The Stormers beat the Waratahs from Australia at Newlands in front of a very well attended crowd with 27 / 6.
Although the 27 score line suggests very good attacking strategies, it was the 6 score line that will get the headlines tomorrow.
The Stormers defensive ability was praised by all at the press conference and every aspect of the conference seemed to revolve around this.
Alistair Coetzee, Head Coach of the Stormers said that they went in with a strategy of taking the man behind the defensive line. He explained that by tackling a player behind the defensive line, you immediately have 15 players going forward. Ricky Januarie caught Barnes, the Tah flyhalf a few times, as did Duvenhage when he came on. This disrupted the Waratahs backline visibly and it lead to frustration and a few niggly incidents towards the end of the game.
Phil Waugh mentioned that the defensive lines of the Stormers took their space away which made it difficult to attack. Waugh suggested that the score line looks much worse that what they experienced on the field. He highlighted the charge down try from Habana and a try conceded after a scrum that was awarded to them, as turning points in the game.
Waugh went on to say that this Stormers team was the most balanced team he has played against and pointed to the fact that the Stormers achieved this balance by acquiring the services of the likes of Fourie and Habana.
An interesting comment that was made by Waugh was that Australia views Rugby Union Laws as laws set to allow the players to contest. He feels that too much emphasis and leeway is being given to passive players without the ball at the break down as to the player that made a good tackle.
As far as injuries are concerned, everybody is fine, except Schalk Burger who described his injury as a “tweak” in his hamstring. He further explained that he simply could not run and that this was a first time injury to him. Burger will be assessed on Monday only to find out the seriousness of the injury.
Overall the Stormers must be a happy squad tonight and the confidence taken from this game should be a huge boost for them preparing for the Brumbies game next week. But next week , presents new challenges.
I see Ishigidi managed to post a very prompt report this evening!!!! 😉
Hope Schalk get over his ‘tweak’ and returns to the fray ready for next weekend.
I have just returned from Invictus…. Not sure Clint Eastwood really understands rugby, however I enjoyed the experience!
Morgan Freeman was great.
Oh gooddiiee, I am still in the top 10 on superBru!! (ok I am 10th) !! 😐
Carol watch out I am right behind you at 39 th 🙂
VRYSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!
I will watch this game later.
GBS, know you sleeping and you deserve it..hehehe. BUT where is our crici thread? Starts at 10.30am the odi against India.
Super if you up boet, put us a crici thread up.
Congrats to the Bulls, Stormers, Cheetahs and the rest. The Bulls are looking really good and the Stormers, well they are winning.
6 – Howzit Irish, Sharks just not doing well this year. Also have a monster tour coming up.
Bulls look the business for sure, for me so far Bulls are the best team in the tourney so far. Stormers had a good game but faded in the end with it being all Tahs, though some awesome defence by Stormers, keeping Tahs out and they never crossed the Stormers line. So good on Stormers. Pity they never collected their bonus point.
Now just to relax and watch the odi crici with Proteas against India at 11am our time. May go for a quick swim. Weather superb at the moment here. Just big blue sky not a cloud about.
Yeah buddy it is a pity that the Sharks are not producing the goods but that is sport mate! One day you up the next day you down. The will rise again and one bad season just give more chance to blood some new future stars.
Well I’m off with my g/f – going to visit parents for the day. Good luck and enjoy the cricket mate.
Australian View of the game.
Loss for Waratahs in Cape Town
February 21, 2010 – 8:08AM
The Waratahs were unable to pull off another miraculous comeback as the Stormers won 27-6 in the Super 14 rugby match in Cape Town early Sunday, Australian time.
NSW, who scored two late tries to come from behind and win their opening round clash against Queensland, secured more possession and forced the Stormers to make more tackles.
But the visitors made too many mistakes and the Stormers were more disciplined and clinical in scoring three tries, two by Springboks winger Bryan Habana.
NSW lacked the cutting edge provided by lethal finisher Habana and their only points came from a penalty goal in each half by five-eighth Berrick Barnes.
The Waratahs started well, pounding the Stormers line in the first five minutes with three players dragged down just short of the line.
Their only reward for that first quarter pressure was an 18th minute Barnes penalty, which opened the scoring.
The Stormers defence proved strong and they gradually asserted themselves through the forwards, despite the early loss of talismanic captain and flanker Schalk Burger to a hamstring twinge.
Flanker Francois Louw crashed over for for a 30th minute try from a forward drive, with fullback Joe Pietersen converting and adding two penalties to give the home team a 13-3 halftime advantage.
Barnes reduced the deficit to seven with a penalty inside two minutes of the first half, but a critical error from the restart proved costly.
Habana charged down a clearance kick from inside centre Kurtley Beale to score his first try.
The charismatic winger added a second five-pointer just over ten minute later, slipping past winger Drew Mitchell and fullback Sosene Anesi following a burst from halfback Ricky Januarie from a scrum move.
Pietersen converted both to expand the home team’s lead to 21 points.
The final quarter was a niggly affair, the Stormers unable to get a bonus point try and the Waratahs continuing to fritter away promising situations with poor play.
Captain and flanker Phil Waugh said his men needed to tighten up their discipline in the scrum after conceding a number of penalties in that area.
“We need to improve a lot from that performance,” Waugh said in his post-match television interview.
“We’ve got a big week in Pretoria next week against the Bulls, so we need to turn things around.”
9 – Irish, Cheers mate. Thanks for supporting my team.
Enjoy your day.
10 – Super .. haha. Just read that myself on Rugby Heaven.
Think Tahs, will struggle bad against the Bulls if they play the way they done yesterday against Stormers. Just can not see them beating the Bulls at all. See Bulls getting another 5 points. Just keep em from getting a bonus that would be good. Think Bulls will though.
Hope Stormers beat Brumbies too and also stop em from getting a Bonus.
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