a way.
should be very interesting, but yeah the sharks with ackerman, aj, bismarck, muller, jannie etc are a very tough pack.
Rassie ain’t got no fool coming up against him, though… John Plumtree also knows his shit…
rob does it smell different to other guys shit.
maybe mm can ask him next time he interviews him?
I pity the fool, is all I can say 😉
The Stormers have a “light five”… 😯
i spose thats where you stash your stash. in the loo, and someone forgot to flush. and you asked who didn’t flush and john said thats mine. is that how you know he knows his shit…?
charlie has seen the light.
stormers light. and sab have a brewery next door that made ohlssons lager, and that was so watery, they just need to call it stormers light 5.
ja plumtree superb, problem is AJ and Ackers one year older, they are so valuable it might be even correct to play them for half a game, first half. be interesting to see what effect the new laws might have on them too.
cab, ackers only has 2 more games, the guy wants to go down fighting. let him. aj should play 50 mins as an enforcer, then bring some fresh legs to use the gaps he created by tiring the opposition out.
My very jaundiced opinion after game one is that AJ is not quick enough to be really effective under the new laws.
Thoughts?
it worries me that these okes seem to want to bring in Sykes for AJ at 7…
ackers couldn’t have played in 3 better games. against the force he tired them out. stormers and bulls both play a very physical game and he will be crucial. then we play the blues reds and lions and sykes will be a more suitable player here. the stars are all aligning for a super 14 trophy.
where do you get that from rob? sykes is the lock replacement. keegan is the flanker replacement.
maybe I’m reading too much into stuff… hope I’m wrong.
So who will start at 7 if AJ can’t play? Vin Deysel?
i would think so. probable team, beast, bis, bj, johan, johann, deysel, botes, ryan, ruan, fred, stefan/odwa, barritt, murray, jp, frans supermen and streetfighter, jannie, burden, kees/deon, syko, keegan, adi, rory.
yeah – looks ok. No room for Albert? Thought he played a superb game on Friday…
i would put him in keegans place.
thanks Try Time, shame about ackers esp if playing so well, pity they cant convince him to stay on 1 more season. sharks should’ve won it last year.
AJ got bounced TWICE in the last game. I haven’t seen that happen twice in all his time at the Sharks. 😯
Rob, even in the pack, I reckon we will dominate them, but not to the extent where we can win on that alone.
And lets not forget that they have won a lot at KP. So, my point is simply that our backs (particularly the halfbacks) will have to use the ball a LOT better to beat them – we wont be able to beat them on our pack alone cos I expect them to be far better than many think.
Fish – not arguing with you at all on that point.
Guys, here’s a crazy suggestion. If AJ isn’t passed fit to play, what about starting with Albert at 7? He definitely has the pace to play flank in this new game…
cab, we are lucky to have him for 3 games. he was supposed to working in cape town, but the sharks made a deal.
if all fit and with elv’s i’d go for:
1. carstens 2. bismarck 3. jannie 4. ackers 5. muller
6. botes 7. AJ 8. kanko
9. kocket 10. pienaar 12. steyn 13. murray
11. mentz 14. JP 15. michelak
rob,
albert is exteremely fast and could play 7 quite easily, jake white was no fool selecting him, stroppy wiry character too. what about the tongan fellow, was he on the bench last week?
Mentz was AWFUL on Friday night, Cab. Couldn’t catch a cold
lol, he could never catch that well, but plenty pace, strength and good finisher.
yeah… lots of pace, but you can’t finish if you don’t have the ball.
the only line mentz is going ove these days is the touch line. if runs like a crab. michelak hasn’t got the boot for fullback.
sorry predictive text. he runs…
I’ve secured a sponsor for Henno…one of the big supeglue manufacturers…
I know he is capable of gaining so much ground…but like rob said…it only helps if you have the ball. Ag man. maybe it was first game jitters…Henno is a genuine guy…
please note that supeglue is 10 times stronger than superglue
Hi BS – I like Henno. Shame, we all have a bad day at the office.
