Stormers Team against Jaguares

The following is the team for the game:-

15 Cheslin Kolbe, 14 Kobus van Wyk, 13 Johnny Kotze, 12 Juan de Jongh (co-captain), 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Nizaam Carr, 7 Siya Kolisi, 6 Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Frans Malherbe (co-captain), 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 JC Janse van Rensburg

Replacements : 

16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Vincent Koch, 19 Jan de Klerk, 20 Schalk Burger, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Jean-Luc du Plessis, 23 Huw Jones

I am still not happy with that backline - even though there are some marked changes made:-

*   The dropping of Leyds have been long overdue and the inclusion of Zas is a vast improvement on that one.   Leyds is not even on the bench.

*    It is clear that the realization is getting home with  clarity.   Burger has been unproductive in all games played and the fact that he is being benched is a clear sign of displeasure on the part of Fleck.   

*    Du Toit is being rested - both him and Etzebeth is supposed to be rested after playing five matches,   It would have been unwise to bench both  Du Toit and Etzebeth simultaneously - hence the decision to bench Du Toit this round and presumably Etzebeth in the next match.

*    The playing of Schickerling indicates that this youngster is starting to make waves.  A clever youngster with a glittering future.   

 ou maaaaikie just as Du Toit is being rested so is Schalk. I mention this as it may not have occurr ed to you.

Du Toit is certainly being rested because he wasn't even on the plane to Argentina . . . but Skulk is there . . . on the bench!

Looking at the value - or should I say lack of value - that Skulk adds in his current poor form, he can consider himself very lucky to even make the bench. I'm sure Fleck is sick and tired of having a clumsy and talentless donkey trying to fill the role of flyhalf.

Go Jaguares!

 Goodluck Stormers and congrats Fleckie...innovation by you by change caused the disorientation of the best backline attack in S18...hope the Plan has more thought...Fleckie I hope you adjust because the repetitive won't work against a side who will test your strenghs in the scrums and lineouts but have a better attac k backline.

Jaguars you don't deserve where you are!

Don't blame refs...being in SH means huge obstacles like being Pollocked...like an obstactle on a golf course,Crusaders also know they have to go an extra mile against my Sharkies OR ELSE they will be Peypered

 Beeno
There is a huge difference between being rested and being on the bench.   Bench selection does not mean that a player is being rested.   In cases like Burger placing a player on the bench means that he is not considered good enough based on prior performance and that he must show more before being brought back into the starting line-up.  

 Mike, it would have been too much of a gamble to leave Burger entirely out of the team. The starting back row is a bit on the light side and this might be the wrong match to experiment with the loosies. I hope they cope.

Nice to see Fleck making some rotational plays. Must be done and in the end ensures that your team has depth and also is ready for the end of the season, but this is going to be a very difficult game. Jaguares will be desperate to win their first game at home and it took some special moments from the Chiefs to keep that from happening last week
Leyds is hurt - he hasn't been dropped but good to see Zas get a full game and see what he can offer.
Notshe for Burger is a downgrade. Will be interesting to see how the Stormers attack looks without Burger involved. Fleck has used him in much the same way the Boks did - he has averaged over 25 touches every game with half of those being distributive. Maybe Carr takes over this role - he is capable.
Schickerling gets to stretch those legs in a start. Should provide some game time to properly evaluate the youngster, instead of declaring his future Bok pedigree based on a few minutes at the end of a game
Etzebeth plays his fifth in a row - appears that SARU's rest requirement is a guideline not a requirement.
Key to this game will be the ability of the Stormers to weather the multiple phase attack of the Jaguares which has so far been mistake prone and provided turnover and counter attack scoring opportunities. Combine that with the good tactical and positional kicking from the Brumbies again and they have a chance. Looking forward to a cracker.
Sharks - Crusaders should be good as well.

 oimatey
Sorry to differ from you here.   Fact is that they are allowed to play 5 games and then must have an off day.  Fleck could not give both Du Toit and Etzebeth a rest day together and he consequently decided to rest one of the two this round and the other one the next round.
As to Schickerling - he has a bright future.  The youngster broke his neck a year ago and worked himself back into rugby.  That shows strength of character.   He was the best lock we had in Under 20's and his future depends on him - nobody is writing him into any team.   You know the norm I believe should always apply - players must prove themselves through performance and I also believe that reputation players who do not perform should not be in the Springbok team.  There were too many reputation players in the last Springbok squad.
Burger was quite busy in the games he played in - but actually ineffective in what he was doing.  The fact that he carried the balls ineffectively was true and his passing game as also so-so.   Fac t is he did not perform on the basis expected of him and the bench selection is for that reason significant.  
      

