Mighty Stormers powerful forwards ready to peak?

Ex Keo

Allister Coetzee believes that the Stormers forwards are ready to produce their most physical showing to date.

At the start of the season, Coetzee spoke about the challenges of a Super Rugby season that runs from February to August. Player management was always going to be difficult, and getting his charges to peak at the right moments was also viewed as a testing task.

In a way, injuries have helped the team’s cause in terms of rotation. Of the 14 forwards used in this year’s campaign, Duane Vermeulen, Andries Bekker, Eben Etzebeth, Tiaan Liebenberg and Steven Kitshoff have started all six matches. But because of an injury to Schalk Burger, 20-year-old rookie Siya Kolisi has started five matches thus far. When Rynhardt Elstadt and Deon Fourie were sidelined, Nizaam Carr and Scara Ntubeni also got opportunities, albeit from the bench.

When Elstadt returned to Super Rugby, the Stormers management opted to push him into the starting line-up at the expense of Nick Koster. The team has obtained the desired result on each occasion but in the process the Stormers have developed some depth. A clutch of youngsters, read Kolisi, Etzebeth and Kitshoff, have gained some much needed experience as frontline players.

The youngsters have gathered momentum, and so too have the seniors. Both Bekker and Vermeulen returned to the playing field in early 2012 after lengthy injury lay-offs. Vermeulen has wasted little time in resuming his brutal role, while Bekker’s progress has been more gradual. Some may feel the rangy lock is not dominating as he should, but they forget that after a long time on the sideline, a player usually needs a bit of time to get back to his best.

It’s for this reason that we should expect big things from the Stormers pack when they tackled their much-fancied Crusaders counterparts. The Stormers forwards have passed every test to date, but there is a sense that they’ve been gearing up for this battle for some time. They’ve picked up some momentum, and they aren’t going to slow down in Christchurch.

‘It’s been our policy to manage and assess players on a weekly basis,’ Coetzee told keo.co.za from the Stormers’ base in Queenstown. ‘We won’t rest players for the sake of resting them. We also look at individuals when making these calls, but usually if a player is playing well then we see no reason why he shouldn’t continue.

‘We have managed our players well thus far, and we will continue to look at rotation as the tournament wears on. Brok Harris comes back this week for Frans Malherbe. Siya Kolisi came in for Schalk Burger at the start of the season too. We will look at [managing] Andries Bekker and Duane Vermeulen in the coming weeks (Not like last year!), and will wait on the news of Nick Koster’s availability. We know that in such a long competition you have to box carefully.’

The Stormers are coming off two forward-oriented battles with the Bulls and Highlanders. They are also wary of the manner in which they were beaten by the Crusaders in 2011, first in the league clash, and then in the semi-final.

‘It really doesn’t get any easier for us, and every game on this tour is going to be physically taxing,’ said Coetzee. ‘The Crusaders outplayed us physically in the last two matches. We have worked hard and I’ve been pleased that [in recent matches] we have maintained our physical intensity. We will have to do so again against the Crusaders.

‘I also feel we got it tactically wrong on both occasions [against the Crusaders last year]. So we have looked at all of that and formulated a plan. We were our own worst enemies in those matches, so we’ve got to get it right this Saturday, we have to apply the pressure at the set pieces and be more accurate.’

Yup its time to put an end to the crusties! 

 I beg to differ Beeno1 - I think they would have played their best rugby against the Highlanders and the Crusaders are going to win this match against a very tired and battered side.

My dear hakwa you are entittled to your wrong opinion! 

What you fail to grasp is that the battered sides are the bulle and highlanders! Be assurred the crusties are in diapers right now.

Hakwa is of course a friend from nz! Slightly more sane than sitting bull and brycy!

 Poor call dropping Malherbe for the average Harris

If the Stormers play well, and stay healthy, I will be happy no matter what the outcome. Saders will be tired from their trip back, and a little beat up as well. So both teams will have it rough I think.

We have to remember though, the goal is to finish on top of the Standings and get home field advantage for the playoffs, and to be as healthy as possible, and playing our best rugby going into the playoffs.. Not beating the crusaders in CC in our 7th game......Although it would help, and be nice. :)

Go Stormers!!
 

@canrugby,

while finishing on top is the main goal, a win in this game is important for both team for different reasons.

the crusdaers have lost a lot of their mojo and are paying for losses thus far in the comp. a lot of their players havent stepped up and they need to perform now more then ever, cos they are ina position where any more losses and they will be behimd the 8 ball for the rest of the season.
losing to the bulls and finding themselves outside the top 6 is something that stirs the beats within and playing at home plus the menatl edge of knowing they took out the stormers tiwce at home last year, once with an injury ravaged team which forced matt todd a flanker to play wing and the other in the semis where the crusaders crushed a helpless stormers 29-10.
 

the stormers know that while they might have the mental edge on all other teams in the comp, the crusaders are a differnet breed altogether, after all u dont become sp rugbys most successful team with out doing something right.
IMO, the stormers know they got the wood on anyone, but the head to head record that the crusaders have on them, plus the fact they couldnt beat them twice despite having homeground advantage both times, means that this match is important for the stormers mentally, not cos the ladders demand it.
a win over the crusdaers could very well go a long way to contributing to no finals appearnce for the crusaders and while that bennifits everyone, none more so then the stormers, cos come finals time, if the crusadesrs and stormers should face each other in capetown, this match will go along way in terms of pumping up confidence.

i think the stormers while clinical with their performance against the highlanders, still had a hard game making it 2 in a row after their bitter bulls encounter, plus travel, while the crusdaers had a hard game against the bulls, their game against the lions while not being their best, hardly looked like pedal to the metal type of a performance.
the homeground advantage to the crusdaers however, is whats going to give them that extra edge, especially when the fans who are closerd to the field then any other stadium used in spXV, get behind the all the way.
crusdaers by 9pts.
 

Sasuk the game is played on the field and not in the stands. The crusty fans can wail and bleat all they want but the Stomrsers will focus on the game and keeping their eyes out of contact with, shall we say, wandering crusty fingers!

No the highlanders accounted for the crusaders and the Stormers accounted for the Highlanders. Hence it stands to reason the crusaders will most likely be hard pressed to win this one.

Two things may favour the crusties. Yet another bent down under match officiating group and the fact that the crusties are the more desparate of the two sides. That aside the signs of decline have thus far been clear to see. Will there be a revival is the question?

The Crusaders won that one - interesting what the Saders did, they played the Stormers gameplan against the Stormers  although not too much of the rugby league gang tackle. Their intent to play the stormers in their own half and pressurise them into mistakes paid off.