Round 13

[Leonormous Boozer]

The Scarlets championship winning side of a few years back was just about the most thrilling rugby I've ever watched.

Mad that you've never watched Leinster, almost unbelievable.

 

[unrated]

That should have been a yellow for Vorster

 

[Groundhog]

Ben Whitehouse doesn't have any place being a professional rugby referee. Consistently terrible. Not to say it changes the result in any way, he's had howlers against everyone, but he's one of the reasons reffing in the URC is derided.

Edit: also Jesus it's time Munster moved on from Niall Scannell and Archer. Archer has the discipline of someone playing their first game of rugby and Scannell doesn't play any area of the game well now.

 

[Groundhog]

Scummy from du Plessis there. No need for it at all.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Scummy from du Plessis there. No need for it at all.

Almost cost them a game. What you want from old men coming on from the bench is cool heads. Or simply being role models around the park that can do duty in a game. Bulls should either start him or if it were me drop him.

 

[Groundhog]

Almost cost them a game. What you want from old men coming on from the bench is cool heads. Or simply being role models around the park that can do duty in a game. Bulls should either start him or if it were me drop him.

Yeah agreed. He will cop a ban for that too of course with a history like that. Flat enough game otherwise.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Fair to say I've been sleeping on Ulster. Probably clearly the second best side at the moment.

 

[unrated]

60 mins in Lions 30/ Cardiff 20

Cardiff get a penalty on the 5 m.

They choose a lineout. I straight-up think that's poor game management. You are away from home and choose to kick for touch while you could have gotten within 7? Then they lose the ball straight after the lineout.

Don't be stupid. Kick for goal when the opportunity presents itself as teams these days are experts at disrupting the setpiece so close to the line.

 

[unrated]

Fair to say I've been sleeping on Ulster. Probably clearly the second best side at the moment.

They beat the best team in the league away and home, so they are now the best team. The log is only secondary to anything else that happens from here on out.

 

[Tooting Carmen]

Just like the Sharks did against the Scarlets, Lions get their BP try in the last minute against Cardiff. Identical scoreline too: 37-20.

 

[saulan]

Ouch, bonus point for the Stormers within 25 minutes against Zebre...

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Ouch, bonus point for the Stormers within 25 minutes against Zebre...

And then classic SA style we sit back right after.

 

[unrated]

And then classic SA style we sit back right after.

Thats true classic SA style, 0 to a 100% complacency in 2 seconds

 

[saulan]

It was 21-0 after 12 minutes, they were never going to keep that sort of pace up. In the end it was still a 48 point margin and Zebre's biggest defeat of the season. So can't complain despite room for improvement.

Really poor red card in the end there. Was literally lining him up with a closed fist aiming for the head. Don't know how he thought he'd get away with that.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Sure, you can't extrapolate 21 points in 12 minutes BUT I'll bet you a NZ team would've made at the very least 80 given the same level of dominance. At least. That is purely down to mindset. Bulls, Sharks and Lions let big leads go as well.

Talking about mindsets, Bulls need to drop Du Plessis. What was the guy thinking. I felt the same about Nel. Thought he ought to sit this one out and lets give Pretorius a go. He did cost us the game vs Connacht. Du Plessis can feel very lucky he didn't cost the Bulls a W. Ought to be cited though so maybe the decision gets taken out of the Bulls' hands. Also poor discipline from the Zebre player for his late red. Pity, because he was the only player in my mind that made his presence felt otherwise for the visitors. Gonna be a tight finish to see who gets into the top 8. Feel the Sharks should make it so to me its two of the Ospreys, Stormers or Bulls who are gonna get a chance away fro home in a QF.

 

[rN_X]

Sure, you can't extrapolate 21 points in 12 minutes BUT I'll bet you a NZ team would've made at the very least 80 given the same level of dominance. At least. That is purely down to mindset. Bulls, Sharks and Lions let big leads go as well.

Talking about mindsets, Bulls need to drop Du Plessis. What was the guy thinking. I felt the same about Nel. Thought he ought to sit this one out and lets give Pretorius a go. He did cost us the game vs Connacht. Du Plessis can feel very lucky he didn't cost the Bulls a W. Ought to be cited though so maybe the decision gets taken out of the Bulls' hands. Also poor discipline from the Zebre player for his late red. Pity, because he was the only player in my mind that made his presence felt otherwise for the visitors. Gonna be a tight finish to see who gets into the top 8. Feel the Sharks should make it so to me its two of the Ospreys, Stormers or Bulls who are gonna get a chance away fro home in a QF.

I think Sharks,Stormers and Bulls will make the QF with the Sharks even getting a top 4 finish. Next 5 games is still in South Africa for all our teams and we have a game in hand on the teams above us. Very much still in our teams hands where they finish.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

I think Sharks,Stormers and Bulls will make the QF with the Sharks even getting a top 4 finish. Next 5 games is still in South Africa for all our teams and we have a game in hand on the teams above us. Very much still in our teams hands where they finish.

Hmm, would be nice. I just think the Ospreys has an easier run in than our teams but maybe we could do it. That said I would be happy for two of our teams to progress. I can't see a scenario where we don't at least have 1 team in the play-offs. Bulls and Stormers I can't see taking an away QF- I think we travel poorly AND there would be a lot of pressure on the referee to favor the home team and there does seem to be a definite trend of home sides winning in this comp. Sharks have traditionally been SA's best travelers. I don't see that being any different as of now. I don't see them cracking the top 4 myself but you never know. They are a stacked team even without their best player in Am being unavailable but they have yet to click IMO. Some of that comes down to coaching but there are a lot of new combinations so one can appreciate it might take some time to bed in.

