Allister Coetzee
DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee adopted a different approach to his former Springbok management colleague Jake White during the break from Vodacom Super Rugby for the June internationals.
While White had his Cell C Sharks players play club rugby in the last weeks of the break so they don’t hit the remaining phase of the season cold, Coetzee’s players haven’t played in any matches since the win over the Sharks in Durban on the last day of May. The only players to see action in June were the Springboks.
However, the Stormers shouldn’t expect to take any cobwebs into Saturday’s big derby match against the Vodacom Bulls at Newlands as in the two weeks back in training after the taking the first two weeks off, the Stormers have been steadily upping the intensity in training.
Sport24
“We did have some momentum before the break, winning our last few games in succession, but I felt the players needed to have proper time off away from rugby,” said Coetzee.
“Someone like Nizaam Carr has really thrown his body into the fray this season and he needed to rejuvenate. The break was a mental one as much as it was physical. But because they had a break, the players have worked really hard since coming back and you would have seen today that the intensity in training was really great. Having Schalk Burger and Siya Kolisi back from the Boks had the effect of lifting the training intensity even further.”
“I didn’t ask the players to play club rugby. I am not sure if you can get prepared for Super Rugby playing at that level, and I prefer to effect game simulation within the squad, and we have been doing a lot of that. The guys have been getting stuck in so I don’t think they will be lacking in readiness for contact this weekend.”
“We can’t win the competition, but we want to finish off the season strongly and hopefully carry some momentum into the Currie Cup, like we did last year. The Bulls match is always a massive one regardless of log position, and 35 000 tickets have already been sold for the game so that reflects the interest that there is. So it’s quite exciting to be part of this game.”
Given how hard he has worked this season, it wasn’t surprising to see that big No 8 Duane Vermeulen was sitting out training on Monday afternoon. The Bok has carried a heavy load this season after playing all the games he was available for in Super Rugby and then playing every game the Boks played in June. That is the way that Coetzee has been managing Vermeulen over the past few months – resting him during the week so he can give it a full go in the match.
By contrast, Burger has been on and off the field for much of the year, so the fact that he played a full 80 minutes for the Boks against Scotland was a positive from Coetzee’s viewpoint. And Kolisi, who hasn’t been in form this year, is also starting to show signs of lifting his effort level.
“Everyone knows that Siya hasn’t been in form, but I am pleased with the commitment he has started to show just recently and I think it is starting to come right for him,” said Coetzee.
Kolisi will probably play off the bench this week, as Carr has nailed down the openside flank spot as his and Burger these days wears the Stormers No 7. Deon Fourie, who also has played looseforward this year, is back from injury but is likely to be one of the two hookers on Saturday.
Scarra Ntubeni is still out injured and won’t play again until the Currie Cup season, while Mike Willemse, excellent against the Sharks last time out, has been set back by an injury that has made him unavailable for the Bulls game. However Springbok Tiaan Liebenberg is back and was doing a lot of throwing at the lineouts in training on Monday.
With Eben Etzebeth ruled out of the remaining games because of a broken toe sustained at home, the freakish Stormers injury situation probably warrants another glance. These are just some of the players who could realistically be in a first choice match day squad out injured at present: Jean de Villiers, Damian de Allende, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Steven Kitshoff, Brok Harris, Ollie Kebble, Rynhardt Elstadt, Scarra Ntubeni, De Kock Steenkamp.
However there are players coming back into the system this week from injury, with Burger, Liebenberg and Fourie being joined by Gio Aplon and Kobus van Wyk among the players who weren’t available for the last match the Stormers played against the Sharks.
@ Gumboots:
Lots of experience of being insulted, does that to a person. It makes you thick skinned.
For some reason certain people believe they are above any criticism.
They would just love to do some blowing @ Gumboots:
haha they just got pissed off because me and nortie kept going at them because they believed the sharks were above Heyneke Meyer and the Springboks.
@ 31 @ Nama:
For sure…
MacroBull wrote:
…
I’m sure they will be back when they win the Super title ….. in 2315 😉
@ MacroBull:
Same with the Stormers the last 3 years or so. We were always reminded about our lack of BP’s and our boring, defence orientated rugby despite the fact that we usually ended up in the top 2 (2010-2012).
Now that they play exactly the same game plan, it is all about “winning rugby.”
@ MacroBull:#29
I go double digits on this. At least 10.
Nama wrote:
They learnt from us…
@ Gumboots:
They even use the same excuses: As long as you win, it doesn’t matter how you play”…”looks at the log”
Only difference is that AC was criticised by Stormers supporters for his game plan. JW, on the other hand, is seen as the messiah down there.
Nama wrote:
When there was a rumour that JW was coming to CT I was very vocal that I objected… – go back on Voldy and you will see. I for one have no time for the man and I feel he is trying very hard to undermine HM!
