ADFSL

News on the twitter side of the world is that all of Koster, Burger and Vermeulen is highly unlikely  to play in the S15 comp again this season.

With (strangely enough) only Duane having an outside chance of making the play-offs if the Stormers get there ofcoarse.

After Burgers injurie I was very surprised that they estimated only a four to six week lay-off. His injurie looked a lot like Vermeulens in 2011 and I thought it would be surgery and at least 4 – 6 months. (funny if they operated immediately he might have made the play-offs)

If Carr also injured and Canadian import Jebb not eligable to play in the play-offs the Stormers do have some problems.

Not least of which is this Saturdays game against the Lions where Elstedt have a suspension after the law caught up with his dirty tactics.

One positive note must be that the Stormers have some how managed to lift their game through injuries this season and as long as the impressive Kolisi is there we still have a chance.

cheers

ps. will Nick Fenton Wells still be available untill end of S15 or is he off already to Saracens?

I know there is still another test to go but the series is won and the focus will slowly start shifting toward the S15 again soon.

Jean was a revelation at 13 for the Boks. I don’t know if it was the captaincy (but then he is captain at the stormers too.) or the green and gold jersey but Jean really upt his game from S15 to test level.

His defence and distribution was excellent. In the S15 thus far I felt like he was good on defence but struggled to create a lot of chances. This maybe due to the fact that the Stormers as a team has not created mutch and that the defence of the S15 teams is a bit better that that of England.

That said I do feel that his current game is suited better to 13 than 12. I think there is less presure on him to create something for the outside backs the whole time and that free him to just play the game.

A lot of non Stormers fans have always complained that he does not distribute the ball well enough anymore and that he will not be a sucsess at 13 and that JP and Habana will never see any ball. BUT quite the contrary has happened his distribution to date has been very good and with Fransie on his inside taking most of the crashballs it has freed him up.

His bigest step up this season has been his defence. I do not think he was ever the worst defender but it sure wasn’t his strongest asset in recent years. But this year at the Stormers and now with the Boks.

The biggest problem is who to play 12? Juan de Jong can play 12 and was quite good there when he partnered Jacque and later Johan but he does have a distribution problem and can onle step of his left foot. Plus the recent trent in rugby is for your 12 to be like another 10.

Peter Grant has played 12 with sucsess before and is probably the best option. But then the Stormers does not have a 2nd FH that is good enough. Maybe they should start with young Pollard I mean he is 1.91 and round a 100kg’s. (LOL)

I somehow doubt if AC will cave in to HM. But with an eye on the 4N later this year it would be nice if Jean can specialize in one position.

What is your opinion Jean 12 or 13 for Stormers and if 13 who would you play 12???

cheers

A lot of people, me included, was dumd founded by some of HM squad selections.

The main reason being their is no real selection criteria visible for the fans to follow. Other than he went with plaeyrs he likes on a personal level.

I mean Kanko has hardly played rugby this year and has never really preformed in the Green and Gold.

Jano and JJ isn’t even regular starters for their franchise.

Willem, Zane and Elton has had very up and down seasons. Zane best matches was at altitude.

Potgieter was injured for 4 weeks.

Olivier has never preformed in the Green and Gold that said HM has never coach the Green and Gold.

So his criteria can’t be experience or Super Rugby form. One criteria that is apparant is that Size Does matter. The only exception being Kegan. Another criteria is that it looks like he will go with a kick and chase game plan. (hence Zana Bjorn ect.)

Well this is some of the reasons us fans our moaning a bit or are worried a bit.

BUT

Should HM listen to us?

The short answer is NO!! He has been given the task of coaching the boks and it is his beacon that is on the line if the Boks does not preform. He should be able to field the whole Bulls team if he feels like it. And as long as he can keep on winning we should not and will not complain.

We do have the right to question some of his less obvious decisions. And we can feel bad for players who deserve to be at the training camp in Durban but is sitting at home watching the Junior world cup.

I (and I suspect most bloggers) will judge HM on his results and results only.

I can’t wait for Saturday 5 pm!! Will be at a conference and will be watching it on a big screen with loads of beer.

(just hope I do not have to drink it to drown my sorrows. )

Cheers

Ps On a side note us Stormers fans should be happy their isn’t to many players in Bok squad. The S15 is still long and the players need the rest. I for one hope they use Etzebeth sparingly – only because he looks to be injured and playing with an injury. He is still young and playing with injuries now may hurt him in future.