They have Bok encumbants in so many positions and fringe Boks in most others. I would even go as far as saying Jaden and Fassi were my form 9 and 15 middle of last year and its a pity they didn't get more opportunity. Even Notshe was in beast mode 2021. Am is a truly big loss though and I don't rate your locks- though a fit and motivated Etzebeth is worth a lot so you are building nicely. I guess what I am saying is that the Sharks are the only SA side I can see launching a serious challenge come the play-offs.

 

[rN_X]

Hmm, would be nice. I just think the Ospreys has an easier run in than our teams but maybe we could do it. That said I would be happy for two of our teams to progress. I can't see a scenario where we don't at least have 1 team in the play-offs. Bulls and Stormers I can't see taking an away QF- I think we travel poorly AND there would be a lot of pressure on the referee to favor the home team and there does seem to be a definite trend of home sides winning in this comp. Sharks have traditionally been SA's best travelers. I don't see that being any different as of now. I don't see them cracking the top 4 myself but you never know. They are a stacked team even without their best player in Am being unavailable but they have yet to click IMO. Some of that comes down to coaching but there are a lot of new combinations so one can appreciate it might take some time to bed in.

They have Bok encumbants in so many positions and fringe Boks in most others. I would even go as far as saying Jaden and Fassi were my form 9 and 15 middle of last year and its a pity they didn't get more opportunity. Even Notshe was in beast mode 2021. Am is a truly big loss though and I don't rate your locks- though a fit and motivated Etzebeth is worth a lot so you are building nicely. I guess what I am saying is that the Sharks are the only SA side I can see launching a serious challenge come the play-offs.

Well Ospreys still need to play Lions and Stormers in SA and SA teams have a game in hand on them so maybe.

According to the stats the Sharks have the best away record in the entire URC this season so far. But saying that not all teams have played the same amount of away games of course.

The Stormers seem to be really playing decent of late and I think show the most urgency of the SA teams bar the lions that show glimpses of it. The Bulls seem to be misfiring. Correct me if I am wrong but the top 8 get Champions Cup spots ? So even 3 SA teams in the top 8 I feel is a win for our first season.

Am is a loss but is back for the QF should we make it. Sharks lineout is a joke and I would agree the locks is average at most. Really need to settle with a 10 now. Coaching wise as a fan I am losing faith in Everitt it seem the Sharks have no backline plan. IMO we have too many stars and nobody want to do the dirty work and it seem like there is no pride in the team.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

Stormers are (and always were but for different reasons) a frustrating team to support. We *should've* beaten Edinburgh but tied. We *should've* beaten Connacht but lost. Same with Benetton. Our round 5 loss to the Lions at home was a weird one. The plus point is we tied with the Sharks- that is one we actually should've lost. So overall I would say we've been underperforming and/or not making good positions count.

I really do feel we have a starting XV that could get the job done against any opposition on the day BUT we don't have quality in depth so we feel the loss of our starters - even just on the weekend you could see what we lost with Gelant getting subbed off at half time. And then on top of that we have been found out ITO game management and discipline. Its frustrating because those feel like easy fixes.

Our starting XV could potentially look really good on paper:

1 Kitshoff
2 Ntubeni
3 Malherbe
4 Moerat
5 Orie / Meihuizen

All 5 experienced campaigners all with Bok caps even if the Orie maybe didn't truly deserve his call up and Ntubeni and Moerat are fringe Bokke.

6 Fourie
7 Hacjivah Dayimani
8 Roos

Maybe not as impressive as a few years back with Kolisi, PSdT and Vermeulen on the books but Fourie is a bullterrier and complement the dynamism of Roos and Dayimani well. On the day this trio could give their Bok-Stormers predecessors a good push. And if you need a little more grunt rather than wheels there are a few rugged young guns that could come into the frame in place of Dayimani.

9 Jantjies
10 Libbok

Here is where we are missing something IMO though we know Jantjies has it in him to turn a game. Form has been the issue and we've seen Libbok boss games and he can be lethal in open field or take a gap as well as any other 10. Its just form/ consistency has been lacking. As is I prefer Paul de Wet at 9 and I havn't seen how he has been coming back from injury but I really liked the look of Kade Wolhuter at 10 previously. But what we need here most is consistency.

12 Damian Willemse
13 ...

It seems like Dobbo has finally cottoned on that 12 is Willemse's best position for the Stormers, especially with Gelant in imperious form. Sooo, who to partner him.. Ideally I'd want a tackle buster on attack as we have pace and elusiveness aplenty elsewhere, I'd like someone that could straighten the line or be be able to not lose ground if under pressure as a bare minimum. Of our options (Nel, Du Plessis and Pretorius) I prefer Pretorius but he would be a poor man's Kerevi/Radradra/DDA. A bit un-South African in the centers and more Aussie-ish but it could really work for us especially at this level. Difficulty here is non of Nel, Pretorius or Du Plessis are poor but none are world class either. I'd put Juan de Jongh in that bracket as well. I'd like to see Roos and Dayimani take over this channel on attack where the situation makes sense.

11 Zas / Specman
14 Senatla
15 Gelant

Pretty decent if given the opportunity. Gelant is world class. Personally I like a mix in the wingers and would like a beefier option at one of the wings but our books are full of light weight nippy men on the wings. Making the need for some beef at 13 even more paramount IMO.

But all in all we can conceivably take on the big teams but we'd def need some luck.