The Stormers take on the Blues in Cape Town, coming off an early season bye, looking to hit their straps immediately and take the points against a Blues outfit that failed to impress in the early rounds, yet came away with a victory over the Bulls at Loftus last weekend.
The Stormers welcome back Peter Grant to the starting fifteen, after his last minute penalty in the team’s last match sunk the Sharks. The team will be led by Jean de Villiers from midfield while regular captain Schalk Burger remains on the sidelines.
The Blues have lost two wingers in two weekends as both Rudi Wulf and David Raikuna are not available for selection due to injury, while Rene Ranger is currently suspended for a late tackle in the Bulls game. Gareth Anscombe, who scored all the points for the Blues last weekend, continues in the flyhalf position while Michael Hobbs recovers from injury.
I suspect this will be a close encounter, with both backlines sporting immensely talented runners, but the battle will be won or lost at the front.
Stormers: 15. Johan Pietersen, 14. Gio Aplon, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Jean de Villiers (Captain), 11. Bryan Habana, 10. Peter Grant, 9. Dewaldt Duvenage, 8. Nick Koster, 7. Duane Vermeulen, 6. Siya Kolisi, 5. Andries Bekker, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Brok Harris, 2. Tiaan Liebenberg, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16. Siyabonga Ntubeni, 17. Frans Malherbe, 18. De Kock Steenkamp, 19. Nizaam Carr, 20. Louis Schreuder, 21. Gary Van Aswegen, 22. Gerhard van den Heever
Blues: 1. Pauliasi Manu 2. Keven Mealamu (c) 3. Charlie Faumuina 4. Filo Paulo 5. Ali Williams 6. Luke Braid 7. Daniel Braid 8. Chris Lowrey 9. Piri Weepu 10. Gareth Anscombe 11. Sherwin Stowers 12. Ma’a Nonu 13. Benson Stanley 14.Ben Lam 15. Lachie Munro
Replacements : 16 Tom McCartney 17 Tevita Mailau 18 Brad Mika 19 Peter Saili 20 Alby Mathewson 21 Hadleigh Parkes 22.Francis Saili
Tweet
kick off at? 7?
@robdylan (Comment 1) : 7:10 to be precise
@Die Kriek (Comment 2) : That is my goal, I need to have the little Beast fed, bathed and ready for bed by then.
@lostfish (Comment 3) : Oh no that’s 6:10 my time. Never going to happen. Crap
@lostfish (Comment 3) : I thought u had a flasher?
@Ice (Comment 5) : Yes the little Beast is a flasher but she hardly naps and runs around full tilt all day long. I am lucky if she naps 45 minutes at lunch time. So she is affectionately known as the little Beast or Hurricane J.
@lostfish (Comment 6) : I understand comletely. We have Tornado Taya in our house… 😆
@Ice (Comment 7) : With another one on the way I am finished by about 5 o’clock after a day with Hurricane J.
@Ice (Comment 7) : They do make life interesting though. Thank goodness she sleeps for 12 hours at night and she sleeps through unless something is really wrong.
bollocks… it’s online only here, so I can’t record it to watch later.
@Ice (Comment 5) : @lostfish (Comment 6) : Flasher?? If I may ask.
@lostfish (Comment 9) : cant say the same! lol
Girls, Ben! Daughters… 😆 G~sharks
hope this gonna be a good game…..
@robdylan (Comment 10) : Ask someone else to record and post it for download?
A draw would be great
Habana listed as 1.80 m ..he tends to grow on the TV stats as the years go by.
Ga ga ga game on……
@Die Kriek (Comment 15) : can you do that?
Cos I would REALLY like to see the Sharks XV match…
Blues with first use of the ball, stormers 10, lost forward
ping pong, line blues line out, blues 10
first penalty to the stormers, blues intro from the side, stormers take it quickly, possession lost as the stormers enter from the side
JDV with the quick tap for a penalty and stopped short 5m out ..ball goes to the Blues side entry.
