So super rugby is come and gone and wow what a year congrazt to the chiefs well done! i hate you! jokes! but i have to say it has been a very disappionting year for the SA confrence! i mean it was called the confrence of death at one point! i mean stomers sharsk bulls all big name provinces and the free state was a shock!
So im wondering why did the SA confrence fail so badly i mean ok the stormers and sharks saved face near the end of the year to end 7th and 8th but the potentional in sides and the year that they were all building off it has to be said a shocker! There is two plain reason i see why the stormers lost and failed near the start and that was due to a injuries and gameplan! ok i spose that one affects the other! the high number of injuries was purely down to the stormers game plan! the whole defend defend defend and we will bleed the points out of the team took its tole and the players bodies could not handle it i blame the coach as do most stormers surporters but it goes to show you need an attack in order to stay healthy no team can win if the defend for 75mins and kick pens for 5 mins!
The players that impressed me in the stormers for the RC were: JvD soild like a rock and the best 12 i say just beating the younger jan! Fourie this guy is a god send he provides the cover of a hooker and the ability to be a great featching number 6! im sorry i doubt you beeno! eben(only near the end due to injuries) nothing need to be said here! bekker and liebenberg and finally young kitshoff! I still see JvD the answer at number 12 for the RC as his captincy and experince will help with JJ development! why fourie isnt there is shock but doesnt surpise me as he is much like Henrich and Meyre thinks he sloved that problem with Lowe! ummmm no! bekker has fucked off to japan sad to see but as a player who is an injury worry i can see why he did it! eben is in so no problems there and im sure kitshoff will be brought into the bok folds in years to come!
Players who failed: Janties just didnt fit! he looked out of place and out of skill! bryn H he had a poor year with some goodish games! nothing like previous however i would never leave him out of a SA top due to his nack of playing out his skin when wearing one! taute yes he was injuryed pretty much all the time but just looked like a crash baller to me :/ groom i might get flack for this but i just think he was plane average the games i watched not worth some of the hype i hear! Kolisi i like the guy but to many average games nothing like last year!
The sharks had a bad year this year due to selections and just bad play! there were no games i watched where i could say the sharks played well and they didnt deserve to loose! even some of the games they won i thought they should of lost! the selections were poor in all places couldnt get the centre pair right and struggled to get a really dom pack on the park! nothing really more to say than a year for sharks to forget and learn from there mistakes! and i will give praise where it is due last few games under new coaching the selections were correct for me and the team played with a new freedom and seemed to gel more!
Players who impressed me for the RC: front row were soild janie had his bad games but so did all the sharks! PSDT a monster to bad he is hurt but its not like time is against him he will be there next year injuries allowing him to do so! Mvovo proved he still has speed played well in game wear all around him was bad! reinch i like this little guy he has heart! sad about injuries that damped a good year he needs to stay healthy! Desynal Beast Hulk you name it he is it! big ball carrier but wouldnt get my vote above fourie
Players who failed: Lambie! has to be number one! did fuck all! i have to say i think it was just a confidence thing and he head went down and never came back up sad to see! burden only played a few games but he had a shocker please do not send him on a SR field again! the whole backrow! they jst coulnt get it right to slow against some teams and then to light again others! F styen sorry man i love his boot but cut that fat get in shape and play how you played in the world cup!
Bulls the best out of everyone and really should of topped the table but lost games they should have won brumbies! stormers! but they just died on the semi! bad captincy lost it there but they played well and most importantly! they were able to stay healthy! i mean very few times did i worry for my team in the injuries deptment! they played the boring rugby game but that game worked ;)
Players who i was impressed by for the RC: Jan the big boy showed we have the best up and coming 12 in the game to date looking forward to him smashing it next year! JJ the wing ummm i mean centre! the kid is fast and im still unsure but after the season he has had cant leave him out! vermark pretty much single handly got the bulls over the line sometimes! Mourne was on point but boring as per :P Bortha! the young kid has suffered a possible carrear ending injury! ACLs are bad man! but with his health care he should be back next year! the young prop who name now has gone from my mind stepped up this year and smashed many scrums even frik kristen had a few good games not enough for a shot above kruger! and finally! chilliboy! ok im a bit biased here! he is my fav south african player so yer im baised but he played his soild game in and out didnt miss a step! btw anyone is lucky enough to meet this guy he is a lovely chap! great teacher!
Players who failed: Houghi this guy just could not be on point everything that could go wrong went wrong poor block! the locks all had the most average seasons and really didnt deserve to get a call up spies was as useless as ever! i mean come on the bulls played with 14 men and a cheerleader most the time! visser was to on and off for me needs to make that 15 his place next year and the wings were all but average basson had a dry spell the season but really is not a Bok and Mapoi was shocking sorry im glad he is gone!
Free state! well nothing i blame here they bested everyones expectations and even there own i think! I mean no one can knock them after the year they just had! to bad about the old goose i mean he was off to a flyer and was topping the flyhalf charts for me! again another ACL im worried! to many knee injuries!
All the players played amazing but the ones i would pick for RC have to be capt strassus he lead from the front and carried the ball well and even got stuck in at the rucks! he will make a great impact player! Connie i believe is an impact player great with ball in hand and even as a prop featcher!! but the scrum work needs help but getting there! Trevor the running fridge! massive year for him get him in there! willie the magic man in the back helped the free state look even more magical a must at 15 for me! du valt and lappy great at the back of the scrum worked hard along side lockie who is a bit fresh but can learn and plays his heart out in 5 and i think should of got more creddit than was given! piet also had a cracking year at 9! my number one atm!
so there is my SR break down a little late i know ;P and what i think about who should get the starting jobs in the RC
my SAXV with injuries:
1 beast 2 bismark 3 janie 4 eben 5 lockie 6 fourie 7 lowe 8 vermulan 9 piet/reinich 10 steyn 11 Mvovo 12 JvD 13 JJ 14 Habanna 15 Willie
16 strassus 17 trevor 18 coonie 19 Jan 20 vermark 21 lambie and 22 lappy/du vault
my SAXV none injuries:
1 beast 2 bismark 3 janie 4 eben 5 PSDT 6 lowe 7 bortha 8 vermulan/stander 9 piet/reinich 10 goosen 11 mvovo 12 JvD 13 jj 14 habanna 15 willie
16 strassus 17trevor 18 coonie 19 jan 20 hougie 21 lambie and 22 Fourie/stander/vermulan
