SA Player observations from the URC Quarters

Hanekom vs Roos. This was another game where Roos kept trying, but one turnover excepted produced little. He missed Jordan, lost the ball near the line and generally was unable to impose himself. Hanekom by contrast was always in the game and took the try which was on rather than distributing. He was a menace at almost every breakdown. I’ still think Roos needs to play wider to use his athleticism …he makes no impression in the tight stuff.

Kolisi went walkabout, there is no other way to put it….his head simply wasn’t in the game. Time to move on.

Sacha was baffled by the tight Glasgow defense and kept trying new tricks to break it down. This was a case where a bit of tactical kicking might have helped break the Glasgow focus. He also needed to pay a bit more, man on man, attention to Jordan who was slicing the Stormers up like an old snoek. So now he finally has something to prove after it all came so easily.

Hooker had a very strong game. He reminds me a bit of Penaud, but I still think 13 may be his spot.

Nortje had a decent game on the side of the scrum, but is not the tackling dervish Mostert and Dud are. I doubt that will be an effective role for him.

Libbok looked like Larkham as he created that superb Stormers try. But then with the game in the balance he hoists a high cross kick on his 22, the ball is lost and a Glascow try follows in short order. And his tackling was the usual ineffective cling. His tackle success percentage is 60% for the URC season. At his best a great player to watch, but he has too many liabilities.

Match up up of the year is coming this Saturday Wilco vs Ox…..it should be epic!

The one I'm the most worried about is Roos. Sacha has time and Hanekom shows no signs at all that he wasn't born to be a Bok.

Roos just seems to have the wrong idea about how to get the best out himself and make the most impact. I don't know if it's the coaching, ego, IQ...but it's pretty clear that he has the wrong idea. Despite that, he still does reasonably well.

I just wonder how much more impactful he could be were he playing more to his strengths and less to his weaknesses.

One looks at Savea and how impactful he is. And it's because he understands what he is and what he isn't. Roos doesn't seem to have a clue.

I actually feel a little sorry for him because he is still young and clearly getting bad advice.

Fair comment….these are the games he has to step up. It’s now within a month of 3 years since his Bok debut and he looks well behind Hanekom on the development curve.

Fixed my typos above. Gosh, I'm becoming worse than Mike. Actually, no I'm not, that's simply not possible.

I feel like Roos is at the age where he could be left behind now.

He might turn out to be the next Marcel Coetzee. Getting capped early on and then fading into obscurity and ultimately ending up with a handful of test caps to his name and lots of difficult thoughts about what could have been.

I know Dave is going to jump on this but for me the players that should not make the cut are as follows.

Moerat, injured again and probably only had 1 meaningful contribution the entire campaign. I mean literally one. When he bumped off a player and got his pass out. That is it.

The Hendrikse brothers. I was really rooting for them this season. I thought they are together, that brother combo should come into play, but almost everything they did meant the sharks lost the ball some now. There was probably only one good pass, the one to Fassi when he cut the line. But these brothers need to be downgraded to the Currie cup or actually the Vodacom cup. They have been abysmal all season.

Kwotalisi, did nothing in the quarters what so ever. 8 is not his position and neither can he play 6. Put him back at 7 where he belongs or drop him completely. He doesn't have the conditioning or stamina and never had it. Where as Even just kept hitting each ruck and always until the very last minute.

Libbok, ja nee, not sure it it his injury or just poor game plan, but having tackle efficiency of 60% is criminal. Again, had one good touch in the game and simply struggled to assert himself or get control of the game.

Not done but real concern for me is Zulu boy and Roos. Roos trying way too hard and his attitude of having to be the hard man speaks volume. He always tries to be aggressive in the wrong way. Always has to lash out or start a scirmage. Just take a page from Duane, you are an Ebem. Duanne hit players hard in the tackle. Was a menace over the ball and could carry and even had pace. His off loading was 2nd to none. Roos need to put that attitude away or he is heading the same direction as Puke Watson.

