Head coach Allister Coetzee has announced a team showing seven changes for the DHL Stormers’ final Vodacom Super Rugby tour match on Saturday – against the Reds in Brisbane (kick-off 10:40 SA Time).
Springbok centre Juan de Jongh has been restored to the starting line-up, following his return from injury via the bench last weekend, whilst WP Under-21 star Jurie van Vuuren will make his first Super Rugby start after being named to partner Michael Rhodes at lock.
Stormers Media Release
Van Vuuren, who came off the bench last week, is a product of the WP Rugby Institute in Stellenbosch and has lifted silverware with the DHL WP Under-19 (2012) and Under-21 (2013) teams in the past two seasons.
His promotion to the starting XV, in the absence of injured lock Ruan Botha, is one of three changes to the DHL Stormers pack that started against the Brumbies in Canberra last Saturday – the others see Deon Fourie start at hooker and Nizaam Carr come in at No 6.
In the backline, meanwhile, the return of De Jongh means a switch back to inside centre for captain Jean de Villiers and Damian de Allende moving back to the wing where he began the 2014 season. Louis Schreuder will come in at scrumhalf, with Nic Groom dropping down to the bench after three starts in a row. Groom also has a slight niggle and did not train fully this week.
In a final backline change, Kobus van Wyk drops out of the matchday 23 altogether after taking a knock to his knee against the Brumbies, with Jaco Taute back on the bench after resting his troublesome AC Joint last weekend.
Taute, in turn, will be joined on the bench by DHL WP Vodacom Cup stars, lock Tazz Fuzani and loose forward Sikhumbuzo Nothse. Both Fuzani and Notshe, who arrived in Brisbane just a day ago, are uncapped at Super Rugby level.
Fuzani, 23, played three Absa Currie Cup matches for DHL Western Province last season, to go with nine appearances at Vodacom Cup level, whilst Notshe – who left school at the end of 2012 – has played 12 Vodacom Cup matches for Province.
Looking ahead to the weekend, coach Coetzee told www.iamastormer.com: “We’d dearly love to finish our tour with a victory in Brisbane.
“We know it won’t be easy, but the guys remain positive and determined to make it count this weekend against a Reds team that will also be desperate to get back to winning ways after two losses in South Africa.”
Stormers: 15 Gio Aplon, 14 Damian de Allende, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers (Captain), 11 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Louis Schreuder, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Michael Rhodes, 4 Jurie van Vuuren, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Deon Fourie, 1 Steven Kitshoff
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Oliver Kebble, 18 Brok Harris, 19 Tazz Fuzani, 20 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 21 Nic Groom, 22 Demetri Catrakilis, 23 Jaco Taute.
Date: Saturday 29 March
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 10:40 SA Time (19:40 Brisbane Time, 08:40 GMT)
Referee: Chris Pollock (New Zealand)
Assistant Referees: Steve Walsh (Australia), Rohan Hoffmann (Australia)
TMO: Steve Leszczynski (Australia)
30 @ Stormersboy:
Hahaha
@ grootblousmile:
I agree with Stormersboy on this…:
“We saw some nice midfield breaks from JDV and Damian as a result of that flat pattern of play, which we wouldn’t have had if the Greek was there”.
We all saw how good Andries Strauss with the Kings alongside Demitri, and De Allende is much more powerful than Andries.
@ grootblousmile:
🙂
@ Stormersboy:
@ 28
“I had thought that maybe we should even play Dimitri at 15 just for his kicking. Move Gio to 14 or something like that. You know, think out of the box.”
Could work, Demitri pretty safe under the high ball.
@ Pietman:
Just a thought. If we are expecting a different result we need to try something new. I think that the fans would welcome such a move as it shows an intent to try and innovate, something that has been sorely lacking in the last few years with the Stormers.
@Stormersboy
“I had thought that maybe we should even play Dimitri at 15 just for his kicking. Move Gio to 14 or something like that. You know, think out of the box.”
Would be a nice change from thinking like one from the coach
nortierd wrote:
Referring to the Afrikaans word for box of course
@ nortierd:
Haha AC isn’t a bad guy, but the facts are what they are. Something must change.
32 @ Pietman:
That’s the thing, there was nothing wrong with Demetri’s attacking flair at the Southern Kings, next to Shaun Venter at scrummie and next to Andries Strauss at inside centre.
