Manie is kak and so are some of the Stormers tap dancers

So the Stormers are sitting at mid table. In their first two seasons they were able to win it and then become runners up. 

In the last final, at Green point, Munster managed to take the cup. The Stormers and Manie specifically couldn't cope with Munsters tactical game. 

It is final winter in the Cape and the field is becoming wet and heavy. Manie and the tap dancers have been able to enjoy a hard dry field during the the summer but now that winter is settling in it is becoming harder for them to use their agility. 

You also have to look at the Stormers away record. Not so good at all. 

The Stormers need to take a honest look and almost have wet weather players and then the tap dancers. 

I just watched chasing the sun and Manie getting ready for the England game. He had a really poor kicking record going into that game but the French got undone by bombs on a weak wing and the scrum. Manies influence was minimal. 

The came the England game and you could see how nervous he was. Not to mention him stressing about the shock clock. 

So for me he has two things that counts against him. High pressure and the wet. 

Rassie yanked him off after 30 min in that semi and it was Pollard that kept his cool as he guided SA back. 

When Manie is on fire and the team is dominating he is a joy to watch. But when things are tough, he struggles to put his make on the game. His kicking becomes less effective and not to mention his quick hand speed let's him down in the wet. Neither can he hold his own in contact. Previously he had the highest balls conceded in contact and yesterday we saw Manie lose it yet again in contact. 

There are better , steady 10s that has better all round game. 

Manie should stick to exhibition games. 

I won't pick him ever in the wet. 

Then let's look at some of those hot stepping Stormers. Dyamani, normally great to watch but could get into his game yesterday. 

Gelant was a non entity and neither could Willemse come on and change the game. 

In the wet the Stormers need to put a bigger pack out that can grind a game out. 

Hartzenberg, fantastic player hardly saw the ball. 

Hope the Stormers can wake up now 

Right now Goosen is playing better than Manie, who in two weeks has lost two games. Manie’s dismal defensive  stats yesterday. He lost the ball 4 times, attempted 4 tackles and missed 3.

Du Plessis and Roos were our only stand outs….and even so Roos made a lot of handling errors.

That attempted cross kick from Manie in his own 22, killed me. What was he thinking. The players were struggling to hold onto the ball and then he tries that. 

Then, he wants to play left, but realise there is no option, then switches the other way with fewer players and throws and intercept that results in a try. Those are two massive errors in game. 

Pollard is not perfect and has in the past threw intercepts that resulted in tries and not even been able to find touch. 

But the way he imploded was spectacular. He has been off for most of the season. Ja, I would back Julie Matthee. Manie needs to be dropped and work his way back. 

Sharks have found Mazuka and he is pushing Bosch really hard and you can now see that he too is struggling. Players need to sit out for a while. 

I think it was the same for Manie at the Boools and Saarks. He had some impressive games but the coaches must have felt that they couldn’t back him. 

Man, I was mad at Rassie for not picking him earlier and instead of Jantjies. But you now see it takes many seasons and hard games for a player to become like Pollard. 

But Pollard was always special. Even as a 17 year helping SA to win the under age group World Cup. He wasn’t perfect but he kept his cool. You can tell when a youngster have it. They don’t get phased at all. Yes, they make mistakes but it is so rare. 

Manie never had it. You are almost wondering which one will show up. Matthee should at least be on the bench. But Dobbo needs to take responsibility. He is too kind to his players. He needs to decide when to be kind and when to be ruthless 

Dave

I ag ree with you about Roos - but I think that with Du Toit around the number 7 position remained as filled until he is retiring or stop playing rugby on international level.

Ats to Gelant I have reservations about him - Willemse is a much better option at full back.   I also see him as a replacement of De Allende though.

As to the issue of Libbok I th ink he is a flyhalf in the Jantjies category and not sound enough to be the fist chocie at flyhalf. .          

Manie overcooked things the weekend...should just calm down a bit and relax...trying to force things leads to the disaster we saw the weekend. 

David, you are a very generous coach. If a player threw one intercept pass that resulted in a try, and another miss timed cross kick that also resulted in a try and cost me 14 points and ultimately the game against a weaker appointment. Yes, the Stormers elected a "poor" team. 

So do you say Simalane, Loader, Gelant, Dan Du Please, Libbok are poor back line selections. 

Only Ungerer was a Kak choice. 

As for the pack, think the stormers have some injuries there. Not sure who are the first choice, they had Flab Malherbe, Bok, Roos, Dyamani in the pack. I rate Nama Xaba, he had an impact on the game. But probably should have bigger heavier forwards. 

So I don't think it was a poor team, just poor individuals that can't play in the wet 

For goodness sake ButtPlug, you need to recognise when you're embarrassing yourself. 

Saffex makes more meaningful rugby contributions in a single day than you've made since you arrived here as Spooony.

Plum is not saying Roos...or Kwagga...is potentially the best 12 in SA...he's saying they will do better at 12 than DdA...he would rather have them than DdA...I don't agree, but that's what's in between the lines.

Surprise surprise, here's the Squeaky Toy wanting to be everyone's friend again. 

ButtPlug's first post on this thread states pretty clearly that he wants Evan Roos at i nside centre. No reading between the lines is necessary.

Whoosh!!!

It’s the usual Rooinek role ….Board gadfly.

It is a okay if a player wants to express himself when it is on, but when the ball is slipping out of your hands and you don't have control, why on earth do you want to try crazy things. 

Just saw the final episode of chasing the sun last night. 

Eben said to the boys, don't try anything fancy now because they are one player down. Too many players try more things because they think they have an opportunity now. Just stick to what works. 

In Manies case, he sticks to what doesn't work. Which is the problem 

Ox at tighthead is an interesting option. This move never worked with Thomas the tank, but he wasn’t a great scrummager to start and very tall for a tighthead. The only great tall tighthead I recall was  Carl Hayman of NZ.

Ox looks like a tighthead, squat, massive legs. It might work!

Dave you are mesmerized by his size, Thomas has never been a great scrummager. The reason the Sharks dominated was always down to Ox….keep it real.