The Stormers heroic defense...

...is being lauded. Rightly so. But I don't see the obvious question being asked - why was such a heroic defense necessary?

"Because it was Leinster" is not the complete answer. Leinster struggled, and again, kudos to the Stormers for getting into them.

No, the heroic defense exposes a sickness in the Stormers game which becomes clearer when you look at the stats. A measly 34% possession for the Stormers. 218 tackles Stormers vs 90 Leinster. With only half the possession of Leinster, the Stormers kicked the same number of times as the Irish side.

That's why you have to mount a heroic defense. Because you are being constantly run at. Why? Because you keep handing over your possession cheaply, which the Stormers did without question. Khan's little box pops were terrible. The cross kicks to a guy well covered just an absolutely naff strategy, devoid of any tactical appreciation. A fashion thing.

It's the kind of plan that will keep you close and in it when you have a competent defense. See the Boks, they've been doing it for years.

But what the Boks have and the Stormers lack is the counter strike force. You can smother and smother, but you also have to outscore if you want to win. And the more pressure you're under, the more likely you are to bleed cards.

The Stormers smothered, but they got stuck in the smothering, playing like a team defending a lead, not chasing a lead. In the end 11 points was not enough to beat Leinster, and somehow the Stormers didn't seem to be looking for more. Maybe they were waiting for the 78th minute kickable penalty to occur as if by magic, if they smother enough.

You need a better plan, boys. The scoreboard is where you win it, not the tackle count.

Good post, Paks.

It's deeper than just the Stormers. It's like our SA teams have holes in their pockets when it comes to possession. We seem generally content to give the ball away and let the opposition run at us.

How many times have we watched the European teams hold onto possession for 5 and 10 minutes spells. Cycling through phases, punching, securing ball, resetting and launching a new series of attacks. What do they have that we don't?

I'm starting to think it may not be the coaching that is the problem. It's just a suspicion and probably wrong, but I'm getting the impression lately that the forwards dominate our sides. Almost of a case of "We is va big boys and we matter more."

We are very forward focused, and that's probably why we can grind down and beat, or run close, sides like Glasgow and Leinster. But the players also seem to lack patience. So often we see the little grubber or a dab over the top the moment options seem to have run out, instead of setting up another phase. Those little kicks rarely turn into anything and more often than not just give away momentum and possession. Think of Moodie's kick on Saturday when the Bulls were rumbling. You have the ball, you have momentum, the defense is on the back foot, and then you turn it into a 50/50 ball just because you have no immediate pass option. It happens way too often in our sides.

Good points gents,

A few thoughts.

We do rely on our forward to win the game for us. A case of beat them to a pulp and then let the backs run riot in the last 15 to win the game. The problem with this type of game plan is the attrition put on our forwards having to win ruck after ruck while still conserving energy for the scrum and maul to put us in scoring areas.

The most dangerous time for a team is in the case of a turnover and transition from attack to defence, this we can all agree on and so we have to try limit this from happening. Most turnovers happen in the tramlines, ruck edge defence and when a player is isolated after a line break. We have to ensure we retain possession here. Also after 4 to 5 phases the chances of coughing up the ball through a handling error go up dramatically. Remember that turn over ball is the most dangerous.

If we want to play wide wide were going to need to stress the forwards to hit rucks further and further out while still expecting them to keep coming around the corner to carry. Once we hit an edge we go back the other way, say with the backs. One carrier probably a 12 with 13 and wing cleaning . Now you're left with only 2 outside backs for the next phase unless your forwards have flogged themselves to become a pod or carry option outside 10. All this has to happen faster than the defence on the other team can re-align or you're just going backwards.

