SuperRugby: Western Force v Stormers. 28/04/2012

[TRF_Draggs]

NIB Stadium, Perth - 09:40 GMT, 28/04/2012

[stormer2010]

The Force won't get much better opportunity to beat the Stormers than now after a couple of tough games away from home and hit big time by injuries since after the Highlanders game. I just read that Nick Koster joins the rest on the sidelines with a recurring knee injury.

That said, if we can keep Pocock honest and hold onto our line-out ball (at least better than what we did against the Reds) we should.. SHOULD come out on top as I don't see the Force as title contenders while we should see ourselves as a good chance if we can keep focussed. Hopefully with Bekker back our line-out will function this time round but Sharpe is a bit well, sharper at upsetting opposition line-outs than the Reds lock are usually.

[Gena_ZA]

Schalk Burger out
Duanne Vermeulen out
Jean de Villiers out
Nick Koster out
Gio Aplon out

Probelm? no problem

[heineken]

Stormers to win this one even with all the injuries... the Force hasn't impressed me at all and now they are coachless too...

[Invictus]

Force have great forwards, very average backs... They COULD steal this one. Stormers looked too good last week though.

[stormer2010]

Stormers should be able to deal with the Force still it's true.

Probable line-up;
1 Kitshoff
2 Liebenberg
3 Harris
4 Etzebeth
5 Bekker
6 Carr
7 Elstadt
8 Kolisi
9 Duvenhage
10 Grant
11 Du Plessis
12 De Jongh
13 Habana
14 Van den Heever
15 Pietersen

Did I leave anyone out? Bench is going to look a little light and green though.

[Gena_ZA]

Etzebeth is in doubt, De Kock Steenkamp to replace him if needed
Kolisi at 6 and Carr at 8
Poolman at wing and JdJ and Habana at centre (Du Plessis as cover on bench)

That is what I will go with

[stormer2010]

Etzebeth is in doubt, De Kock Steenkamp to replace him if needed
Kolisi at 6 and Carr at 8
Poolman at wing and JdJ and Habana at centre (Du Plessis as cover on bench)

That is what I will go with

Nooo! I didn't know Etzebeth was also doubtful. Damn. But he can do with a rest TBH. Also forgot about Poolman... though I'dstill love to see Du Plessis recieve some ball on the wing as I think he'll fit in better with the Stormers as his defense is better (one-on-one... maybe he does not know the position very well though) and he can break tackles where Poolman needs space.

[SomeOke]

Stormers should be able to deal with the Force still it's true.

Probable line-up;
1 Kitshoff
2 Liebenberg
3 Harris
4 Etzebeth
5 Bekker
6 Carr
7 Elstadt
8 Kolisi
9 Duvenhage
10 Grant
11 Du Plessis
12 De Jongh
13 Habana
14 Van den Heever
15 Pietersen

Did I leave anyone out? Bench is going to look a little light and green though.

Isn't JP more of a centre, I would expect the line-up you've mentioned except with Habana and Jp du Plessis swapped, Poolman flew in so I'd guess that implies they consider him second choice to du Plessis.

I'd still expect us to win this but I won't be surprised if they do pull off a win, we've come off of a really bruising run.

[SomeOke]

Team released, guess I was wrong.

Your DHL Stormers team to play is:

15. Joe Pietersen
14. Gerhard van den Heever
13. Bryan Habana
12. Juan de Jongh
11. Danie Poolman
10. Peter Grant (VC)
9. Dewaldt Duvenage
8. Nizaam Carr
7. Rynhardt Elstadt
6. Siya Kolisi
5. Andries Bekker (C)
4. De Kock Steenkamp
3. Frans Malherbe
2. Tiaan Liebenberg
1. Steven Kitshoff

Reserves:

16. Scarra Ntubeni
17. Brok Harris
18. Don Armand
19. Deon Fourie
20. Louis Schreuder
21. Burton Francis
22. JP du Plessis

http://www.thestormers.com/article.asp?id=1355241

Fourie covering for loose forwards, bench in general pretty weak (to be expected I suppose).

[Gena_ZA]

Told ya

[stormer2010]

Well picked, Baddie

Isn't JP more of a centre, I would expect the line-up you've mentioned except with Habana and Jp du Plessis swapped, Poolman flew in so I'd guess that implies they consider him second choice to du Plessis.

I'd still expect us to win this but I won't be surprised if they do pull off a win, we've come off of a really bruising run.

JP played outside center mostly but I see him as a winger as he has the pace and the defense-beating ability of a winger but you don't see him feed his wingers much at outside center... in fact, you don't see him pass at all.

[TRF_Draggs]

Well picked, Baddie



JP played outside center mostly but I see him as a winger as he has the pace and the defense-beating ability of a winger but you don't see him feed his wingers much at outside center... in fact, you don't see him pass at all.