I have always liked Henno. I know I’m being hard on him, but sheesh, he was kak.
Get it back, boet…
I know RD but he wasn’t the only one dropping the ball. Ryan also needs some of that superglue.
Ryan only dropped one, right? I high ball that he dropped backwards from a kick. A bad mistake, but not as bad as fumbling twice with an open tryline…
I seem to remember more than one. And Bismarck too.
I do agree with you though – Henno did have a shocker!
We should let Albert play wing. Nothing wrong with his hands
Did you see Albert run? He was there before any of the backs and put in a HUGE tackle. Go Albert!!!
😉
yeah – I actually LOVE Albert. He is my secret crush.
No, seriously, he’s put in some good performance coming off the bench. Tends to disappear if the game is tight, but there is NO LOCK ANYWHERE who is quicker or has better hands.
I read somewhere that ALbert is as fast as alot of the Bok WC backs.
He is my daughter’s absolute favourite too. He is one of those players you can always rely on to have a good, steady game.
HowZit All
First- Congrats to Rob with his site.
He has an e-mail from me- if he so deems necessary- he has my permission to post it.
Just to get a couple of untruths out of the way re dinkskrum.
It started because of widespread intolerance on RW – way back in October 2007.
racial intolerance yes, generational intolerance, yes – intolerance based on language etc etc
In other words – there was bloggers that have become friends- and could not exercise that friendship on RW any more.
An alternative was arranged- because rugby bloggs are like pimples- every a$$hole- can have one.
I do not deem RobD an a$$hole however- but his “youthful” and inaccurate interpretations of history- no doubt being influenced by an baised media 🙂 have been somwhere inbetween disbelief/iRRitation/comic relief.
Not the real reason for starting a blog- however.
There is nothing sinister about being behind a password- there everyone is called their real names- as it is kind of stupid to befriend someone for 3 years and still call him Oranje Orakel- especially if you know his name is Willem.
So guys- there it is- if you havent got an invite- it was because you were intolerant to others on RW- not because you are either English, a Shark supporter or a KuLLid!
It has been said that the worst part of prejudice- is that there is usuaLLy a very gOOde reason for it.
Hitler and his cohorts are not welcome at dinkskrum either- but I am quite sure that the Gandhi – who coined- an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind- would not have approved of all the crap that the so called “enlightened” posters were posting “behind the safety” of a nick- at ruggaworld – in the past.
So gentlemen- according to our wonderfuLLy free constitution- that so many has paid a huge price – both fore and against- in the end it is about that priceless freedom- frEEdom of aSSociation.
I trust that all of you will have a wonderful day- and a wonderful experience of sharksworld. Whenever the OutbackOkies/countrycouzins are playing the $harks- I will make a turn here- to either win with humility or lose without excuses.
Thanks Bear – for the editing on the contextualness of “lOOse” 🙂
So no-one is – ruNNing – dinkskrum – no-one is editing posts- because emotionaLLy mature people were invited – so no-one angers Stan, with half truths- if he goes overboard with namecalling- the scrollbar is used. It was also never the intention to “replace” RW
its just a place where “friends” meet.
regards
Willem
over 40m, I wouldn’t be too surprised.
read somewhere that ALbert is as fast as alot of the Bok WC backs.
20.02.08 14:39:55 – provincejoulekkading Edit
Is that current backs or from the 80’s 😉
No….. I do believe that when Albert first came on the scene he had some blistering pace and would have been able to beat most of the backs.
His cover defence on the weekend showed that he STILL has the required pace.
Thanks for the clarification, Willem. I think it’s important for each blog to have a good understanding of its own niche and character. Dinkskrum quite clearly does, as, I hope, do we. Each will welcome discussions of a particular nature and it wouldn’t surprise me if there turned out to be very few posters in common between the two.
