STORMERS 2011
Having been the bridesmaids in last year’s Super 14 final, the Stormers will be desperately keen to go one better in this season’s edition of Super Rugby and bring home the first piece of silverware in many years to Cape Town.
Last year’s second place was the best ever performance by a Stormers team in the history of the competition and coach Allister Coetzee must be thinking that his team could be on the brink of something great.
The Stormers are a settled unit this season, and the majority of the stalwarts who did duty in 2010 have stayed with the team to have another crack at the illusive Super Rugby trophy.
Last season the Stormers were the only South African side to beat all five of their opponents from New Zealand, with some aggressive running rugby paying dividends.
The investment in several promising starlets is evident in the wider training group this year, as the franchise has wisely scouted the strong rugby universities and schools in the province for talent.
Clever leadership and careful selection will prove crucial for the Stormers, with so many Springboks in the squad, it will be vital that the right combinations are used to get the most out of the big stars.
The Stormers do have a reputation for flattering their supporters with flashy play, only to deceive and deliver far less then than their lineup of superstars has promised.
Could this be the year that the Stormers finally end their trophy drought?
Strengths: On paper the Stormers have all the depth in talent a coach could possibly wish for and they can beat any side on a good day. They are a team that has grown accustomed to winning (albeit not in finals) and the star-studded backling is particularly potent when its in full flight.
Weakness: They will need to brush aside all the mental scarring of having been on the losing end of two major finals last year, which can play on the minds of even the most experienced players. The tight five have also fallen into the trap of playing too loose on occasion and leaving the team exposed at the breakdown, while clumsy handling by the forwards can ruin the expansive backline play this side is capable of executing.
Noteworthy acquisitions: The only major acquisition is that of Springbok prop CJ van der Linde, who will add some much needed bulk up front, where the Stormers have had their problems in the past. His ability to play at both tighthead and loosehead will also be of great value as the tournament roles on.
Noteworthy losses: The only noteworthy losses are those of veteran flyhalf Willem de Waal, who has moved to Italian club Treviso and fullback Joe Pietersen who has moved on to play in the French Top 14. The departure of these two back does leave the goal-kicking responsibilities firmly on the shoulders of Peter Grant.
Coach: Allister Coetzee has a calming influence on his chargers and his player management is second to none. There is also brilliant support for him in the form of senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus and his assistants Robbie Fleck and Matthew Proudfoot. Coetzee has used his experience of four years under Jake White with the Springboks to great effect and has become one of the leading coaches in South Africa.
Captain: Schalk Burger has been appointed captain for the second season running. The SA and IRB Player of the Year in 2004 like to lead by example and is more cerebral than may appear obvious and his astute reading of the game should not be underrated.
Potential bolters: Schoolboy sensation Nick Koster is a player back on the radar and has returned from injury to play at his favoured No.8, after the experiment with playing him on the wing was abandoned. Young flyhalf Gary van Aswegen is another player making big strides in his game and appears to be the current front runner to deputise for Peter Grant this season.
2010 Position: Runners-up
Best finish: Runners-up in 2010
Worst finish: 11th in 1996 (Super 12) and 11th in 2006 (Super 14)
Home Venue: Newlands, Cape Town (capacity 49 000)
2011 Prospects: You have to back them as potential conference winners. They reached two finals last year and could go one better this year.
Stormers squad (provisional): Gio Aplon, Andries Bekker, Wikus Blaauw, Paul Bosch, Marcel Brache, Schalk Burger, Lionel Cronje, Jean de Villiers, Juan de Jongh, Dewald Duvenhage, Rynard Elstadt, JJ Engelbrecht, Adriaan Fondse, Dean Fourie, Jaque Fourie, Peter Grant, Nic Groom, Bryan Habana, Brok Harris, Conrad Jantjes, Ricky Januarie, Steven Kitshoff, Siya Kolisi, Nick Koster, JC Kritzinger, Tiaan Liebenberg, Francois Louw, Pieter Louw, Francois Malherbe, Siyabonga Ntubeni, Danie Poolman, Quinn Roux, Johann Sadie, Louis Schreuder, D Steenkamp, Gary van Aswegen, CJ van der Linde, Willem van der Wal, Anton van Zyl, Duane Vermeulen, Elgar Watts, Tim Whitehead.
Schedule:
19 February: Bye
26 February: v Lions, home
5 March: v Cheetahs, home
11 March: v Highlanders, home
19 March: v Bulls, away
26 March: v Force, home
2 April: v Sharks, away
9 April: v Reds, home
16 April: v Lions, away
23 April: Bye
30 April: v Sharks, home
7 May: v Crusaders, home
14 May: v Chiefs, away
20 May: v Blues, away
28 May: v Brumbies, away
3 June: v Rebels, away
11 June: v Bulls, home
18 June: v Cheetahs, away
