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FORUM / RUGBY /  Are Beeno's wee stormer's in for an embarrassment?

Are Beeno's wee stormer's in for an embarrassment?

Started by Just_win10 REPLIES663 VIEWS· 12 Mar 2018, 02:40
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JW
Just_winCaptain18,570 posts
12 Mar 2018, 02:40
#1
12 Mar 2018, 02:40#1

A little bit of hope is said to be a dangerous thing, and the same could be said when expectation and the Blues have combined in recent years.

 

Tana Umaga and his men were determined to enjoy the moment after their incredible 38-35 comeback victory over the Lions in Johannesburg, but now they will be turning their attention to playing the Stormers in Cape Town on Sunday morning NZT, and it's a game they should win given the contrasting fortunes of the two teams.

 

It's at these moments that the Blues generally disappoint. I wrote last week that, after performing so poorly against an injury-depleted Chiefs at Eden Park, losing skipper and halfback Augustine Pulu to injury and leaving Auckland for South Africa 24 hours late due to a flight issue, the expectation levels on the Blues were so low that they had a real capacity to surprise at Ellis Park.

 

Those expectation levels will be rising now and the question is do they have the ability to deal with it.

 

After looking so composed and fresh despite facing a deficit of 18 points in the second half against the best team in South Africa (and at altitude), a defeat at sea level against a Stormers team dogged by injury and illness who have to travel back from a winless tour of Australia and New Zealand will be extremely disappointing.

 

The Blues have lost prop Alex Hodgman to an arm injury, with Sione Mafileo travelling as a replacement, but their entire squad showed such form at Ellis Park, including, significantly, their reserves, that Hodgman's absence shouldn't be an issue.

 

The Blues bench brought them home, and that's something Umaga will cherish for he hasn't got enough from it during his two full seasons at the franchise.

 

It was replacement loose forward Murphy Taramai who scored the winning try near the posts in the final minute. Four minutes earlier it was another replacement loosie, Jimmy Tupou, scoring, with reserve lock Scott Scrafton playing his part in the build-up.

 

And Stephen Perofeta's influence in those final, frantic, minutes, cannot be stressed enough. The 20-year-old replaced first-five Bryn Gatland with 25 minutes remaining and brought a Dan Carter-like calmness to his team.

 

Perofeta, playing his first competition game of the year after returning from a hand injury, displayed a computer-like ability to take the right option and he has the golden knack of creating time and space for himself without seeming to do anything special at all.

He will probably be Umaga's main selection issue this week, and it wouldn't surprise to see Perofeta starting in the No10 jersey at Newlands.

 

He started the year as the top-ranked first-five at the franchise and is likely to have done enough to prove his fitness for what is an extremely important fixture for the Blues. A win in Capetown would represent Umaga's most significant fortnight at the franchise.

 

His best result so far was watching his men beat the British and Irish Lions at Eden Park last June. Their next result was a thrashing at the hands of the Sunwolves in Tokyo.

 

It's time for them to live up to expectation

JW
Just_winCaptain18,570 posts
12 Mar 2018, 02:44
#2
12 Mar 2018, 02:44#2

Blues have been a disappointment for years now & many have tried to fix the problem. They are looking better this season and the win this past weekend shows what they can do on the road by sticking to their tasks and not giving up.


Beeno, please take your meds early in the week to ensure you don't lose you nerve and leave town for a "conference"

DE
DennyCaptain12,893 posts
12 Mar 2018, 02:48
#3
12 Mar 2018, 02:48#3

South Africans go through the same routine year after year whether it be Super Rugby or the Rugby Championships only to see their hopes disintegrate after every tournament. It will be the same before the WC......I mean seriously if a tournament was run on hope alone they'd win it every single time...sigh.


CR
CrusadersfanPro3,099 posts
12 Mar 2018, 03:18
#4
12 Mar 2018, 03:18#4

I didn't give the Blues much hope of winning one game over there, but from what I have seen of the Stormers I am calling this a 50/50 shot.

A bit of confidence should do the Blues the world of good BUT going on past history they will probably have a complete shocker.

Travel for the Stormers also comes into play.

The fact they are playing against Kiwi's signals a 73.59 % chance of losing going on the last 22 years of results between the best rugby players in the world and the South Africans


JW
Just_winCaptain18,570 posts
12 Mar 2018, 03:40
#5
12 Mar 2018, 03:40#5

There is new hope for the Blues as this article states that refs may actually decide to blow the whistle on the home team.


Link to documentary evidence

CL
clevermikeCoach57,555 posts
12 Mar 2018, 07:26
#6
12 Mar 2018, 07:26#6

Don't think so - the Stormers will have Du Toit and Wiese back  and Willemse will be  playing a blinder, while their props are so far better than the ones of the Lions - the Blues will be in constant retreat in the scums and badly so,   Besides that - the Lions backs broke a world record in missed tackles and the Stormers will not do so. 

Think as a result of poor tackling the Lions gave the Blues a win as a present.

CR
CrusadersfanPro3,099 posts
12 Mar 2018, 08:41
#7
12 Mar 2018, 08:41#7

Will be surprised if the Blues get up and win but always hopefully.

Stormers by 10 or less


3K
3ku1Pro2,580 posts
12 Mar 2018, 11:24
#8
12 Mar 2018, 11:24#8

Blues beat the Lions because they were better in the second half. To suggest the Lions gifted the Blues the win. Blues still needed to be good enough to take advantage. Blues bring in the second half form. They have a chance. Stormers also travelling back. Picking Blues by 3.

BE
Beeno1Captain40,032 posts
12 Mar 2018, 15:18
#9
12 Mar 2018, 15:18#9

Stormers backs look sub par with Rhule, Duvenage and E W Viljoen very frot. Need to start with Phillips.  I think S P Marais is also out?

The loss of Huw Jones was a bad one.

Senatla and Rhule are not able to cope with the 15 man code.

Hopefully the match 23 pack selections minus, Bongi, Malherbe, Schickerling and Eben  can do enough to win the match.

PL
PlumCaptain21,007 posts
12 Mar 2018, 15:34
#10
12 Mar 2018, 15:34#10

Three cheers for SBW!!!

Like taking "Candy" from a baby. Or rather, a hairless Ewok.

Haha see what I did there? 

CL
clevermikeCoach57,555 posts
12 Mar 2018, 17:44
#11
12 Mar 2018, 17:44#11

Plum 

I was hopping mad at the game of the Lions on Saturday - there was really poor backline tackling by the Lions = while their forwards and especially Van Rooyen  and Dryer was poor as well.   Mostert did a lot of tackling - but also had poor tackling stats.

None of the players did proper ball protection and recovery - the only one who really tried was Marx - but even he had a poorer than expected day at the office,

I do not know what happened to the players - there were far too many flops on the day/

I am serious when I said that  the players themselves did themselves sa serious disservice by that display - especially their defensive deficiencies - will be studied by Rassie and they may find them out of contention for selection if that type of deficiencies are  repeated in future,

Despite his good display in other facets of play  on Saturday - Jantjies has a history of questionable tackling and he will under real scrutiny  by Rassie in future,  If it comes to selection of a player of colour he might just go for Willemse ahead of Jantjies.      

— END OF THREAD —

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