STORMERS coach Allister Coetzee says that his team are “just starting on Polly Shortts” on their marathon journey to the Super 14 title, and that the Bulls are still the leaders of the race.
Coetzee praised his team’s character after they were able to beat the Cheetahs 21-8 at Newlands on Saturday despite some major disruptions.
They retained second spot on the log with 23 points after six matches, just behind the Bulls, who are on 24 and unbeaten after five matches.
The Stormers are aiming for their first semi-final since 2004. “We are just starting on Polly Shortts! We are running from Durban to Pietermaritzburg! We are not the pace-setters,” Coetzee said after the Cheetahs clash.
“The Bulls are in that position, with five out of five and a match in hand. They are playing good rugby, but it is pleasing to see us piggybacking and we are there. That’s a good position to be in.”
The Stormers started the day on a bad note when flyhalf Peter Grant was ruled out just before kickoff after injuring his quad during the warm-up, which meant that Willem de Waal had to start, and then fullback Joe Pietersen didn’t come out after halftime due to a hip problem.
In addition, Coetzee had lost centre Juan de Jongh earlier in the week and made a big call in picking rookie Tim Whitehead. “With the quad strain that Bashie (Grant) experienced during the warm-up, and that he eventually had to sit out this match, was a huge, huge disruption initially.
“But this side has really grown. The Stormers team have great character. Willem (de Waal) just slotted in and to pull off a win against a hell of a physical side in the Cheetahs was no mean feat.
“It was a match of Test quality in terms of the physicality and I am very proud of the team with what we achieved. The win is the biggest positive with all those adversities we had to go through. One mustn’t take anything away from the win.
“This was a team (the Cheetahs) that competed well in the scrums, lineouts; their tight phases were excellent. But our defence was outstanding. Their try that they scored was just the bounce of the ball.”
Grant’s absence meant that the Stormers backline stuttered throughout, with only the centre pair of Jaque Fourie and Whitehead having good games.
Fourie was outstanding and put in several strong runs, while his work on defence was of its usual high standard, while Whitehead had more of an influence on the game as it wore on after a quiet start. The UCT youngster displayed quality distribution skills and also attacked the advantage line.
The Stormers appeared to play “around” De Waal instead of him being the orchestrator of play like Grant usually is, but Coetzee said that he didn’t adapt the team tactics as a result of the last-minute selection change.
“I don’t think that we needed to change our gameplan. Willem is obviously a different 10 to Bash, but because the players believe so much in the system, and the way we play off 10, I think Willem did a good job,” he said.
“Willem had lots of other things to think about. To get the attack right, to get his depth right, to know what the moves are and get that going. The last thing he needed on his plate was the kicking, so that’s also why he didn’t kick to goal.”
The pack took charge in the face of a fierce onslaught from the Cheetahs’ hard men such as captain Juan Smith, Hendro Scholtz and Adriaan Strauss. The likes of Andries Bekker, Tiaan Liebenberg, captain Schalk Burger and Duane Vermeulen slugged it out and gave their team great momentum. Bekker was again terrific, while Burger produced his best performance of the season.
The Stormers countered the Cheetahs’ kicking tactics and tried to keep the ball alive through offloads in the tackle, but just when they came close to scoring, they would lose the ball in contact or make a poor pass.
“You saw how many times we ran back the Cheetahs’ bad kicks. We have systems that we stay in, but you have to punish them for their bad kicks, and we did that. We got that right as a team,” Coetzee said.
“We are creating those attacking opportunities, and we know that there were many other opportunities that should’ve been taken.
“So, if you must look at what we were faced with at the beginning of this game, then I take this win, and five out of six any day. I would’ve said ‘Yes, great, thank you’.”
Burger said that the ball retention problems were frustrating. “It was frustrating with all the knock-ons, but we were putting them down in their half and under pressure.
“Their defence was really disruptive. They were spoiling well,” he said. “They were in-between the offloads, and we probably forced one or two offloads we shouldn’t have.