"But the players also seem to lack patience. So often we see the little grubber or a dab over the top the moment options seem to have run out, instead of setting up another phase. Those little kicks rarely turn into anything and more often than not just give away momentum and possession. Think of Moodie's kick on Saturday when the Bulls were rumbling. You have the ball, you have momentum, the defense is on the back foot, and then you turn it into a 50/50 ball just because you have no immediate pass option. It happens way too often in our sides. "

It's weighing up the options of the 50/50 or turnover. Possession turnover on your terms so to speak, is in many cases the better option. I can't find any replays of that moment yet but off the top of my head I think Moodie only had one person outside him with about 3 or 4 defenders in front with cover behind coming across. This is after like you say the bulls were rumbling and the forwards have been expelling puff at a rate. A knock on or poach there and Glasgow are away.

Pollard had a shocker on Saturday, so hopefully that's his one and done for the season. Eleven points left out there and less pressure on the boys. There's a big difference in how you play when you're 1 point ahead as apposed to 12 points.

Just on Moodie though, no matter how much I would like to see him at 13 for the Boks, he's getting his defensive reads all wrong and his hands are letting him down. He still plays like a wing.

Hopefully my rambling makes some sense.

PS,

I'm not sure your two's influence is a good thing for Holly. Her mind seemed elsewhere on Saturday.

Thanks for the insights, X, makes absolute sense. It's a pity we don't have easier access to game footage afterwards so we can review something like the Moodie example. The players of course have a better view of what's going on, the zoom angle from across the field that we get as TV viewers can be very deceptive as it gives a compressed perception of space. But I hear you on the possibility of turnovers and how much ground needs to be covered to secure the breakdown after a few phases this way and that. It does sometimes feel like those little kicks are arbitrary, but in the heat of the game we tend to follow the ball and not look at the wider situation, where a lack of support or protection may prompt it. Worth keeping in mind, cheers.

Yeah Moodie has been off the boil for me. Gans looked more comfortable in the position when he was on, and that last dominant tackle on Hastings to seal the game was sublime.

As for Hollie, she is pining. We're not answering her calls. The Justice for Mahashe campaign is still in full swing.

Haha yes, keep her hanging.

There's a fella on YouTube, Yank lad named Jacob Goeppner better known as RugbyExpo who has travelled the world playing for various amateur teams on matchdays. Not a bad player at all. He plays with a go pro camera of some sorts and so you get his view from different positions he plays. Some days he's at 15 or 13, others he'll pop up at 10 or on the wing. Worth a watch and follow,

Anyways, I wish they would have something like that for professional rugby, They've experimented with players being mic'd up and the Referee having his chest cam which is a great addition. But to be able to see Manie look up and see the oppo winger being pulled into the line and then see him put the cross in would be amazing . That no looker against Scotland 2023 case in point. Absolute cinema.

Nice post, Xavi.

Points well taken.

Where I do think it needs to land is on being balanced. The Stormers barely had a single backline move this weekend. Over 80 minutes! I can't excuse that.

Understandably, one can't continually shift the ball from end to end unless you build your entire setup around it and accept that you will be engaging in a high-scoring game where you hope you land more shots while also eating a good few.

But you can't have a situation where you barely let the ball run down the backline and attempt a set play even once over an entire 80 minutes.

I do love me a boxing analogy - constantly chucking power crosses is for sure gonna knacker you out no matter how fit you are. But being a jab queen for 12 rounds is gonna make you predictable and beatable because you are taking the possibility of knocking the opponent out off of the table. If you remove the threat of the knockout, you simplify your opponent's game plan massively too, because he knows that he simply has to defend one type of attack for most of the fight. And then it makes it easier for him to plan counters, because he knows what's coming.

Not sure what you guys think, but for me the most effective way to play is keep all the options open, even if you lean more heavily to one option, as long as all options are there and you bring them out from time to time and create the doubt.

Take the Bulls game in the quarters. They opened the game with a few nice set moves by the backline. Slick and quick. The memory of that will have stuck in Munster's minds for at least the remainder of the first half.

Also. Hollie defos had wors swaai eyes on the weekend. But I'm sure Pakie has broken ranks and been texting her skelem.

I've checked some of those POV videos of his in the past Xavi, good stuff. To have a camera like that on a pro player's head so you can see what he's checking and seeing will be sweet. Hearing the chatter and the comms is also cool.