Demetri was a revelation, in Super Rugby, at the Southern Kings, just look at the tries the likes of Sergeal Petersen scored. There was nothing wrong with the attacking game Demetri played there.
The difference at the Stormers is an incapable backline attack, due to the pattern they play, the lines they run and the inept coaching of Allister Coetzee & Fleckie..
In fact, with Jean de Villiers and Juan de Jongh / Damian de Allende on Demetri’s outside… the Stormers should be much more potent on attack.
Demetri can dominate a game and dictate with the boot, and that is what a good flyhalf should be able to do!
Think completely out of the box if you have to and if you do not want Demetri at flyhalf… and select Ryno Eksteen to start… he was known to be a strong, line-attacking flyhalf at Affies, with a deadly boot.
But then also tweak the game plan, if the coaches only could, to play an attacking game and not a stifling defensive pattern as your game plan.
@ grootblousmile:
In the 2013 season the Kings scored 27 tries and conceded 69.
The reality does not support the perception.
Stormers scores 30 tries and conceded 18.
41 @ Stormersboy:
With mostly Vodacom Cup and ABSA Currie Cup FIRST DIVISION quality players around Demetri, it was expected that the Southern Kings would lose much more than they won, but they all surprised us, specially in the beginning of the competition when pride, passion and guts carried them… till it eventually had no choice but to fizzle out.
But you would have to admit that Demetri shined, attacked well and was a COMPLETE flyhalf in all those conditions.
@ grootblousmile:
If they want an attacking flyhalf maybe they should buy Elton 😀
44 @ MacroBull:
Bwahahaha
Now see, there is an “Attacking Flyhalf” who also could not attack at the Stromers…
Why… beacause of the pattern they play, the lines they run both on defence and attack!
THose running lines are simply not condusive to attacking, try-scoring rugby.
Don’t blame Demetri for not attacking properly, blame the pattern, I say!
The coaches have a clause in their contracts that if the Stormers finish outside the top 6……….
l
l_0
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grootblousmile wrote:
The Stormers has three inside centers in the backline for crying out loud.
@ grootblousmile:
We are going to have to disagree on these points. When Dimitri was transferred to the Kings I posted that it wasn’t a bog loss, as he is a limited flyhalf. A good kicker and a great drop goal flyhalf but limited.
When he chose to come back I posted that I really hoped that he wasn’t given a “guarantee” of a starting position as he may struggle.
Granted, your points about the General state of the Stormers backline is 100% correct, Dimitri isn’t the only player to blame, the problems existed before he joined as we all know.
The point I really want to make is that if we change the pivot position, I would prefer something in the right direction, and I believe Dimitri is a step backwards.
48 @ Stormersboy:
If you changed something, also consider changing to use DEMETRI’s correct spelling.
Hehehe
Look, I hear what you say, but my viewpoint is that the problem lies not so much with the players, Demetri included, but rather with the offensive and defensive layout of the game plan, which dictates the running lines and the defensive orientation and position of players on attack and on defence.
If I gave you the task to build a table from hard wood, and I only gave you a nail file, a plastic hammer and a toy saw, you would struggle, whether you were a craftsman woodworker and cabinet maker or not.
The first thing which needs to change is the whole approach to the game plan… and for that to happen there needs to be different coaches in my opinion.
@ grootblousmile:
You’ll get no argument from me on the coaching front, Demitri or no Demetri.
I used to call him Karl Kikilus for a long time so Demitri is a step up.
The Stormers have had 2 bad seasons, but they were runners up to the Bulls, in 2010, and SA conference champions in 2011 and 2012. All under Allister Coetzee. After the Bulls as 3 times champs they are the most successful side in recent times. I don’t count the Lions in the inaugural Super 10 as their recent dismal form disqualifies them in that regard for me.
Still it’s maybe time for the coaching staff to move on, as their best days seem to be behind them.
50 @ Stormersboy:
Allister has reached his peak… and is now on the way down, accellerated by the inept Fleckie.
It is not new that Allister has had problems to make an attacking backline… if you remember the Springboks of Jake White in 2006 and early 2007, they were rather sterile on attack but good on defence… and it took the hand of Eddie Jones to turn things around considerably, before and during the World Cup of 2007.