 Mike I go along O'Mateys opening statement;

Nice to see Fleck making some rotational plays. Must be done and in the end ensures that your team has depth and also is ready for the end of the season, but this is going to be a very difficult game. Jaguares will be desperate to win their first game at home and it took some special moments from the Chiefs to keep that from happening last week.

This side,virtually an ARGENTINE side is still getting into super rugby...a different tempo...once they find their step they are going to be finishers and even so if the styles of Super Rugby is a new thing they will eventually become a cornerstone...the same can be said of the Sunwolves...a lot to learn and out of depth at the moment but a huge ambition to achieve...and those who understand the South Americans and Japanese know there's volcanos here.

 Think so too.   Waiting to see what their team looks like.  

 Nice to see Stephanie getting an....er....rest

 Mozart
Is Serfontein playing for the Stormers?  

Schalk is not being rested he has been dropped because he has been a non factor thus far.....Notshe is a far better player......but the Stormers do lack a big physical player in the loose trio......not that Schalk adds physicality.
Elstadt will provide that when he returns......right now the best 3 loosies are playing in Carr, Notshe and Kolisi
PSDT took a wack to the back of the neck, so was not considered for selection
Kotze should not have been retained.....he has been poor......v/Wyk should be playing 13

Mike - yea, you're right about the 5 game thing. 
We'll see whether Schalk is missed. I think he will be. But to say he is on the bench because of performance is conjecture and opinion and should not be presented as fact. The more reasonable explanation is rotation.

Oi how the hell will Schalk be missed when he has done stuff all to date......he has been a non factor for the Stormers thus far......his contributions have been practically zero.....check the stats.
Schalk was playing some of the best rugby of his life at the end of last season......he has not been able to replicate that.....not even close.

I know the stats - 50 runs, 55 meters, a few defenders beaten. Not impressive but he's putting in the hard graft. Also has made 55 passes in the first 4 games. No other SA loosie comes close to that. He's always looking to distribute and spread the ball wide instead of just crashing it up. A lot of quick clever passes creating space and many times when he takes the ball straight to the line, holding the defense and delivers a pass out the back before contact. 
Some say he lingers in the 10 channel too much - that may well be the case. Without knowing what Fleck is thinking it sure seems like its part of his game plan though. 
If you're talking simply about ability to run the ball - Carr, Notshe and Kolisi are all better. Burger's explosiveness is gone. But I think the variation he brings and his linking game is crucial and will be missed, not to mention the benefits of his experience in a hostile environment.
Agree with your comments about last year. To think this guy beat an incredibly debilitating disease and was dead on a table only a few years ago..... inspiring stuff.

We dont need a loosie playing the linking role......Schalk has been a non factor to date......if he is going to play 7 then he needs to impose himself physically, if he is going to play 8 he needs the physicality mixed with linking and open field running, gaining metres and beating a defender or two.
At the moment he being very unproductive. I am a firm believer in the fact that we have more young quality talent than we have ever had and we should be investing in the young talent moving forward. Meyer failed showing faith in the class of yesteryear......but Schalk was one of the old boys I was happy to see still involved as his form merited it......but right now, that is no longer the case.
The best 3 Stormers loosies have been selected this weekend, purely because they have more to offer and Schalks current form does not merit a starting spot. However the 3 selected to leave the trio unbalanced which could be a problem.

 The Jaguares home crowd are passionate but very polite. Really touching to see them applaud the Chiefs waving to the crowd after their Teams loss.