3rd time blues put the ball in at a line out, not straight, first scrum
stormers penalty, blues scrumming on the angel
Joe going for goal
PK Joe
Stormers 3 – 0 Blues
6 min
2 nd line out the blues loose
drubber thru from Duvehage, blues line out in their 22, collapsed mall, and stormers with a scrum, blues 22
Aplon half break
adv stormers
Penalty to the stormers, blues not rolling away
PK Joe, from the 22, over
Stormers 6 – 0 Blues
11 min
@Franshark (Comment 29) : drubber?
Stormers claim the ball and clear to the side line from every kick-off from the blues
@lostfish (Comment 34) : between a drop and a rubber 🙂 ?
give the right word pls
Habanana try, in the corner, all started from an unforced mistake from the blues fh
@Franshark (Comment 36) : grubber?
Joe to convert, missed
Stormers 11 – 0 Blues
15 min
@lostfish (Comment 38) : aah
Hang on, hang on. Just back the hell up a second.
I thought you guys said Habana scored a try! :). Talk about flashbacks to 2009
a low line kick, grubber , leads to a line out and then a penalty for the stormers, stormers line out blues 10
@robdylan (Comment 41) : hahaha, actually it must have been Habana in disguise because it was a bloody good try.
@robdylan (Comment 41) : that’s why he got an extra ‘na’ from me 🙂
Blues on attack, just inside stormers half
Blues kick out on the full just after ref said advantage over
another collapsed mall from the stormers, blues scrum, stormers 10
Weepu kick the ball out in stormers 22, stormers line out, free kick for blues, nr 9 joining the line out
blues on attack 7 meters out
Stormers defending well, conceding a penalty, advantage
Aplon intercept, back to the penalty
Munro to kick
Stormers 11 – 3 Blues
28 min
Habana with a great chase and awarded the possession in scrum for claiming the ball and going forward
penalty to the stormers, blues scruming in according to the ref
Joe PK
Stormers 14 – 3 Blues
30 min
Stormers knock the ball on their 10, scrum blues
Blues awarded a penalty, player not supporting his own wait, PK missed by Munro
Stormers keen to kick for touch, blues line out on their own 10
Stormers knock, blues scrum, blues 10, after 35 min
base kick from blues gives away possession( that’s why I don’t like it)
A mistake from the ref, not seeing the tackle in the air from Aplon, and calling the blues players off side gives Joe a chance to kick at goal, missed
A knock from the blues gives the stormers an scrum straight in front of the blues poles
Hands in from blues, penalty to stormers
PK good from Joe
Stormers 17– 3 Blues
Half Time
Stormers playing for territory and the Blues making the mistakes keeping the Stormers well in control of the scoreboard
A blues knock on gives the stormers a scrum early in the 2nd half
Scrum going down, blues penalized, stormers kick the ball dead, missed chance for points
Grubber by the blues gives the possession back to the stormers
Stormers take the ball into the blues 22
Habana looking good so far
Obstruction and the scrum goes to the blues
@Mutley (Comment 70) : agree, having a good game
@Franshark (Comment 68) : 😀
Stormers in the faces of the blues, forcing another mistake and they get the feed at scrum, blues 22
@lostfish (Comment 73) : 😉
@robdylan (Comment 19) : Unfortunately not personally, internet is off. Cables got stolen. Had to do my FL on a borrowed Blackberry
Penalty advantage to stormers, advantages over as stormers win some ground, Knock from stormers
Good stepping by Grant but not good support
Blues kick, Peterson goes for drop, miss
@Franshark (Comment 79) : that was Pieterson
Blues looking 2nd rated team, these big names with butter fingers
Good try Jean de Villiers
De villiers try….
@Franshark (Comment 81) : Give the guys a break, half the team is on the injury list. Stormers are looking quite good though but can improve.
Joe conversion over
Stormers 24 – 3 Blues
53 min
Penalty for the blues, side entry, line out taken by blues
Blues try, Stanley
Not good by the Stormers, Stanley scores for the Blues, good advantage played by Jackson
Blues just need another converted try so that I can get my margin point in SB 😆
@lostfish (Comment 84) : I hear you, just feel the seniors that’s still playing are not standing up and is looking sluggish
try converted by Munro
Munro to kick
Stormers 24 – 10 Blues
59 min
@lostfish (Comment 89) : that’s why we see it different, I picked the blues to win
Intercept from Jean saves the stormers from conceding a try, knock on gives the ball back to the blues, scrum on the stormers 22
blues 5 meters out, looking good on attack now
2nd penalty advantage
@Franshark (Comment 92) : I thought about it but then went for the Stormers.
