Don’t expect too much from Stormers

The Stormers' cause has not been helped by the injury to Jean de Villiers in the November Test in Cardiff.

The Stormers' cause has not been helped by the injury to Jean de Villiers in the November Test in Cardiff.

Published Feb 8, 2015

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At the risk of indignation from Pretoria and Cape Town, the money has to be on the South African Super Rugby Conference in 2015 finishing in this order: Sharks, Bulls, Stormers, Lions, Cheetahs, although the under-performing Stormers might shock us and do something special now that they are to part ways with coach Allister Coetzee.

Since 2008, the latter has overseen a Western Province/ Stormers team that has underperformed given the firepower at their disposal, and for years now they have not grown their game beyond their exceptional defence.

Last year’s Currie Cup title is insufficient reward for the talented Cape team under Coetzee, who leaves for a job in Japan after this year’s Super Rugby competition.

The Bulls are likely to be the Sharks’ biggest rival to top the local Conference.

 

The Bulls are yet to recover from two major player exodus-es (in 2011 and 2013) following their golden era when they won the title three years in a row under now Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer and captain Victor Matfield.

Matfield last year made a comeback from two years of retirement.

The Bulls have been boosted by three Cheetahs forwards – hooker Adriaan Strauss, flanker Lappies Labuschagne and prop Trevor Nyakane. They will also have two Bok loose forwards back from long-term injury in No 8 Pierre Spies and flank Arno Botha.

 

This time last year, the Stormers were tipped to rival the Sharks, but finished 11th. For the second year in a row they scored just 30 tries and their total of 290 points was the lowest in the competition.

The Stormers’ cause has not been helped by the injury to captain Jean de Villiers in last November’s Test in Cardiff. Their squad is unchanged and it will be up to Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen to inspire them.

 

The Lions were a success story in a generally bleak 2014 for South African franchises, and their seven wins was their best return in Super Rugby since their alliance with the Cheetahs in the Cats franchise dissolved in 2006.

Coach Johan Ackermann has pulled elements together and had the Lions playing good rugby.

The Lions will impress with their willingness to attack and their running game is reflected in the inclusion of five Sevens Boks in their squad: Sampie Mastriet, Courtnall Skoksan, Lionel Mapoe, Warren Whiteley and Mark Richards.

The Cheetahs’ bubble burst in 2014 after their best season in 2013 when they won 10 matches and qualified for the play-offs. Last year they got “too big for their boots” and attempted an attack-at-all-costs brand of rugby that resulted in them leaking an average of 33 points and 3.7 tries per game.

 

Coach Naka Drotske will have learned from this folly and will temper his team’s “gung ho” approach, while never fully ditching the Cheetahs’ willingness to play positive rugby.

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