Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has dismissed talk that success in the Super 14 could be dependent on Saturday’s game.
Stephen Nell writes in Die Burger that you’ll probably have to wait until the knockout stage of this year’s Super 14 before witnessing another match as big as Saturday’s one at Newlands.
That is when South Africa’s two top sides – the Sharks and Stormers – meet in a titanic clash that can potentially define each one’s campaign.
The Stormers, in particular, are under huge pressure to win their home games because they have a murderous tour with games against the Crusaders, Hurricanes, Brumbies, Waratahs and Highlanders to come.
However, Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus has dismissed talk that success in the Super 14 could be dependent on Saturday’s game.
“There will be a lot of hype about the game, and yes, both teams would like to win and we have home advantage. Fortunately last year showed us that you can come back. We lost out first three games and after that suffered only one defeat,” said Erasmus.
“With that I’m not making excuses in advance. We will be very disappointed if we don’t win. But our focus will always be on the next game.
“For now it’s the Sharks, but we won’t give up if we lose. Thereafter the focus will be on the Reds. Each game is as important as the one before.
“One defeat won’t be the end of the world because we will lose at some stage.” Fijian wing Sireli Naqelevuki is the only player not expected to be available for selection after injuring his ribs. Erasmus will make a call on him today.
Nick Koster, Conrad Jantjes and Joe Pietersen are the leading candidates to replace Naqelevuki if he cannot play. It’s difficult to say how the Stormers and Sharks measure up to one another for this clash of the titans.
The Sharks will play with the confidence of a team that won the Currie Cup, but the Super14 is an entirely different matter.
While Western Province finished only fifth in the Currie Cup, it masks the fact that the Stormers and WP at full strength under the coaching of Erasmus and Allister Coetzee have become difficult to beat at Newlands.
Last year the Stormers lost 10-12 to the Sharks in Durban.
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Aaaaaaand the build up starts.
GO SHARKS!!!!!!!!
2009 YEAR OF THE STORMERS
@molly (Comment 2) : 😈 😈
Yep, that’s right Molly!!! 😎
I actually can NOT wait for Saturday. And then Monday when i can come online and “chat” to you folk about the win.
@molly (Comment 4) :
hehehe
We need to remember to be magnanimous in victory, OK???
@molly (Comment 4) :
Just please be gracious in defeat on Monday, we don’t want any “we wuz robbed two years in a row” stuff from you guys.
😛
@wpw (Comment 5) :
dammit he beat me by 24seconds with that clarification 😈
Its gonna be a rough week 😆
I’m just building up this game as much as I can. Its WAY more fun when there’s a build up.
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 8) : for some of us 😈
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 8) :
I agree next week is gonna be rough for the Sharks supporters!!! 😈
@Worcestershire Sauce (Comment 8) :
it’s NEXT week that ALL of us should be worried about. 😳 😛
@wpw (Comment 11) :
beat me to it again. :grrr:
The Stormers are trying their best to pass the pressure to us…
Truth is, this is their home game, and we have nothing to lose… 🙂
Sharks!!!!!
@blackshark (Comment 14) :
Nothing to lose?? Ja right!
If anything you guys are the ‘top SA team’ and to lose against a team who doesn’t possess ‘any’ props would just be unthinkable.
@wpw (Comment 15) :
The important thing is that you at least admit we are the top SA team. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 16) : did you not see the inverted comma’s?
@molly (Comment 17) :
Yes I did, but he didn’t quote a source so I presumed he was just trying to place an emphasis on the phrase. 🙄 🙂
@molly (Comment 17) :
nice one Molly!!! 😈
@blackshark (Comment 14) :
Correct – an away loss for the Sharks in their first game will hardly raise a rush on razor blade stocks in Durban but quiete possibly would in Cape Town
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) : yeah, judging by the amount of shark stickers I see on cars here, quite a few people are going to be upset on Monday. 😈
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) :
Yep…and the Stormers can’t hide behind their “good travellers” tag…because it hasn’t worked too well for them. They need to win more home games…
@blackshark (Comment 22) :
Stormers must be the only team that almost has a better away record than they do home record. 😉
@blackshark (Comment 22) & @KSA Shark © (Comment 23) :
Um we haven’t lost a game at home since the 3rd round of last years super14.
@molly (Comment 24) :
You tell them Molly!!! 😉
Want to post and get the message “you are posting to quick, slow down a bit” 🙄
This one will be one hell of a game and dont matter what Rassie said , the pressure will be much more on the Stormers in this one.
Cant wait.
Pretty glad to see molly is on our side. 😎
@molly (Comment 24) :
In Rnd 3 you got thumped 22-0
Rnd 4,5,6,7 you were on tour
Rnd 8 you had a bye
Rnd 9 you beat the Cheetahs (as did almost all 12 the other sides in the comp)
Rnd 10,11,12 were reasonable wins
Rnd 13 you didn’t win against the Waratahs 😉
Rnd 14 you were in Jhb.
So if you DO want to go back as far as Rnd 3 then you should really say “we only won 4 of our home games since round 3.” 😉
@molly (Comment 24) : @wpw (Comment 25) :
Tell us?
It’s the Stormers fans who always say winning at home is not so important because you guys are good travelers anyway…I don’t even know what they mean by that…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : I won’t lie, I was including the currie cup. But you guys seem to count the currie cup as important or something, so I thought it was ok.
hehe… starting to get dirty in here.
@molly (Comment 30) :
@KSA Shark © (Comment 31) : Sunday/Monday is going to be a nightmare for one of us.
@blackshark (Comment 29) : I don’t think away winning is more important, its just that you can’t get into the semi’s without winning a few games overseas.
Anyway, its those mother-trucking bonus points that killed us.
@molly (Comment 32) :
There are going to be two distinctly different moods on this website on Monday morning. 😆
@KSA Shark © (Comment 34) :
Have you guys totally disregarded the possibility of a tie? 😛
@molly (Comment 21) :
Good to know that the gospel of the Shark is spreading, particularily to the Southern most tip of Africa.
Shortly after the CC I had to be in CT and it really was as if every 5th car had a Sharks sticker displayed.
@molly (Comment 33) :
Ideally yes, but in all honesty some away games are easier to win than some home games…
@KSA Shark © (Comment 28) : 😆 😆 😆 😆
@Salmonoid (Comment 36) :
Only every 5th car? Were you in Gugulethu ?
And did the first four cars have Pirates and Chiefs stickers?
@blackshark (Comment 35) : Then I think we’d both be disappointed, maybe me a little than you guys.
@molly (Comment 40) :
In case of a tie…the team disappointment will sgift to the team that was leading…and the one with most missed opportunities.
Can’t wait!!! Woohoo!!!
@blackshark (Comment 39) :
😆
After Saturday it will every 3 cars – even in Gugs.
I think this is possibly the best way a super14 can start. These 2 teams, maybe the bulls. But Sharks vs Stormers is gonna be AWESOME!
@molly (Comment 32) :
I think the Stormers 😈
Obviously not…the S14 is a min of 13 games long…
So anyone thinking the first game is to determine the series success is dull…
@Hmmm (Comment 45) : and if anyone knows dull… 🙂
@robdylan (Comment 46) :
huh?
E.G.
Cats lost to Brumbies in the first or second game by 40 or 50 points in 2000 and played the Brumbies in the semi final in that same year and lost 25 – 5 (and the Brumbies scored two tries in the last 10 min in that game)…