The peoblemx with the Stormers

Even though the Stormers won the game there are some problems and that needs to e solved.  
The first problem to be solved is  Etzebeth.   Either he is stupid or he somebody must tell him to grow up.   Why he should shove and push players off the ball only he would know.    A yellow card will soon be followed by a red which is totally inexcusable.   Another observation - the scrum was more solid when he was  off the field and Van Dyk moving into the lock position then with him as lock.  Is he contributing to scrumming or is he not?
The second problem is the loosies.   Carr is more of a liability than he is an asset.   I think the combination should be Elstadt at 7,  Van Dyk at 8 and Kolisi  at 6  or a combination of those three players.   Even though Van Dyk is still very young he has shown positive signs in the games he played in thus far.   Physically adequate he is a hard worker and really a promising prospect.
I like Kolbe as a player - but he is a liability in defense.   The reason is he is physically seriously too small to play against the much stronger opponents he has to contend with.
There was one positive sign and that was De Allende when he came on from the bench tonight.   The way he pushed back SBW when the latter tried to tackle him was impressive and in the short while he played he made a major positive contribution in two cases which resulted in points for the Stormers.   
Then it is clear that Leyds is no flyhalf - the idea to play him in that position is lunacy of the worst order and should not be repeated.   They should rather have picked a real flyhalf and not a dud in that position.     

 Maaik, Eben is fine. Had a brain fart tonight, but he was provoked from the start. SBW was lucky not to be in trouble as well for that scrap. Agreed on Carr. On Leyds, he was the last 10 standing. Duvenhage was probably next in line. Lots of problems ahead for the Stormers, but tonight I'm just enjoying the win.

 Mike I dunno if you heard after the game when De Villiers claimed that Eb en had his best game of the season. I dunno, but apart from a few standard tackles I didn't see Eben doing anything other than get sent off. PSDT outshone him yet again. Surprise surprise.
De Villiers the golden boy who was always destined for tv doing his buddy Eben a solid. 
Now, let's see how Mostert plays tomorrow. You know, that guy who never gets involved in the stupid stuff yet makes more tackles and gets to more rucks than Eben every single week. It starts to border on ridiculous.

 Plum, Eben did some stupid, but he he would have been MOM, if not for the Y. PSDT and Eben plays different games. Eben is more reserved when captain. He should skip WP.

Eben Etzebeth is a candidate for the most overrated and overhyped donkey I've ever seen on a rugby field.
To call him an average player is an insult to average players. If you compare the massive hype around this lumbering plodder with his actual performances it's nothing short of a joke.
His general play was typically ineffective this evening and his tough-guy posturing was just plain embarrassing. His yellow card would have lost the Stompies that game if it wasn't for the home-town ref.

 Ja, ja Rooi, we get that you despise Eben...is it because of the silly snor? No, you disliked him before that?

 Maaik, the scrum wasn't more solid because Eben was off, it was because Frans was replaced. I like Frans, but he is weak in the scrums.

What a load of bollocks. SBW ran once at Allende and ran right over him. Allende ran at SBW and given he was running and SBW was stationary he pushed him back a metre and then did a ground dive, which was clearly a double movement. ... As for Etzebeth vs Stephanie......Etzebeth made 8 tackles at 90% success, Stephanie 10 tackles at 80%. Etzebeth made 10 metres in 6 carries, Stephanie who was dominated throughout made 5 metres in 12 carries. Etzebeth made a lineout steal, Stephanie as usual made none. ... Funny what people see ....fortunately the numbers tell the story.

As for the scrum it improved massively the moment Malherbe was replaced by Wilco Louw......oh and by the way Tokkie how's this for EB Viljoen, the man you picked for Bok 13.....4 carries/1 metre made.....2 tackles made/ 2 tackles missed. Is that guy hopeless or what?

 SBW won that round by unanimous decision. 
So much of the stormers defensive woes is technique. Tacklers are planting and then reaching or waiting to make a hug tackle when attacker is alongside allowing them gainline adventage. 
I can't see Senatla performing even close to his 7s performance with this team, possibly at all in 15s.
Leyds at flyhalf and Treeby at 12 was silly, half the time Leyds wasn't the person defending his channel so there was no communication or lead in defence. Players were shooting out here and there willy nilly creating dog legs.
Less said about SP Marais the better.

 Mozart
I expect this to happen and as per normal your comments are in the BS category   How far did SBW go back in the case preceding the Notshe try?   One meter is utter BS.
In any event you cannot read or fail to understand anything.  I did not say De Allende was better than SBW.   I said there are positive signs pertaining to De Allende and that would be an improvement in the Stormers backline referring to the incident which  you falsified as well as the off- load of the ball to Kolbe which ended up deep in the Blues 22. 
What about the Etzebeth yellow card - and the fact that in his absence the Blues scored two tries.   What about the fact that the scrumming was actually better when Etzebeth was off the field than when he was present.   What I said was not BS - but facts - whether you like it or not.      