Anyone who is willing to play by my rules is welcome here at Sharksworld. Just click the “Register” link and you’ll be mailed a password. No need for a secret handshake of any sort and you can hide behind whatever pseudonym (or nomme de guerre!) you want to.
“So guys- there it is- if you havent got an invite- it was because you were intolerant to others on RW- not because you are either English, a Shark supporter or a KuLLid!”
20.02.08 14:40:51 – Oranje Orakel
So you guys are sorta of like the rugby christmas elves?
If we were good, we got an invite, if we were bad, we got nothing? 🙄
Right and wrong is such a subjective thing OO, and its so hard to prescribe. I certainly think we have a fabulous Constitution (although people didnt pay a price for the constitution if they fought against it, in my opinion), so I agree about the freedom of speech.
But here is the significant thing, if you judge a man by the company he keeps, then I am proud to be where I am now, and not in other places where a sense of shame might be appropriate.
Take care an good luck to your team.
So you guys are sorta of like the rugby christmas elves?
🙂
relOOk at your avatar and sEE the irony!
SoRRy fEEEEEsh
We did discriminate against you and against other lawyers as well- no one was invited 😀
BTW- congrats as well with your team’s win
My team dont need luck- they need discipline!
Fish, I really don’t want to enter into this debate here, although from my side there is much that still wants to be said.
Willem is right about one thing. He and I had a very frank discussion via email and I had no place exposing extracts of that discussion, out of context, to fit in with the agenda here yesterday. Willem, if you’re still reading, my apologies for that.
I see a large degree of hipocrisy in the inviting of Stan to Dinkskrum because I cannot think of a single poster across the history of all of the sites we have been involved in that has shown a greater or more blatant level of intolerance to everyone who didn’t agree lock, stock and barrel with his racist views.
It’s an Afrikaans-only site, which is fine. I don’t belong there and I never will. I belong here with you good people and I’m only too glad if Willem and some of the other good boys from that side pop in to spar with us from time to time.
OO – I keep telling Fish he’s sending the wrong message having a whitey as his userpic! 😉
I see the Force have named a radically different (and to my mind, weaker) team for Friday. You reckon your boys can take them?
RobD
Unless you have experienced some of Stan’s environment- that he was exposed to – there is no way that you can understand him- not necessarily “condone” his actions.
Point is- he was invited- and have done nothing to upset other posters.
He has found a place to blog.
Be reasonable – do you like everyone in your favourite bar?
And not “feeling’ welcome in an Afrikaans blog- where a gOOde amount of arties is in the AngloTale – is like you said , a personal thing- maybe a Rubicon of some sort.
BTW – how is the Hedge coming?
If the Cheetahs played as disciplined as they did against the lions- the Force will win.
I see a large degree of hipocrisy in the inviting of Stan to Dinkskrum because I cannot think of a single poster across the history of all of the sites we have been involved in that has shown a greater or more blatant level of intolerance to everyone who didn’t agree lock, stock and barrel with his racist views.
I can only quote the gOOde Mathatma
“an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind”
🙂
The danish have a saying
“the road to a friends house is never long”
I guess- the internet has cut that journey even shorter.
Take care- I will visit again when our two teams meet!
And you take care as well.
The hedge is starting to break out into leaf for the first time, so we will see what happens.
Ok ladies,enough with the leaf talk.
Luke Watson to score a hat-trick on Saturday ❗
Take care- I will visit again when our two teams meet!
20.02.08 15:16:57 – Oranje Orakel
You sound like Aragorn there mate. 😛
from my side, i think its intolerance on both sides.
i wasn’t invited to dinkskrum either (which pisses me off severely).
i quite liked the fact that we had ppl that were sharks intolerant, bulls intolerant, age intolerant, youth intolerant, race intolerant, racist intolerant and yes even JW intolerant all on the same website.
Maar nou ja, the more things change the more they stay the same.
cab is luke watson tolerant
pjld,
nope cab think jw is a saint and anyone that clashes with him must be burnt at the stake. cab realises he might be wrong and talks plenty shit.