Blues take the scrum, stormers warned for slowing the ball
@Franshark (Comment 92) : so did I…
Another try for the Blues
Try under the posts,
24-17. One more please!
Now I just need a conversion and a Blues penalty and then no more scoring from the Blues 😉
Charlie Faumuina the try scorer
Try converted
Stormers 24 – 17 Blues
66 min
@Ice (Comment 101) : add one penalty to another try and conversion and I’ll be spot on..!
Charlie Faunuina !!!! starting 15 try !!!!!
@Ice (Comment 104) : Did you go with the Blues?
Go Stormers for my SuperBrus sake
Blues looks like a different team in the last 20 min, doing all the play, penalty and Anscombe going for goal, missed
Go Bloues!!! 😀
Stormers scrum just demolished the Blues
game tense now and my hands getting wet,
Penalty to the stormers, 28 meters out….
@lostfish (Comment 106) : Jip…the “upset” pick..to make up serious points incase they win! 😆 I have one like that in every round… 😆
And the “dayboo” master misses the penalty I was asking for..
Petersen puts the Stormers 10 ahead
Taking the score to 2 scores away from the blues
Stormers 27 – 17 Blues
73 min
And tonight Peterson will kick accurately.. 🙄
Stormers backline in full flight, Habana kicks it away, almost an intercept by Aplon
Tighthead by the stormers
@Mutley (Comment 114) : unconverted try for the blues then.
Holding on by stormers blues line out, stormers 10
I have the Stormers by 7 so I hope the Blues takes a shot at goal if they get the chance and the Stormers don’t score
Stormers claim it and take the play all the way to 5 meters from the blues try line
Newlands crowd must be the worst EVA!
2 min to play, blues 95 meters away from a try
@Ice
Can’t agree with you more
Stormers with another huge scrum but 17 penalized, blues line out but the stormers takes it again
That’s it the Stormers win by 10
The blues kick the ball away and the end is here
Stormers 27 – 17 Blues
FULL TIME
@Ice (Comment 113) : I almost picked the blues but something told me to stick with the stormers
Blues only ‘played’ for 20 min in the game, made for some exiting rugby after a slow start in the beginning, good entertaining game…
@lostfish (Comment 130) : that something was late with the message by me 🙂
Habana MOTM,
@lostfish (Comment 130) : My sixth sense did not kick in…blooming AGE!! 😆 That’s the problem, I thought of picking the Stormer, but if this one went with how I picked it would be major moves up. This is how I gamble…dont like to waste money at the casino! So it’s just ego hat takes a dive and not pocket!
Is it me or is Jean’s lisp getting worse?
Blues thanks a flippen million, Hoor! 👿
2 home victories for the Friday
@Ice (Comment 134) : 🙂
That’s the way it’s done boys!
3 out of 3 and looking better every week.
Our scrum demolished them and our backline is finally getting going.
This calls for the dance of joy!
@Leviathan (Comment 137) : happy, happy 🙂
@Leviathan (Comment 137) : well well, Cobras boweld out for 106 runs, losing by 43 runs 😯
@Franshark (Comment 139) :
Sorry mate, your not taking the joy from me tonight.
Besides, Cobras were missing two opening bowlers and have a game in hand. I’m not worried china.
Good luck against the Reds tomorrow, I’m hoping for a good weekend for SA teams.
@Leviathan (Comment 140) : I doubt if Frans have it in him to kill a fly! So what I am saying is, I doubt he really wanted to take the joy out of your victory….but hell, I am willing to give it a go!
😈
@Leviathan (Comment 140) : actually I wanted the cobras to win, picked them on sb, and it would have helped the dolphins
@Ice (Comment 141) : 😆
@Ice (Comment 134) : worse I think
Got 2 from 2 and a margin point 😯