Then Zulu boy, flashy talent but I think that will be his undoing. He has been propped up his whole life and always on the up side. Very talented but I'm getting Quade Cooper, O Conner, Goosen vibes from him. Only want to play flashy rugby and go for the glory plays. Can he actually be boring in the game and just do what needs to get done. Play tactically, go into an arm wrestle and find week points.

Vincent T impressed me this weekend. I think he deserves a crack.

Then Jan Hendrik is quietly just getting better each game. Very mobile for a prop that can cover hooker and loose head. Great options for us there with Ox Stenekamp and him

Hannekom, first I wasn't convinced, I think he could be a better opensider but also fantastic 8. Not bulky but makes a big impact and keeps going. Really like the look of him. Kwagga 2.0 with bulk and size.

Then for me the standout has to be Hooker. He just never drop his standard. Not a winger but has plenty of pace.

Jizzo has faded for me. Impact player in the AD Jacobs mould. A handful and really talented at breaking the line, but goes silent when starting. Probably the hardest position on the field. He has great acceleration which you need for a 13 but his overall pace and stamina is very low.

My only concern is that our flyhalf stock has taken a dip and looks like Pollard is the only one that should steer in NZ. Maybe Zulu can bring some X factor but now that the world has seen him, he'll find it really hard. If he can get through the 2nd season syndrome then he will go a long way.

Libbok and Hendrikse are done for as 10s.

I was also happy with Fez Mbata and Pepsi. Both came on and made a difference..

Bit international season ahead with many games

I'm with you on most of those KC.

But I'm not worried about Sacha. The only worry I have is him plying under Dobson.

The Stompies have no balance. It's all Galant mal kak and it's allowed, probably promoted, by the coach. That entire backline look like a bunch of headless chickens on the best of days.

I think at Test level Sacha will play to a solid game plan, and have much better players to lean on...with plenty of reward to exploit.

The Stormers have to make something out of nothing all the time because there is no platform, so whatever we are seeing Sacha do now is pretty much a result of that. Remember that he singlehandedly got the Stormers past the Irish a few weeks back.

My feeling is that under Jake, Rassie or even Meyer, we'd see much better from Sacha.

I'm glad I'm not the only noticing Roos bang his head against the wall over and over again.

Hooker had a great game - his best yet, he has always shown strength but we saw an in out and a bit of a step - his best position is 12 not 13

Roos had a solid game with no ball or room to attack, in a Stormers side that were piss poor on the day - he has been in outstanding form this season, so much so I had him slightly ahead of Hanekom

One could sense with the frustration and media crap surrounding his exclusion from the last Bok alignment camp that bits of his old traits resurfaced on the weekend. He was wanting to scrap

On current form Hanekom has snuck past Roos, but for me it’s a no brainer that both should be in the Bok squad - two of the easiest calls to make

Sasha has proven he is world-class in space, but he still has to prove he can be as good in tight games, like knock-out matches, major tests, or slower pitches like in the Northern Hemisphere.

He was a marked man, and he must consider using his skilled boot to vary play more. If the defence is closing down his runs, there must be space on the edges.

Te fct is that I beleive Hooker is top qualiy - for the rest the fact is that the Shark backline is not unctioning at all and hm plating well isahe only positive in what turnd out to be a shit backline - failing in especially when it coems to strategy and ball skills, I and when the Sharks managed to attack - it ended up in handing possession over to the opposition.

Still early days with Sacha and he still needs to learn quite a bit…..

Talent is not his problem and Maturity comes with more game time, which he will get.

Hooker at 12 and David Kriel at 13, is a combo I would love to see.

Roos is focussing to much on being this aggressive bruiser and losing touch with his speed and open field play.

He is talented enough, but with Vincent Thsituka getting better and Hanekom already there, it will not get easier for him.

Also Elrigh Louw has already Trumped him to.