People laughed at Pieter de Villiers when he said in 2010 and 2011 that the IRB and reff’s council had a conspiracy to ensure that the All Blacks win the 2011 RWC. BUT what happened first Bryce ousted the biggest threat by some one sided calls and then our own Graig Joubert was to afraid to penalize Nz in the dying minutes of the final. Low and behold Nz won by 1 point!!

So call me cynical but Heyneke is a cunning beast and hardly ever leave anything to chance. He is a true Blue Bull and as they say in P-Town: Sy Bloed Is Blou!!!

My theory (or Hypothesis) is three tier.

1.

 P-town is not the breeding ground for young talent it was in the 80′s. But this being the professional era it does not matter so much anymore. But how do you convince young talent from other unions to join the Bulls instead of their own unions where their friends and family lives?

You can offer them more money ofcoarse but that will not always do. Enter Meyer, WHAT if you can tell talented youngster we can only match the offer (or even pay a bit less) than your union BUT Meyer will ensure that you will be fast tracked into the Springbok setup. (ie JJ Engelbrecht)

This will ensure that any talented youngster will seriously consider rather to move to the Bulls than any other union if they have Springbok aspirations.

Thus ensuring that the Bulls remain a strong union with lots of depth and plenty of talented youngster.

2.

But what about players already signed to other unions? OR players not willing to go to the Bulls. Well by omitting them from the Springbok squad for long enough will ensure they get fustrated and will “force” them to rather look for contracts in Europe or Japan where there is a lot more money and way less traveling. (ie Ashley Johnson and WP Nel)

Thus ensuring that the Bulls main opposition lose a lot of their talented players and weakening them. 

3.

Well this is only the cherry on the cake. SARU’s new deal with players and unions state that the unions will recieve compensation for players lost to Springbok duty. A fair deal if you think that the unions must now contract new players to fill the void left by the players called up to the Springboks. BUT this also gives the union who “losses” the most players the most extra money.

Thus ensuring that the Bulls will have enough money to sign those talented youngsters who are “forced” to sign with them.

This might be a bit left field thinking but is it really that far fetched in a professional era where money and the ability to convinced young players to sign with your union is of the up most importance.

Heyneke Meyer has only got the interest of one team on his mind and unfortunately it is NOT the SPRINGBOKS.

Cheers

PS this article is a theory based on my personal opinions and does not contain any real or researched facts.

OK so the Bulls 4-0 tour downunder did not quite materialized. But both games was close and if they both were 5 min longer the Mighty Bulls would have won. That though is done and dusted.

The other half of my prediction will still come true in that the Mighty Bulls will end top of the SA log before the June brake.

This weekend The Mighty Bulls dressed to impress for a good cause will destroy the pathetic excuse of a Super Rugby team the depleted Snoremers manage to bring to the home of rugby Loftus!!!!

It is in the forward battle where the min in pink will crush the Snoremers. They willl show Heyneke and all you lot from the Cape that there is nothing wrong with Meyer’s theory that it would be best to make all the Bulls bokke. Dean Chilli and Werner will make the Snoremers scrum go backwards faster than Mvovo at full pace. Juandre will let everyone know that Andries injury is actually a blessing in disguise!! And old Flip will put the Snoremers bully Elstedt in his rightfull place …. next to the touchline!!

The best part of Saturdays game will ofcoarse be Wynand “the special one” Olivier’s battle with Jean “the over rated” de Villiers.

I say battle but this will be a manshaming of some sorts.  Even though I am a Bulls supporter and do not care about the Snoremers. I do feel sorry for old Jean, I mean he is still a human being and can only take so much and is it fair to Jean having to play against the worlds best 12?? No but then life isn’t fair!!!

Steyn will show just how far Grant is from being at his level of play. Hougaard will show that you Snoremers were sleeping when you failled to sign him. And Basson will show Aplon, vd Heever and Habana how to catch a high ball.

I predict a 20 – 30 point margin for the Bulls.

If you are a Snoremers fan the best thing you can do is to switch the TV over to the TrueStyleNetwork come 7:00 Pm on Saturday otherwise you run the risk of never recovering from the absolute trashing you will recieve before 9:00 Pm.

Totsiens ou groote!!