Stormers recruit, Duane Vermeulen believes competition among the team’s loose forwards will be a major benefit to the Cape franchise in 2009.
Ebrahim Moerat writes for Rugby 365 that while the Stormers already boast quality loose forwards the arrival of Vermeulen has certainly boosted Erasmus’ options in this department.
Vermeulen considers himself to be a natural flank, but Erasmus used him at No.8 for the Cheetahs and he will most likely feature there for the Stormers as well.
He also provides an extra option in the line-out and he could be used in a similar role as Schalk Burger at the set-piece.
Francois Louw impressed during last year’s tournament while youngsters such as Nick Koster and Pieter Myburgh have also emerged during the past season. And Pieter Louw will also be throwing his name into the back row hat.
Then of course there’s still Burger and Luke Watson who heads up the loose forward pecking order.
“There is a lot of competition at the Stormers but it is good to have competition,” Vermeulen told rugby365 at the High Performance Centre in Bellville.
“I think it makes you a better player and it’s good for the team as well.
“I just want to get gametime in the Super 14, so that is my main focus at the moment,” he said.
The 22-year-old says Erasmus’ presence has made it easier for him to settle in after the they worked together at Cheetahs.
He also indicated that there’s a true belief within the squad that they can go all the way in 2009.
“Since I arrived in Cape town there’s been a good vibe. Everybody’s pumped to get a good start and to perform this year.
“We’ve set a number of goals for the year and one of them is to win the Super 14.
“I’ve enjoyed every day that I’ve been in Cape Town. And having worked with Rassie in the past made it a lot easier for me to get used to the systems in place at the Stormers.
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I saw the Fijian at Tyger Valley last week. He is HUGE!!! 😯
@wpw (Comment 1) :
Was he chained to a pillar while Rassie and the family were having a burger.
@Salmonoid (Comment 2) :
hehe
Nope, we were in the lift together. He was with what looked like his wife/girlfriend and their baby.
@Salmonoid (Comment 2) :
Hehehehhe
Yeah i am surprised Rassie EVER let’s him outof his sight. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 4) : The fastest transport that side of the world is an ox wagon so if he goes missing for 2 days Rassie will still find him.
@PJLD (Comment 5) : classic 🙂
That Luke Watson will be having a battle with anyone goes without saying. 🙄
Not to worry. Kallie Woekie’s passport is kept under lock and key at Newlands.
@McLovin (Comment 8) : Who’s that?
@klempie (Comment 9) : The fijian.
@McLovin (Comment 8) : like you need a passport to leave SA… or enter Fiji
@McLovin (Comment 10) : Naqalavuki?
@klempie (Comment 9) :
Kalie Woekie is Sireli Naqelevuki’s South African tribal name.
@KSA Shark © (Comment 13) :
From the Boer tribe.
@robdylan (Comment 11) : 😈
@KSA Shark © (Comment 14) : That’s what I was thinking.
Damnit! 👿 I’ve finised all my lunch and it’s only 10.30. Exercise is overrated it makes you hungrier and we all know how much food is costing these days. 👿
@klempie (Comment 17) :
@klempie (Comment 17) : Have a bigger breakfast. 😉
@McLovin (Comment 19) : I had a bowl of Jungle Oats. The sachet kind and they are NOT small helpings. More than that I just don’t have time for. 👿
@klempie (Comment 20) : Multigrain bread with some cheese.Trust me it will fill you.A glass of milk with it wont hurt.
you also want to pack a mid morning snack. 6 smaller meals a day
@PJLD (Comment 21) : amen, brother! Low GI is the key
@PJLD (Comment 21) : It all just takes up too much time trying to stick to a fandangled diet.
@klempie (Comment 24) : Putting cheese on bread takes seconds dude.Much quicker than boiling water, stirring vigorously and letting stand for 2 minutes 😉
@PJLD (Comment 25) : Oh I thought you were talking about a snack. I’m not eating a cheese sandwich for breakfast boet.
I can’t believe how disorganised WP rugby is.
I tried to book tickets to the Sharks / Stormers match and was told by the WP admin office that the tickets will only be put on Computicket on the 23 January. All the Sharks home match tickets are already on Computicket.
