The Neo Africa Tri Series may be no more, but that won’t stop the Stormers from going all out to secure victory in their hastily-rebranded warm up fixture against the Lions on Friday night.
Coach Alister Coetzee has confirmed that he’ll field a far stronger side than the largely second string outfit that downed Boland at the weekend. In particular, Schalk Burger will lead the side and while the likes of Duane Vermeulen, Andries Bekker, Reinhardt Elstadt and Dewald Duvenage won’t play, the rest of the first-choice side should be in action.
“We’ve reached a stage where we want to field a side that will be as close as possible to the team that will play in the opening Super Rugby game against the Hurricanes in February,” Coetzee said in a SAPA report.
“We’ve had our first run where all the youngsters had a chance to play but the match against the Lions gives us a chance to play a different team, and one that will have very different challenges from the side that played against Boland Cavaliers,” Coetzee added.
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Should be a good game, looking forward to some decent rugby on the telly again.
I wonder if Bolla Conradie will start!
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@wpw (Comment 2) : He probably needs a rest…… 😈
Would be interesting, is this game televised?
@Mutley (Comment 4) :
Dont think so
@wpw (Comment 2) :
If Duvenhage isn’t playing, I am quite sure he will be in the mix?
Wasn’t he vice-captain of the team that played against Boland, so he is considered a senior player..
Much as I want to see the continued development of Schreuder (in particular) and Groom…
The Stormers desperately need to find someone who can make things happen in the halves.
If that happens to be Bolla, then so be it
@hendrikp (Comment 7) :
Thoughts on Duvenhage?
Is he good enough to be considered the first choice scrummie?
And who will be your number 1 flyhalf?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 6) :
He was indeed.
And was apparently our best player on the park. 😎
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 8) :
I’m not too big on Duvenage, but he’s pretty much a sure thing for them there. Just doesn’t make enough happen for my liking – he’s a safe option.
Of the Stormers 10’s I wouldn’t even bother with: Burton Francis, Demetri Catrakilis, Kurt Coleman or William van Wyk.
I’d probably go with Gary van Aswegen, and hope he puts some good performances together. Otherwise Peter Grant is a fall back option, but I don’t think he’s ever the ideal solution.
And I’d love to see Elgar Watts at that level.
Hoping Timo Swiel will be our long-term solution in the position. He’d be a good fit for the Stormers style I presume.
@hendrikp (Comment 10) :
I’m no Francis fan either, although he is solid.
What do you have against the Greek God Catrakilis? I thought he was hailed as the next big thing in the Cape?
I can honestly say I have not seen much of van Aswegen, but I have read some pretty good things.
You do have a boat load of flyhalves at your disposal though!!
Interesting to see that Allister wants to play Aplon on the wing & bring Pietersen in at fullback.
Too small of a back-three for my liking.
I think Gerhard van den Heever would’ve been an ideal fit as a physical runner breaking lots of tackles and with out-and-out pace. A change of scenery might also have done his form a bit of good.
Also hope that Allister also stays innovative and continues with the youth approach.
And a rotating bench would be nice….
16 Deon Fourie / Scarra Ntubeni (Liebenberg starting presumably)
17 Frans Malherbe / Steven Kitshoff (Carstens + Harris presumably the starters)
18 Eben Etzebeth / Quinn Roux (Elstadt + Bekker presumably the starters)
19 Siya Kolisi / Nizaam Carr (Koster + Vermeulen + Burger starters)
20 Louis Schreuder / Nic Groom (Duvenage starter)
21 Give Timo Swiel some time here perhaps?
22 JP du Plessis rotating with guys like Poolman, vd Heever & Klaasen?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 11) :
Catrakilis is another case of being talked up by the Cape press. Nothing more then average, at best.
I’d be surprised if he plays for the Stormers this year, and not surprised at all that if he does, he’s just no good.
@hendrikp (Comment 12) :
I am no fan of the windhond van den Heever, but will he not be a pretty good fullback/wing, with Aplon on the wing and also covering the fullback role. As far as I remember, he did play at 15 for the Bulls a few times.
@hendrikp (Comment 13) :
A decent Currie Cup player who will have to fight it out in the Vodacom Cup ranks during the first half of the year?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 15) :
He’s a John Mametsa… a big deal made out of nothing, and luckily the coaching staff realize that.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 14) :
I’d be wondering if it isn’t a lack of genuine competitiveness that is holding him back. That so far he’s gotten through on his physical abilities, but now that he needs to put his body on the line he’s falling behind.
But still I don’t feel good about the ‘mix’ of Habana, Aplon & Pietersen. Gerhard vd Heever is one of our best at breaking first-up tackles, and the Stormers need someone with a bit of magic off the mark. Pietersen seems more the type you’d want if you were already making things happen in the midfield.
Come On Stormers! Take them down a notch . . . 😈
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 14) : Van den Heever is the guy who had a go at Luke Watson at Loftus some years back . . . Now the Cape Public wants to welcome this little thug with open arms?? 🙄
@Original Pierre (Comment 18) :
That was Puke’s fault.
Couldn’t handle being put into touch so thought it a good idea to pull the players jersey over his head… he got what he deserved from the Loftus faithful
@hendrikp (Comment 16) :
So where do you play Gerhard? On the wing with Aplon at fullback?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 20) :
Yup that’s the one.
Gerhard at 14, Aplon at the back.
It does favor Aplon being on the wing though. If Habana doesn’t perform, he’s a very good chance for a wing-spot in the Bok team.
@hendrikp (Comment 21) :
What are you expecting from Habana this season?
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 22) :
I think he’s still a heck of a good player… didn’t agree with those who thought he should’ve been dropped in 2011.
I reckon he’ll fair better outside de Jongh. Whether he’s still an out-and-out finisher though, I’m not so sure. He’s been drilled to bring the ball back into play too much, his positional play on offense isn’t as good as it used to be…
I’ve got no problem with his defense though. Can’t help but laugh when he gets criticized for supposedly ‘breaking the line’ on defense, when that’s what he’s told to do and is important for the rush defense – the opposition not being able to get the ball out wide.
I’m thinking he’ll play for the Boks in 2012 at the very least.
@hendrikp (Comment 23) :
By ‘bringing the bal back into play’ I mean that he cuts in too much and recycles, rather then trying to keep it alive. Not a good sign for an attacking winger.
@hendrikp (Comment 23) :
Interesting thoughts..
Thank you for sharing.
I think he has quite a bit to offer at Super Rugby level, but he will have to prove himself for that Bok jersey.
Stormers side for this weekend :
1. Steven Kitshoff
2. Deon Fourie
3. Brok Harris
4. Eben Etzebeth
5. De Kock Steenkamp
6. Schalk Burger (C)
7. Siya Kolisi
8. Nick Koster
9. Louis Schrueder
10. Gary van Aswegen
11. Bryan Habana
12. Jean de Villiers
13. Juan de Jongh
14. Gio Aplon
15. Joe Pietersen
Reserves
16. Tiaan Liebenberg
17. Deon Carstens
18. Frans Malherbe
19. Don Armand
20. Reuben Johannes
21. Nizaam Carr
22. Nic Groom
23. Burton Francis
24. Marcel Brache
25. Gerhard van den Heever
26. Danie Poolman
Referee: Jaco Peyper
@Original Pierre (Comment 26) :
🙂
I like it.
Not sure throwing Kitshoff into the deep end this year would be the wisest idea though – assuming this is their strongest ‘available’ side.
Schreuder being the nr. 2 scrumhalf is something I could go for though.