When he ups and leaves the Sharks in lurch like he has done before, then only will the blind see… 😯
… I rest my case… I’m outta here…
Cheers…
@ Nama:
37
“I go double digits on this. At least 10.”
😆
with Gio Aplon. Sailosi Tagicakibau. Juan de Jongh. Cheslin Kolbe, and Kurt Coleman in the line up and SARU supporting the Bulls to get to the play-offs?
@ Gumboots:
Well, this ought to ring the warning bells already.
“White, outstanding at the Brumbies and equally impressive at the Sharks in this season’s Super Rugby, will have no chance of coaching the Springboks while Hoskins is still involved. But hopefully he will not be lost to South African rugby and he will continue with the Sharks in 2015 and may even find comfort in the challenge of the Stormers post 2015.”
MARK KEOHANE in Business Day
@ Hondo:
At least you’ve gone on record before the match this time. So, you are saying that SARU instructed that the Bulls should win the match because they still have a mathematical chance, however slight it might be, to make the play off?
I would’ve preferred Taute to be dropped as well. Aplon at FB and Senatla to start on the wing. What a back line, huh?
I don’t have anything further to say on it, and one of the reasons that I haven’t been as regular on here is that I got tired of listening to everyone bash the Sharks.
I’ve said my piece. As I said to all, use it, don’t use it.
@Gummi
It’s all the fault of Jerry that they left
@Nama
I’m more worried at the ease with which they beat us at Loftus.
I’m also thinking Bulls will win.
And next week the Sharks should win the return game, they will have a better incentive especially as it means a 2nd on the log, or if the Tah’s lose somewhere, a 1st place.
@ nortierd:
We had them in the first half, 2 tries to none but it just fell apart in the second. I think we should have had them.
Stormersboy wrote:
Hi, good to hear from you again
😀
We scored those quick tries, but they were relentless and totally squeezed the life out of us, especially in the forwards.
It just looked all to easy for them
@ nortierd:
That was at the start of our evolution of our game plan. Leading 10/12 -0 after 10 minutes turned out to work against us. The resorted to defending the lead as they were used to the last few years. In the latter part of the competition, before the break, one could see that the team is looking to score throughout the game.
Njaa…it won’t be easy but we’ll beat them comfortably in the end.
@ Nama:
Ja, maar as dit kom by die Stormers is jou glas altyd half vol
Ek hoop jy is reg, ons kan miskien nog die Bulle klop, maar ek weet nie so mooi van die Sharks nie.
Die wen of KP was ook maar meer geluk as enige iets anders.
Dit sal great wees as ons albei die laaste 2 games kan wen
@ nortierd:
Ja I was there, it was painful to watch, especially after the promising first half.
🙁
Pity the Cheetahs are without their best 3 loose forwards.
I would have fancied their chance in Bloem this weekend, but without Brussouw and especially Boom, I’m not so sure.
Their backline is much better than the Shark’s, but that’s also depending on whether Lambie is playing or not
@ nortierd:
Wel, volgens AC is dit die plan. Gaan in die CC in met ‘n paar goeie wenne agter die blad en behou daai momentum. Bly onoorwonne in die reeks en verloor dan die finaal teen die Sharks om hulle te troos.
Ek weet nie hoekom jy dink ons het ‘n kleiner kans op Nuweland nadat ons op Kings Park gewen het nie.
@ Nama:
Dink die Sharks gaan meer he om te bewys en gaan definitief meer “switched on” wees die slag.
Ek glo nog steeds daar is n rede hoekom een span 2de op die log is en die ander 11de, en dit behoort te wys in die uitslag
@ nortierd:
Ja, maar hou in gedagte dat die span wat 11de le alreeds die span wat 2de le (toe 1ste) gewen het. Weg van die huis af…met ‘n swakker span as die een wat hulle volgende week kan kies.
Maar dis nie nou eers van belang nie. Dis volgende week se worries. Wat nou belangrik is, is dat ons die Camo tolletjies moet klop DIE naweek…en sommer goed ook. Stuur ‘n boodskap aan die sardientjies. Die rillings moet teen hul grate afbeweeg.
@ Nama:
Ha ha
Ek hoop so, en ek wens ek het jou optimisme gedeel.
Bekommerd oor die senters, en ek neem aan Deon sal skuif van haker na flank tydens die wedstryd.
48Stormersboy wrote:
yep you scored 2 tries from bulls errors, we cleaned that up and the stormers got nowhere with their awesome backline.
54 @ Nama:
julle het hulle op kings park “gewen” in een van die swakste games die dekade… onthou dit net.
10 minute van die mees belaglikste rugby wat ek in my lewe al gesien het haha
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