 Mozart
I expect this to happen and as per normal your comments are in the BS category   How far did SBW go back in the case preceding the Notshe try?   One meter is utter BS.
In any event you cannot read or fail to understand anything.  I did not say De Allende was better than SBW.   I said there are positive signs pertaining to De Allende and that would be an improvement in the Stormers backline referring to the incident which  you falsified as well as the off- load of the ball to Kolbe which ended up deep in the Blues 22. 
What about the Etzebeth yellow card - and the fact that in his absence the Blues scored two tries.   What about the fact that the scrumming was actually better when Etzebeth was off the field than when he was present.   What I said was not BS - but facts - whether you like it or not.      

No need to argue Mike, just read the numbers....Allende still can't tackle, and his best attribute is still tractoring. Nothing has changed. ... By the way, are you still 100% convinced Malherbe can scrum?

 Yes Malherbe can - but somebody is amiss in the lock situation and I gave you proof of that.
By the way I am perfectly happy if the "tractoring"  of De Allende caused the Stormers to win the match - which Etzebeth sold down the river.    

I can see a peoblemx with your logic.....Wilco was great with Etzebeth behind him, Malherbe was belly flopping in every scrum. ... As Rugby 365 said in their match report: . 'At this stage, the Blues looked rattled and Etzebeth, perhaps in atonement, was at his aggressive best.'

  Wilco was up against the Blues second stringers  and Etzebeth was obviously not making any contribution in the scrums because the scrumming in the ten minutes he was off was even better than when he was on.    So what was his contribution in scrumming generally?      

  Wilco was up against the Blues second stringers  and Etzebeth was obviously not making any contribution in the scrums because the scrumming in the ten minutes he was off was even better than when he was on.    So what was his contribution in scrumming generally?      

Actually he was off for 5 minutes. But there were 2 scrums after that which the Stormers dominated.....the first against a seven man scrum because of the red card you have forgotten, the second against a full 8. Of course, they also dominated in the scrums before Etzebeth went off, notably at minute 68....but because it was a Bloos' feed they went for a quick heel, which negated the fact that they were beginning to crack. In the other two scrums after Eben left it was a Stormers' feed and they kept the ball in the scrum, thus completing the dominance. ... Scrumming 101....read and learn.

 The best way to learn is by using facts and not manufactured ones.  
First of all the scrums was solid and even better when Etzebeth went off for 10 minutes and the flank forward (Van Dyk) moved into the lock position.   That raises serious alarm bells to my mind.
Normally in cases where the forwards lose players in that manner the scrums are the first indicator of suffering going backwards -  in this case it did not happen.   Why?  


  

 Moz, when a player rated as highly as we rate Eben, has a totally normal performance but it's called his "game of the season" then we need to be concerned. I agree with Rooi and think Eben is overrated.
He is walking around at 120kg. It's simply not possible to play 80 minutes when you're that size. You can build your body but your heart remains the same size and there is a limit to the amount of blood/oxygen it can supply.

 Another observation - the scrum was more solid when he was  off the field and Van Dyk moving into the lock position then with him as lock.  Is he contributing to scrumming or is he not?The most stupid comment I have seen in years authored by ou maaaaaikie.The Stormers 7 could held up to the Hurricanes eight. That was well done.However when Wilco came on they dominated. Eben, apart from one LITTLE shove while the girls found a bit too aggressive for them, had an outstanding game as the commentators noted .Eben is a powerhouse, Great scrummager, great in the lineouts and a force of nature all over the park. World best lock by some distance.

Plum I'm afraid your theory of small mobile locks was nowhere in evidence in the 6 Nations.....nor will it be in the Rugby Championship.

 Eben is our best player. Stormers got bullied by the Lions a week after facing the Cheeefs. Lions did well against NZ opposition last year, but the fact that ain't playing NZ sides this year will cost them in the play offs. Test rugby is even more demanding and light weight locks doesn't cut it in the test arena. Mayfield was the last small test lock, but it cost the Boks in the long run. We had to play big loosies...and ...whatever.... look I'm tired after a hard 6 day week at work. Lions is our best current SA side, but that side needs significant improvements in quite a few positions to have a chance in test rugby. Maak die Leeuwe almal Bokke will be an even bigger disater than 2016, no matter who the coach is.

 I never said that Etzebeth should not be selected at lock - would still prefer him.   However, what I said is evident - he must clear up his act.  The off-the-ball incidents is evident in each game involving him and is childish.   If he thinks that is necessary he must be told clearly to stick to rugby and forget about that kind of childishness equitable to a school playground  bully.  It nearly cost the Stormers the game yesterday.  
I also raised the issue of scrumming because Mozart always refer to the scrumming being poor because of Du Toit,   If there is a problem and indeed there is one in the case of the Stormers - then I am afraid Etzebeth is part of the problem.     

What problem was it that you spotted with the Stormers scrum other than the usual Malherbe flat on his face submarining, I'm curious?

The scrumming was not bad - but not as bad as you make it out to be - especially not in the 10 minutes Etzebeth was off due to his yellow-carding.   The submarining you mention is not realistic and is in fact untrue,   If it was it would have let to frequent penalties  - which was not the case .    

 
The sport of rugby as a whole is beyond your understanding, Comrade ... soooooooooooooo why are you giving us your thoughts on it?

It's like asking a chimpanzee to explain cold fusion to us.

Please ... just be quiet.