Emmergence of youngsters the big Super victory

Whilst we have the mucher of carpets talking doom and gloom about stormers rugby i thought it would b enoce to elighten him and his fellow travellors about a few matters

This article was taken from the stormers website

The 2012 Vodacom Super Rugby season might have ended in disappointing fashion for the DHL Stormers on Saturday, but coach Allister Coetzee's youth policy was a victory itself for the Men from Cape Town.

The DHL Stormers went into Saturday's semifinal encounter against the Sharks - a game they sadly lost by 19-26 - with four members of their pack still under the age of 21.

Of the starting pack in action at DHL Newlands, prop Steven Kitshoff, lock Eben Etzebeth and flanker Siya Kolisi are still eligible for the DHL Western Province Under-21 team - Kitshoff having also played for the victorious South African Under-20 team earlier this year.

On the bench, replacement tighthead prop Frans Malherbe - a 60th-minute replacement for Brok Harris - is still young enough to play for the DHL WP U21 team, whilst injured loose forward Nizaam Carr, who suffered a tournament-ending knee injury against the Cheetahs, is also just 21 years of age. (Add in Quinn Roux who will return. Elstadt who is about 21 or so the very young Koster, Deon Fourie, Kritzinger and the fact that vermueln is still only about 25/6 and ditto harris. Also a number of players will still be around for afew years yet - Bekker and Liebenberg.)

"If you compare those guys - in terms of their age and potential - no other pack in the competition can compare to ours," enthused the Stormers coach. "These guys are going to be a serious force for years to come.

"For me, all the youngsters really stood out this season and they all showed an incredible amount of maturity - despite being without some key leaders at times during the season.

"If you think about it, the guys were on tour in Australasia at one point without Schalk Burger and Jean de Villiers - who were back home injured - and with other team leaders like Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen both out injured. But the youngsters still stood up and that's thanks to the culture that we've cultivated in the Stormers squad this year.

"The guys all believed in each other throughout the year," added Coetzee, "there was a huge work ethic throughout and nobody ever gave up, no matter what. That really stood out for me in 2012."

Coetzee admitted that he was still battling to shake off the disappointment of the weekend's defeat - despite being forced to turn his attention to the 2012 Absa Currie Cup season which gets underway next weekend already.

In terms of his planning over the next few days, Coetzee revealed: "I've given the guys off until Thursday.

"We will thus start our Currie Cup preparations from Thursday morning onwards and I think the change of focus, in terms of preparing for another competition, will help motivate the guys.

"I have never seen the players as disappointed as they were on Saturday... but I have no doubt that most of that disappointment was due to the fact that they couldn't reward their fans for their commitment shown this season.

"The players play for their fans and they know that they wouldn't be half the team without their amazing supporters. The guys put their bodies on the line every single week but it's all down to the respect the players have for their fans," added the DHL Stormers and WP coach.

"I know it must also be a bitter pill for the supporters to swallow but all I can ask is for them to hang in there with us. It's not easy, the players want to make their fans proud and I've no doubt it has added to the players' pain. I'd like to thank the Stormers faithful for their wonderful support in 2012 and, please, bear with us... the results will come

Alistair very well said mate. I am proud of the Stormers and topping the log and winning the SA Conference again was a fantastic and its no problem but a pleasure to hang in there.. But please boet just get in a real brain to get our attack up to speed. Also tell those twits running the show you must have a budget equal to the bulle. I also trust you have nailed down the contracts of all these young Stormer stars!

If you can get some flair going and we have a good run re injuries there is no reason we cant win next year.  We will have  to watch out for the sharks as they are getting uppity and actually think they have a better side. When they face the full might of the Stormers that will change.

Wishing you well Alistair and the team for the Currie Cup and always remember I am here if you need some advice - for a moderate fee of course! You didnt consult me this year and look what happened in the end - something that should not have happened even though you did get close!!

If you need some light relief please read our thread here about Katie and me. We have some kiwis here who we are trying hard to educate in things pertaining to life and rugby. What happens on the journey is hilarious as you will see. You will also get free pointers from what I post. 

Good luck!

 " But the youngsters still stood up and that's thanks to the culture that we've cultivated in the Stormers squad this year."

The losing in the finals culture- ha! ha!

Smoke and mirrors Beeno.....every team had injuries. Do you remember how many first choice Sharks players were missing from the second match of the season in Cape Town?

Nope, the Stormers campaign was an epic fail. Securing a home semi, having an extra week to prepare......sorry bud, thats an H on your report card.

But dont worry, WP should beat the Sharks next weekend in Cape Town......I hear we're sending our Craven Week team.........our first choicers will be jet-lagged!!!!  LOL

LMFAO BIG TIME !!!

OMG ben10, u are awesome,,,when stormers win, they win, but when stormers lose they win and who ever wins the sharks/chiefs games, will really have lost cos the stormers will win that match as well. when All Blacks won the RWC, little did henry know that stormers actually won and when spain won the fifa world cup, yep u guessed it, spain didnt actually win, the stormers did, :D

Have you guys seen the Stormers taking gold in the 200m butterfly last night?

Stu and Sharkbok. We did not loose in the finals, it was the semmies and we lost to a better team on the day. It was a loss, but the game could have gone either way, and to call the season a complete failure is a bit harsh. It is all good that you have won that game, but you have not won the bloody thing yet, so forget about Beeno's ramblings and focus on the task at hand.

The game could have gone either way. Well of course you are right Draad - join the club who think that - a club including the sharks coaches who were very worried in the end.

But to listening to the huf f and puff here by some and one would think it was a 50 point thrashing. It has been Beeno's ramblings that have pointed this elementary fact out.

Well done Beeno!!

Please note there no comments aside ou sharbok's lunacy to comment on the momentous season the young Stormers forwards have had and Coetzee's optimism - ie what this thread was ment to be about.

Please oaks try not to avoid the uncomfortable facts Coetzee mentions.

Beans the funny thing about the young players that came through the ranks this year is this, many of them, especially from the Stormers, came through because of injuries....so the loss of Burger, Vermeulen, Koster, Bekker etc etc forced province to fast track the youngsters through the ranks. Now we have Kolisi and Elstadt etc that have emerged as real future stars. While injuries to front line players might have hurt the Stormers this year, it has probably strengthened them as far as depth and talent identification for the future. 

What was the points difference between the bottom end of the log Rebels and the Stormers at Newlands? And between the Stormers and the Cheetahs? And between the Bulls and the Stormers? And between the Waratahs and the Stormers? From what I can remember they were all thrashed by the Stormers. None of those games could have gone either way and the Stormers were clearly and firmly in control of all of them. Right?

yes chad le chos did not win it it was the stormers that smashed phelps

no the season is not a faliure. getting in a semi is decent but getting there with the level of resources to AC disposal is a given. if blackadder was the stormers coach the stormers would have walked it.

the real issue is the way on which the stormers has been hyped up has having this amazing season blah blah blah...yet they have nothing so show for this so called great season. if one look at the cold hard facts they are just a decent team and not a great team.

once again the level of one eyed arrogance is taken to another level by the stormers supporters.

 the stormers have been building for 11 years now so i think the media and the WP management and no cups coetzee is running out of highlights to give his dumped down supporters. all i can say is long may it continue. one less team to worry about for me