In addition it appears from the WP rugby website that they will only be selling their season tickets from the end of February, something about the Lions tour?!
I saw Vermeulen at Cobblewalk the other night. I gave him a mouthfull about being a sellout and then told him that he had better keep Luke out of the team.
Did someone mention food??? 🙄
@Loosehead (Comment 28) :
Cobblewalk??? ❓
@Loosehead (Comment 28) : 😯 That WAS brave
@Loosehead (Comment 28) : Good job.
@Me2 (Comment 31) : Happy Birthday Mama
http://content-rsa.cricinfo.com/ausvrsa2008_09/content/current/story/386387.html
Bloody Aussies! 👿
Thanks [email protected]klempie (Comment 33) :
Thanks klempie!
@klempie (Comment 34) :
South Africans being real gentlemen about this…imagine what would happen if some Saffa did it to an Aussie player……… 🙄
@Me2 (Comment 35) : Yeh exactly.
@Loosehead (Comment 28) :
Are you still in hospital or has the swelling subsided already?
@klempie (Comment 34) : Both teams handled it well, CSA never complained but CA still came out and said sorry that it happened.
Everyone just carries on.
@PJLD (Comment 38) :
@klempie (Comment 34) :
It seems Johan Botha is not doing too well…
‘South Africa will aim to lift their sluggish over-rates in the CB Series after struggling to maintain the required pace during both Twenty20 losses. The captain Johan Botha was fined 10% of his match fee after Sunday’s defeat in Melbourne and the team also found the going tough during the second clash in Brisbane on Tuesday.
Botha is relatively inexperienced in the role and at times had trouble gaining the attention of his fielders at the Gabba. “They weren’t watching me as closely as they should,” he said after the six-wicket loss. ‘
@PJLD (Comment 38) :
that’s just damn boring!!!! Why don’t they get the pakistan cricket board involved somehow, maybe then it will be exciting. 😳 Maybe Symonds can give them a call or something. 😛
@PJLD (Comment 38) : Yeh it if it was the other way around, Aussies would be up in arms.
@wpw (Comment 39) : Yeh Biff is sorely needed. I’m not worried about the ODIs at this stage though. Mickey is doing the right by blooding youngsters this early.
@wpw (Comment 39) : Tell him to open his mouth next time.
@PJLD (Comment 43) :
And to stop using his laser pointer to direct players around the field. 🙄
@klempie (Comment 44) :
@McLovin (Comment 8) : 😆 😆
@klempie (Comment 44) : quality!
@klempie (Comment 44) : 😆
@PJLD (Comment 47) : Thank you, thank you. 🙂
The mother of cricket hero JP Duminy has described her trip to watch her son in action in Australia as “out of this world”, saying he had proudly introduced her to all his teammates.
Junita Bergman’s trip came courtesy of local businessman Simon Mantell, who funded her five-day trip Down Under after reading of her desperate wish to see her son play in his first Test series.
On the first night, Duminy took his mother to dinner at a restaurant at the Sydney harbour.
“It was out of this world! I had a fantastic time with him,” she said.
“The best part was watching him on the pitch. He would look at me and wave.”
Bergman said that having her there added something special to Duminy’s game.
Duminy, 24, was not at all embarrassed that his mother had come all the way to Australia, and the two shared a room.
“At breakfast he proudly introduced me to all of his teammates.
“He said that having me there made him less lonely and homesick.”
Bergman did not manage to fit in much sightseeing, spending most of her day at the matches.
On her last night, her son treated her to dinner at an Italian restaurant at the Sydney Opera House.
Bergman returned home on Wednesday night, and Mantell was waiting at the airport to hear all her news.
“He’s such an amazing guy, but he gets shy when I tell him that,” she said.
Mantell said sending Bergman, a bookkeeper at the Waldorf School in Constantia, was well worth it, and more people should do favours for complete strangers.
“You feel like a million bucks,” said Mantell.
Duminy did South Africa proud when he scored an epic 166 runs in his second-ever Test match.
He was included in the team to replace injured vice-captain Ashwell Prince.
But his performance was so impressive that he was selected to play in the third Test in Sydney.
@wpw (Comment 50) :
Wow – what a kind act. I wish we would do all do more such good deeds.