Where I do think it needs to land is on being balanced. The Stormers barely had a single backline move this weekend. Over 80 minutes! I can't excuse that.

Yeah they didn't look much like scoring outside of the try in the 28th and then Khan's little breakaway (which actually underlines Xavi's caution of turnovers). I can't even remember them getting much time in the oppo 22, but I might be wrong. Very little attacking structure. I remember at one point when they were just standing there tossing passes from one standing dude to the next in the backline. Brought up visions of the Sharks at their worst this season.

But I'm sure Pakie has broken ranks and been texting her skelem.

Hey gaan kak jy, my phone's been out of airtime since last week and the wifi fell into the dishwater so I'm innnocent. I think it's that cross-eyed hunchback Stav giving her the old spotted dick, to put it in a non-offensive food analogy that the folks over there will understand and surely make them appreciate me as a man with his finger on the pulse of foreign culture. He was waxing lyrical about how friendly the Scots were after the Connacht game the other day in what frankly can only be described as a highly suspicious way, and that's enough proof for any sensible person that it can't possibly be anyone else casting the dark influence of his wors on Hollie.

The Stormers looked a lot better when they got their forwards to get over the gain line and kept Leinster on their heals until a stupid clear out by Ackerman but they should have started the game like this. Just beat them up front like the boks did for Ireland when the completely destroyed them up front. This was the game to do it.

The Stormers tried to play like the Boks. No structured ball in hand attack….just phase play waiting for the inevitable box kick.That sets up a series of 50/50 situations….and with great chasers like Moodie and our wingers, just one lucky bounce can turn the game.

That’s exactly what happened against France in the WC when the ball bounced to Dud Allende behind the French defense.

This style of attack can work, especially when you back it up with ruthless defenders.

On Saturday the Stormers midfield defense was completely at sea and our box kicks from Khan and others were poorly placed. It’s a miracle the Stormers were in the game until the Ackerman moronic charge.

But this style which has given us 2 WCs depends on the bounce of a rugby ball and the boot. And it’s frustrating to watch. Used as a variation it’s good to have in the tool box. But we would be so much better with a penetrating running game.

For that we need ball carriers who make meters….not just the fruitless bashing of the Duds. And we need the offload. Our forwards don’t have the in contact offload. We are miles behind in this department and Brown ball has made no progress. Sacha is what provided a bit of spark with his lightning decision making.

The Stormers simply demonstrated the bankrupt nature of our game when we can’t tick all the boxes (no pun intended).

So much good sense on this thread.

Yet, I dare you, go and listen to Dobbo's post-match press conference below. He thinks everything was fine apart from a few errors. And that kinda tells us all we need to know.

I warn you, don't read the comment section on that video unless you want to hurl because it's all about how classy and wonderful he is. Never mind the fact that the Stormers are regressing before our very eyes. Dobbo is a lovely man, and that's apparently all that matters.

"Hey gaan kak jy, my phone's been out of airtime since last week and the wifi fell into the dishwater so I'm innnocent. I think it's that cross-eyed hunchback Stav giving her the old spotted freckled dick, to put it in a non-offensive food analogy that the folks over there will understand and surely make them appreciate me as a man with his finger on the pulse of foreign culture. ..."

She will for sure sue us at some point.

""Hey gaan kak jy, my phone's been out of airtime since last week and the wifi fell into the dishwater so I'm innnocent. I think it's that cross-eyed hunchback Stav giving her the old spotted freckled dick, to put it in a non-offensive food analogy that the folks over there will understand and surely make them appreciate me as a man with his finger on the pulse of foreign culture. ..."

She will for sure sue us at some point."

I always figured her for a toad in the hole gal myself.

Don't try to outculture me Xavi, you philistine.

Good luck with that Pakie...

Pakie just feels bad because be broke the bro code and texted her.

These Pofadder chinas get lonely under the big desert sky.