Stormers: 15 Joe Pietersen, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Jean de Villiers, 11 Bryan Habana, 10 Peter Grant, 9 Dewaldt Duvenage, 8 Deon Fourie, 7 Rynhardt Elstadt, 6 Siya Kolisi, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 De Kock Steenkamp, 3 Frans Malherbe, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Steven Kitshoff. Replacements: 16 Brok Harris, 17 Deon Carstens, 18 Quinn Roux, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Louis Schreuder, 21 Burton Francis, 22 Gerhard van den Heever.
Wow ok did not expect that.
I expected Deon to be part of the loose trio but at 6. Also expected the return of Liebenberg at hooker. Time Quinn Roux got a start in my opinion.
Two props in reserve as well. Should have enough to account for the Rebels.
Yeah i also expected Fourie to be at six. This is fine though. But yes you are right Quin deserves a start ahead of Steenkamp.
Yeah i also expected Fourie to be at six. This is fine though. But yes you are right Quin deserves a start ahead of Steenkamp.
Coaches sometimes dont give much game time to folk leaving. Take Johnston for the Cheethas. He should be starting. Even Sias I believe is a better flyhalf.
I differ with you all - I think that Coetzee realised that Kolisi did not perform as well at 8 as he did at 6. That means that he decided to play Kolisi rather at 6 and the smaller Fourie at 8. Depending on the flow of the game - he would later switch Fourie to hooker - move Steenkamp to 8 and play Roux in tthe lock position.
That may be the case in tprparation for the semi's - after the return of Etzebeth - so I expect Steenkamp to play at 8 for at least half of the game against the Rebels. That is if Vermeulen is not back fr the semis. Any news about the latter?
Oh sure, with a home final in the balance Coetzee isn't going to play Quince Roux just because he is leaving. Man the stuff you guys believe.
Isn't it more plausible that he the coach thinks Steenkamp provides what he needs more effectively and/or the team are more motivated that way?
Yeah Steenkamp is the man, we have seen it all season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is interesting, but in some ways I can see the logic of not messing with Kolisi and Elstadt in their preferred position and instead seeing how Fourie works. Would not be surprised to see Roux come on in the #8 role at halftime, or like some suggested Steenkamp moving there
Stormers lineout would be an easy one to defend with Fourie not being an option except for the fact that King Bekker will be on his throne Saturday. Really hope for the Boks sake he stays healthy all during the Rugby Championship. Boks need lineout dominance.
Oimatey you make a valid argumument, we shall wait and see, Allistair needs to measure options at 8 and this might be the last game to test it before the semi's.
Regarding King Bekker, he has really not been King Bekker at all this season, The only game so far where he was on the ball really was the last one. I really hope it's a sign of improvement as we need him to be at his best again. Cause so far this season he has not done anything to be included above Juandre. Let's hope for a few big one's from him for the rest of the season.
What do you mean smaller Mike, Kolisi is 101 kg and Deon 102 kg. I think you are right that Kolisi probably is better off at 6.
Deon has plenty of pace (could have been a center) and because he is compact he can in fact drive the ball up very well. Would have thought his very good fetching skills would have been utlisied slightly better at 6. Personaly I am comfortable with Deon at 8 etc. Will b ean interesting combo.
As for Quinn Roux its either the coach mistakenly thinks Steenkamp is better or its he is giving experience to a lessor lock who will be with us next year. Bekker is not too bad in the physical stakes but ideally needs a very physical lock with him. To me Steenkamp and Bekker together lack a bit of grunt. Hope this clarifies matters for Dr Moz.
SAw this regarding reasons why Alistair chnaged his number 8 - ex Sport 24
Cape Town - The No 8 berth has been a cursed one for the Stormers this year, for injury-related and other reasons.
Both Duane Vermeulen and Nizaam Carr have fallen prey to long-term injury while staffing it (How about Nick Koster?), flank Siya Kolisi has been tried there, and now Canadian import Jebb Sinclair cannot continue in the role for the crucial playoffs phase of Super Rugby because SANZAR has declared him ineligible for the finals series. (Please note Dr Moz perhaps one reason Fourie picked at 8 instead of Sinclair)
So desperate times call for desperate measures and Deon Fourie, the livewire hooker who can also be very comfortable as an open-side tearaway and pilferer, will be given a new challenge in the spot against the Melbourne Rebels at Newlands on Saturday.
Initial speculation had been that coach Allister Coetzee would stick with Sinclair, who has begun to look more and more assured in his short tenure with the franchise, for this game, but with the playoffs in mind he has instead taken a pro-active route by gauging Fourie’s suitability to the role and having Sinclair available as a bench option in his
Capetonian swansong.
Although a chance remains that the rugged Vermeulen may yet be fit again for a likely home semi-final more than two weeks further up the road, Fourie has a chance to impress in a loose trio also comprising Kolisi in his more suitable No 6 shirt and Rynhardt Elstadt at blindside flank.
“With the news of Jebb not qualifying we just felt we needed to look at all other options we possess,” Coetzee explained at media briefing on Wednesday. (So fancy that availability influences selection - please note Dr Moz). )
“The first thing is to get your best players on the field ... we’ve seen how well Deon Fourie has performed over the last couple of games, and now Tiaan Liebenberg can start again (at hooker) as well, with Deon still out there.
“Obviously we’ve tried Siya at No 8 but both he and Rynhardt have played consistently at six and seven so they have established a bit of a combination - I would like to keep it like that, and then see how Deon adapts at No 8.
“He’s a skilful player, and likes to be out first, so at eight he can be first out of the scrums and the same applies off lineouts. We have to try it now, before the playoffs start and (provided) we get there ... we still have to work for at least a point to get (a bye into a home semi-final).”
Another blessing of Fourie’s versatility is that the Stormers, knowing his specialist capabilities at hooker if required, can afford to field as many as two props on the bench, and have done so with both Brok Harris and Springbok veteran Deon Carstens deployed there on Saturday.
Their scrum has experienced some problems in recent matches so having the luxury of potential fresh legs at both loosehead and tighthead is a comfort.
“Deon also understands the engagement of the scrum, being a hooker,” Coetzee said. “We’ll see how it goes - he has all the attributes to do the job for us. The proof of the pudding is in the eating this weekend.”
Asked by Sport24 whether it was hoped Fourie, not the tallest timber at No 8 considering his mere 1.78m, would take some kind of leaf from the Keegan Daniel book - the in-form Sharks and Bok loose forward has shown his own effectiveness in that capacity despite being fairly short himself - Coetzee said: “One of Deon’s big assets is his quickness and like (Daniel) that is a big plus off the base of a scrum.” (Far stronger man than Keegan)
Captain Jean de Villiers quipped: “Allister (a former scrumhalf) will never say anything bad about a short guy.”
And the smiling coach quickly countered, not without foundation, by pointing out that “Deon brings some attitude too”.
Pretoria-born (At last a Pretoria born player !!!! ) Fourie’s known dynamism and bubbly self-confidence will at least be handy start-up tools as he tries to add a new string to his blossoming bow.
Deon must be the best utility forward in the country. Good luck Deon - go and give spiesies something to think about!! It will be of considerable interest to see how he and Kolisi combine. Plenty of pace.
