Springbok Coach
After advice from a specialist on his ankle strain, Peter Grant has been withdrawn from the game to play the Brumbies and will return to South Africa. The injury requires 2-3weeks of immobilisation, rest and rehabilitation.
Allister Coetzee, head coach of the DHL Stormers, today named a team with a number of changes to the side that beat the Blues 28-26 in Auckland last Friday.
The Stormers have lost Springbok prop CJ van der Linde but should have Jean de Villiers, Jaque Fourie and Peter Grant back for their match against the Brumbies this weekend.
Young prop Frans Malherbe has been called up to replace Van der Linde.
Kurt Coleman has flown to Australia and Peter Grant is expected to be fit to play in the next game, but the Stormers have confirmed that they are looking at options from outside of the squad as they look to have flyhalf well covered as the business end of the Vodacom Super Rugby arrives. Continue reading
Blues (19) 26 / Stormers (3) 28 (Final Score)
The Blues hosted the DHL Stormers at Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers grabbed the game out of the fire, with a last minute penalty… and the conversion won them the game.
Jaque Fourie was always going to be doubtful for this game as coach Allister 
Coetzee was concerned about his condition immediately after the loss to the Chiefs in Hamilton last weekend. Fourie has predictably been ruled out of the match, but he has been joined on the sidelines by his regular midfield partner Jean de Villiers.
Daniel Carter to announce playing future
Dan Carter is expected to announce his playing future at a press conference in Christchurch today. LATEST: He’s staying
‘We are at war’ in NZ conference: Joseph
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph says the difference between the New Zealand and Australian Super Rugby conferences is like “war and school stuff”.
Blues work on Stormers maul busting
It’s not like the Blues don’t know it’s coming. It’s just how effective they are in dealing with the Stormers potent rolling maul that’s the tricky part.
With the Superugby season getting into the business end of the season, every weekend you will have major deciding clashes. Everyone might differ which one is the most important and this article is written from a South African perspective.
This weekend’s action starts with one of the biggies, the Blues and the Stormers, on Friday, and ends with the Sharks versus the Bulls in Durban on Saturday evening.
Chiefs (3) 30 / Stormers (20) 23 (Final Score)
The Chiefs hosted the Stormers at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, at 09:35 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a game of two different halves, the Stormers raced to a 20 / 3 Halftime lead, only to let the Chiefs score 27 points to 3 in the Second half.
The game sees the return of Brok Harris, Ricky Januarie, Peter Grant and Brian Habana to the run-on 15.
Allister Coetzee has named his squad for a 4 game tour to Australasia. The team leaves on Sunday and travels to Auckland where they will prepare for their first game against the Chiefs.
Upon arrival back in South Africa, other fixtures include the Vodacom Bulls at DHL Newlands on 11 June and the Cheetahs on 18 June in Bloemfontein.
The Stormers remain top of the Log in the South African Conference, after losing against the Crusaders, but the Sharks have now considerably narrowed the gap on them. The difference is that the Sharks have already toured to Australasia, whereas this Stormers tour will test their real mettle.
In a match where the lead changed sides more often than some presidents change their mind on foreign policy, the Crusaders eventually ran out 20-14 victors over the DHL Stormers at Newlands.
Stormers (11) 14 / Crusaders (10) 20 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Crusaders at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
This game lived up to it’s hype…. a cracker!
The silky offload skills by Sonny Bill Williams, the speed and hard running by Jaque Fourie, the strong Crusaders scrum, tight defence by the Stormers… classic.
Decision-making and discipline will be crucial differences when the Stormers meet the Crusaders in a warmly-anticipated Investec Super Rugby clash in Cape Town on Saturday, 17:05. Match shown live on Supersports various channels.
Crusaders second five-eighth Sonny Bill Williams will come up against a host of Springboks in the Stormers backline, in a match that could be last year’s newest All Black biggest test of his rugby career.