First time I heard of Dinkskrum. 🙄
Anyway regarding the two ovens Sharks vs Stormers. Will you guys accept it of the Stormers ditch the Sharks in the scrums , lineouts and break downs. No more Stormers Light 5 talking?
Personally I was surprise with the Stormers one on saturday and if they can match the Sharks one, I wont say they will win the game but I think success is just down the tracks for our team.
Call me old school but I always believe in any level of rugby, thats where the game start and end.
Paarl,
yip think you might be onto something with different pack, stormers now need to get a few wins.
Province await the return of Eddie at Loosehead.
Was seriously impressed with the scrums on Saturday, just kinda gave up when Harris came on, Fondse in the starting XV will make a difference, he is alot bigger than vd Merwe and lets see if he lives up to his hype.
The Scrums are going to be great this weekend.
I like the fact that we have the same ref as last weekend, he already knows the Sharks are the tronger pack and any collapsing of the scrums will have to be the Stormers’ fault 😉
You sure about Fondse being a lot bigger?
Van is a pretty big lad too.
I reckon Stormers need to improve in the tight as much as in the set-pieces to beat us.
That said, I am more nervous than most of my fellow-fans it seems – I think the Sharks are often their own worst enemy.
Not saying Van small but from the stands Fondse looked like a bit of a meneer compared to him.
PB – for sure, we will know once and for all where things stand at the end of 80 minutes. I’m prepared to be admit it if I’m wrong, don’t you worry
Aaaaaaaalthough the player stats on the Stormers site has Francois kicking Adriaans ass.
vd Merwe – 1.98cm 121kgs
Fondse – 1.96cm 117kgs
Weird
Full Name Adriaan Rudolph
Surname Fondse
Height 195cm
Weight 117kg
Birth Date 9 June 1983
Birth City Pretoria
Marital Status Single
Primary School Anton Van Wouw
Secondary School Affies
Full Name Francois Carl
Surname van der Merwe
Height 198cm
Weight 120kg
Birth Date 4 October 1983
Birth City Bloemfontein
Marital Status Single
Favourite Film Shawshank Redemption
Favourite Music Gospel
Favourite Food Braaivleis
Primary School Staatspresident Swart PS, Kimberley
Secondary School Grey College, Bloemfontein
Whoops… look like Francois is a fair bit bigger.
Fondse is short for a lock
Looked moerse big from the stands,i fear my eyesight may be deteriotating. 🙁
Rob,
Another Luke… 😯
Exactlty what I thought pjlk.
Rob we all know you dont mind admitting when you are wrong – just wish you didnt make so many damn admissions… 🙄
Ney Claytie, los aide jou coke glase by die pozi met jou next trip to Newlands… 😎
Big Fish,
Who’s pjlk… 😯
Not knowing!
PJLD,
Where’s wpw… 😕
Wes is a busy man these days. He’s decided to “stiek in” rather 😉
Word is that Steers has declared a massive profit in the last week, so that could be a trail worth following.
(I hope he reads this 😈 )
Rob, is jy Kullit
I consider myself an honourary cullid… that ok?
Rather you than Hmmm Rob
Grand the company you’re keeping… 😎 Homy… 😎
anyone got a spare gatsby lying around?
i’m kullid cos my wife beats me black and blue for watching too much rugby.
🙂
You gonna haul out that poison pen anytime soon, TT? 😉
rob let me get through year end first. but yes i’ll get back to articles soon. bad time of the year. oh and for all you not in town, it is peeing down with rain, so expect high humidity on saturday.
Ah crap! That’s not good news
stormers will love it as they are a bunch of wets.
All the more reason to keep it tight
Think the Stormers tight five was great on saturday once again. This have to be our most positive at the moment. Now the Crusaders the real test.
Thanks Sharkies , no more light fives!
Paarl – they were good, yes, but faded as the game progressed. Not enough good depth, as pointed out in the article.