Allister is a nice fella, easy to talk to, as you rightly know… but I’d rather have a real bliksem of a coach who gets things done, than a congenial straightforward good guy who does not.
Let Oom Allistair tell you guys the truth
“If you look at the backline we have for this week you will note that it is one of the best we’ve had in ages in terms of physicality, with a lot of big ball carriers lining up for this game,” said Coetzee.
“It has been a great training with the guys at the back, and I am excited about the prospects. I reckon that we are fielding our best possible backline this week.”
“I know this is hardly an excuse, but he had trouble with his kicking tee last week. He has a new one now and it worked well for him during the week. He kicked beautifully in training and I think we will see him back to his best. I think we all agree that his kicking is impeccable”
There you have it, Stormers are sorted.
Pity those Reds this weekend
52 @ nortierd:
Janee, daai mens praat sommer die probleme skoon wegggggggggg!
Sou graag wou hê die Stormers moet die Reds behoorlik bliksem die naweek, want ek kannie die Reds, Quade Cooper & Will Genia se guts vat nie… maar heellaas, ek dink die Reds gaan gemaklik wen.
@GBS
Don’t blame Allistair for Jake’s woes.
This is what Venter writes in his latest column
“Although Jake White described the Bulls as predictable pre-match, which I believe offered his opponents unnecessary motivation, an intriguing tactical subplot played out as White has ostensibly built his success – past and present – on the self-same blueprint.
White won the 2007 Rugby World Cup with the Springboks by essentially adopting Bulls-style rugby.
Meanwhile, he led the Brumbies with much success and to last seasons’ Super Rugby final having completely moved away from their traditional multi-phase, ball-in-hand approach which previously underpinned the Australian side’s play.
Like it or not, the Bulls have proved the trendsetters in South African rugby for the last couple of decades. As such, the men from Pretoria deserve an amazing amount of credit.
A host of teams including the Brumbies, the Cheetahs’ Currie Cup side under Rassie Erasmus and Saracens, during my time at the club, have adopted elements of their now-famed blueprint.
The Sharks are now the latest side to follow suit.
As outlined previously, although the Sharks possess a plethora of bruising ball carriers, which the Bulls class of 2014 lacks owing to current playing personnel, there are more similarities than differences between the Sharks and Bulls’ playing patterns – even though White may not agree,.”
And Nick Mallet also said the same this weekend, that the Sharks play the same game as the Bulls, so the Guppies are also boring and one dimensional if that is what Jake was alluding to.
AC is njaaa, he has maybe one more game to go, then he can find a club side like Divvie
grootblousmile wrote:
Hulle behoort, lyk my die tuis spanne die jaar het werklik n 10 punt voorsprong, maar as die spelers van die Stormers enige iets vir AC en sy kaboedel voel, sal hulle speel dat hulle hop.
Net soos wat AC skuldig is, is die spelers ook skuldig en dis tyd dat hulle ruggraat wys
@ Stormersboy:
The Stormers were successful because of their skop and jaag and defend attitude, which worked wonders, it was good for them, they had players to work with, then the public came to believe that the stormers are winning, so make everyone springbok, all the backline players will be pushed as springboks in those seasons, for very few good reasons other than scoring the odd brilliant individual try (they have the players for that).
So under pressure the coaching staff started believing they have the best backline in the competition, and so come a more “expansive” gameplan that no one really buys into, Proudfoot is still on his own mission doing as he has done for years and there is no cohesion with the backline and forwards. What makes it worse, they are picking the wrong players in the backline, centers on wings. wing to fullback back to wing. Not picking a proper outside center, ever. They should make a decision to either play JDV or de Jongh at 12, but dont have the balls.
I also feel bad for the Stormers scrumhalves, they are a victim of the Stormers approach and are easily seen as scapegoats, half the time they honestly have no idea who to pass to, because three players are at first receiver, not short balls, they are 10m back lol.
Stormers are at their best when the chips are down, and they don’t make a fuss of the gameplan, they just stick to what they are good at, defending as if their lives depend on it, and keeping it tight.
So I think the Stormers might sneak it…
Where is Patrick Howard? Damn that guy has potential.
@ MacroBull:
Injured.
@ MacroBull:
Pretty good summation, no arguments from me there.
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