It’s Super Rugby’s game of the year – make no bones about that.
It’s fitting then that Richie McCaw returns to his familiar No 7 jersey for the first time this season for the Crusaders’ visit to the high-flying Stormers in Cape Town on Saturday . Game starts at 17:05.
Exactly what enables a team of no-hopers or perennial losers to turn things around? Continue reading
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that his team are capable of playing even better than they did against the Sharks who they beat 32-12 at the weekend.
Stormers (22) 32 /Sharks (9) 12 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Sharks at Newlands, Cape Town at 19:10 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers comprehensively outplayed the Sharks, for a full bag of 5 Log points…. the Stormers are on fire!
‘There is no fate but what we make.’ Cheesy I know, but this famous movie line might just be the best description of what the future holds for young Lionel Cronje.
Alister Coetzee has named his strongest possible side to take on the Sharks in Cape Town on Saturday.
Coach Allister Coetzee today named a match 22, to take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Stormers fans will cringe if they see superBul is writing an article about the Stormers. Although I had to bite hard on my tongue not to have a dig at them during this article, I started this article to prove that this might be their year.
Bryan Habana has been ruled out and will miss this weekend’s game between the DHL Stormers and the MTN Lions, due to a shoulder injury.
I wonder if those who criticised the concept of ‘head’s up rugby’ in the recent past realise that this is exactly what we are seeing from the two top teams in the Super 15? Continue reading
This weekend revealed the problem with South African rugby to be hot potato-ittis. The old disease of spilling the ball forward in the tackle took on epidemic proportions in the South African teams. The bulls in particular were spectacularly awful in this department. It was also prevalent at crucial moments in the Stormers match although not so frequent. Continue reading
It was a back and forth battle at Newlands on Saturday evening which saw the visiting Reds pull off a huge victory over a Stormers side that reminded one of the early days of the competition, where the Cape side showed promise on attack, but had little to show for it in terms of points.
Stormers (3) 6 / Reds (9) 19 (Final Score)
The DHL Stormers hosted the Reds at Newlands, Cape Town at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
The Stormers lost their undefeated tag well and solidly today with a gritty performance from the Reds who allowed the Stormers no undue chances, a 13-point win for the Reds.
Surprise promotions to abrasive hooker James Hanson and powerhouse forward Radike Samo have signalled that the Reds will muscle up and throw everything at the Stormers’ defence at Newlands.
Allister Coetzee, head coach of the DHL Stormers, today named an unchanged team to take on the Reds at DHL Newlands on Saturday 9 April. The DHL Stormers beat the Sharks in Durban 16 – 6, in their last fixture. The DHL Stormers are unbeaten in this year’s competition.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that his team won’t change their defensive pattern to try to stop Reds dangerman Quade Cooper, and instead urged his team to produce more of the “good stuff” on attack in Saturday’s Super Rugby clash at Newlands.
Sharks (6) 6 / Stormers (13) 16 (Final Score)
The Sharks hosted the DHL Stormers at Kings Park, Durban at 17:05 SA Time. This was the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
In a hard and brutal battle the Stormers overcame the Sharks on Sharks home turf, resulting in the 3rd successive loss in a row for the Sharks now in the Super Rugby Series of 2011. The Stormers on the other hand stays the only unbeaten side in the Super Rugby Series of 2011.
Schalk Burger makes a welcome return to the Stormers side and resumes the captaincy for their Super Rugby encounter the Sharks at Kings Park in Durban on Saturday.
The unbeaten and table-topping Stormers will face the Sharks without one of their key players, flank Pieter Louw.
Coach Allister Coetzee confirmed on Sunday that Louw will miss the trip to Durban, after he sustained what appears to be a serious knee injury in the 51-16 win over the Western Force at the weekend.
Our friends at NewsPOD Media delivers again.
The DHL Stormers triumphed in their 5th match of the Super Rugby tournament with an impressive 51-16 victory over the Western Force.