“But I think that there was good endeavour from our side. Maybe a little bit more patience on the ball and one or two more phases and then we would’ve scored a couple of more tries.”
By Ashfak Mohamed
BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLSSSS !!!!!
Dag GBS, kon jy toe daai insident kry waar Fourie se knieg Viljoen se kakebeen gebreek het?
Are they running form PMB to DBN or from DBN to PMB? I will then have a better idea where Allister think they are on the S14 marathon.
3
The Stormers are aiming for their first semi-final since 2004. “We are just starting on Polly Shortts! We are running from Durban to Pietermaritzburg! We are not the pace-setters,” Coetzee said after the Cheetahs clash.
Jy moet mooi lees ou maat
@ 4 Superbul. Dis juis die ding. Ek lees mooi maar ek verstaan nie so lekker vir Allister nie. Polly Shortts is in Ashburton (‘n voorstad van PMB). So as hy die vergelyking gebruik beteken dit dat hulle amper daar is, net een stywe opdraend en dan het ons ‘n home semi. Daar is meer as een “Polly Shortts” wat hulle nog moet wen.
Ooo Ok ek weer die klok hoor lui en weet nie waar die bell hang nie.
Hey All,
Well it must be said first and foremost, that I am a Cheetah supporter, and as dissapointed as I am that the Cheeatahs lost I am more excited at the fact that the top 2 spots are still held by our 2 top sides… Bulls and Stormers! I can only sit here and congratulate the Stormers. I unfortunately didn’t actually ge to watch the game for various different reasons, but from what I was told, the Stormers just strangled the Cheetahs and stopped them from playing any sort of normal rugby, and for that I take my hat off to the Stormers! Well done.
I am however very excited for the next few weeks in the competition, with the Stormers on the road and the Bulls going on the road, I do feel that these 2 can keep it up it is going to be a full SA final… if they can keep it up. Now I really do hate to be skeptical, but or records on the road aren’t the best? I have a niggling feeling in the back of my mind that the Stormers are going to be counting bonus points to get to the semis… I really hope I am wrong and the niggling goes away, but it is there and I needed to say it! I will still sit and support the South African teams to the last… even the Lions!!
As for the Sharks, at last they win a game, but lets not put them at the bottom of the log or right them off, yeah sure, a semi final shot is long gone, but to get there name back is what they need right now! They have won one game and lost 5 and they have 8 points! The Cheetahs have won 2 and lost 3 and sit on 9 points? Are the Sharks doinf that badly for the number of losses, four losing bonus points is not great, but it is better than no points… ask the Western Force!! The sharks are still a good side and can still bring themselves back up to scratch, I have faith in them and feel they can do it!
As for the Lions, I am afraid I have no hope, I am not even betting on them beating the Highlanders this weekend. I am afraid that not even Dick could get a winning combination working with the ‘talent’ they have. Which is quite scary come to think that they are the Union/franchise that should be quite wealthy being in Jo’burg. I feel that they will stay defeated throughout the tournament, and end last.
Last but not least there are the Cheetahs, I do feel that as soon as we can get Naka off the head coach and bring in some good new blood like Dries van de Waal or Jaco Swanepoel (Dries is head coach at Grey and Free State Craven week and Jaco is the Shimlas coach and ex Grey College coach) I think we may then get more diversity in the type of rugby we play and we will end up with a great team. I feel the Cheetahs have the potential to pull off the most phenominal wins and at the same time the most disappointing defeats (this weekend was neither), the potential is there, and now we need to coach who can take that potential and make it into something real!! The Cheetahs can still do well and end in the top half of the log this season, if they keep there heads and play the rugby they know they can play.
I look forward to the rest of the Super 14 and feel that the South African Teams may still have something to show, and think they will.
Chat soon
Major
Wonder if i should go offer them some water as they go through Polly Shorts, …………… NAYYYYYYYYYYY they would most proberly want good quality red wine. LOL. Seeing as i cant tell the difference i am not the right person for the job.
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