That is my biggest problem with JdJ. Very talented and bloody quick. His step inside is effective, but completely ignores the wings. Pietersen's switch to 13 hasn't really set the world alight (he has done decent enough) so JdJ pretty much has the Springboks 13 shirt. I'd like to see Grant 12 and one of the WP nippers at 10.

[SomeOke]

That is my biggest problem with JdJ. Very talented and bloody quick. His step inside is effective, but completely ignores the wings. Pietersen's switch to 13 hasn't really set the world alight (he has done decent enough) so JdJ pretty much has the Springboks 13 shirt. I'd like to see Grant 12 and one of the WP nippers at 10.

That's not a bad idea but none of the young guys have really impressed me at fly-half, unlike some of our young forwards no-one has really made a good enough claim for the jersey.

[TRF_Draggs]

That's not a bad idea but none of the young guys have really impressed me at fly-half, unlike some of our young forwards no-one has really made a good enough claim for the jersey.

I thought Catrakilis was a decent one, but rumours hinted that he is off to Europe. Bring back Willem de Waal!

[stormer2010]

That is my biggest problem with JdJ. Very talented and bloody quick. His step inside is effective, but completely ignores the wings. Pietersen's switch to 13 hasn't really set the world alight (he has done decent enough) so JdJ pretty much has the Springboks 13 shirt. I'd like to see Grant 12 and one of the WP nippers at 10.

I tend to agree with you re both JdJ and Grant but like Someoke said we need Grant at 10 at least until we buy Goosen or Ebersohn :P and though I'd like to see someone with better distribution at 12 and 13 JdJ is all we've got at the moment and he is pretty handy there despite the things he could/should work on. It would be great if he can develop a distribution-type game to complement his deadly stepping and keep opposition guessing. Hopefully that'll come with experience; he's been about for a while but behind JdV and Fourie both at the Stormers and Bokke so I'll give him some time still.

[TRF_Draggs]

I rate Grant quite highly at 10. I think that he would also make a good 12, with better distribution than JdV and perhaps as a relief for a young player at 10.
Stay away from out Patrick, how about young Josias Ebersohn?

[stormer2010]

I thought Catrakilis was a decent one, but rumours hinted that he is off to Europe. Bring back Willem de Waal!

Catrakilis was brilliant in the first half of Currie cup action action last year but somehoe turned pot- probably lost confidence or something- after he came back from injury. That said, I wished the Stormers would have backed him in S15 rather than our other young options (Van Aswegen, Francis, Coleman). Like you said, he is probably now lost to WP rugby like so many other promising youngsters before him.

[stormer2010]

I rate Grant quite highly at 10. I think that he would also make a good 12, with better distribution than JdV and perhaps as a relief for a young player at 10.
Stay away from out Patrick, how about young Josias Ebersohn?

You guys can keep Lambie. I want Goosen or Ebersohn (and he can bring his brother along by all means) because it's criminal that Ebersohn is warming benches in Bloem!!

[TRF_Draggs]

You guys can keep Lambie. I want Goosen or Ebersohn (and he can bring his brother along by all means) because it's criminal that Ebersohn is warming benches in Bloem!!

Anything less that outright begging for Patrick is disrespectful
Agree about Ebersohn. I brought this up a few weeks back. Very talented player, could fit in very well at WP, but he and Robert are still a package deal. We'll see if this changes with Goosen's emergence.

[TNT88]

carrrrn force

[madflyhalf]

God! David Harvey what a knock!! :|

[cyRil]

What I don't really get is how the nations' commentary teams are so ignorant to the other countries and their players. This and last week, the Aussie commentators can't even pronounce Juan de Jongh's name - the guy's a ****ing Springbok!!!

[TRF_Olyy]

They just called Habana the "intercept king".
Fairly sure that JdV has that patented.

[TRF_Olyy]

Worlds....................................slowest. .................................................. ..scrum.......................en.................. .....gagement

[cyRil]

Worlds....................................slowest. .................................................. ..scrum.......................en.................. .....gagement

That was last week at the Ospreys v Dragons - Crouch .................................................. ................................................. T-t-tou-touch............................................. .................................................. .............................. Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuseeee eeee.................................... *David Cameron discovers price of milk*............................................. .............................................*Venu s aligns with Saturn*........................................... .................................................. .................................................. .......*Thatcher dies*............................................. .................................................. ...............................................ENG AGEPENALTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[madflyhalf]

Rotfl!!



I found Ma'afu slightly off shape... well wandering sphere is NOT the perfect shape in this case.

Find differences:

[TRF_Cymro]

Cracking call for Habana's try by the ref.

[madflyhalf]

Are WF players playing with nails sticked on their boots?!? O_o

[cyRil]

Cracking call for Habana's try by the ref.

Who would ever go to the TMO for that though?!