Stormers need serious change

So the Stormers are not having the all conquering season that I predicted, I think I should stop predicting results, I seem to be pretty bad at it. So what went wrong from winning the conference trophy 2 years in a row to languishing in 11^th place? I read an article a while ago saying that the Currie Cup is a poisoned chalice, I thought that was a load of rubbish. How can a team go from winning the provincial tournament to losing outright? Well I was wrong again, they might have been over confident and it’s come back to bite them. Their play has been extremely flat and boring; their games have been the most boring games this year, even worse than the Highlanders who have won I think one game. At least they play with some flair and excitement. Where are the days of old where Bekker would be screaming down the touchline or where the fly half and Aplon would link up to carve through the defense?

That brings me to my next point, the fly half. Elton Jantjies is for what ever reason playing really poorly, I don’t even want to get into why, he’s just not up to scratch and I’m hoping he doesn’t make the Bok team cause he doesn’t deserve it. That would then bring us to Gary van Aswegen who in my mind is a Vodacom cup player at best. He should not even be in the squad as he is very ordinary with no flair what so ever. The fly half should be the pivot in the game and control all aspects of play. With him you get surprised when the commentator mentions his name cause he’s almost invisible.

Peter grant who is injured unfortunately was like having a third centre, he would carry the ball up, crossing the advantage line very often. His delivery to the back line ignited the exciting players outside him and he always gave go forward ball. Not this passing deep which they have been doing this season. He is the missing link and it is very apparent. Its not like we have a host of new players or something, we have some of the best backs in the world but missing that spark to ignite them.

So Jantjies will be going back to the Lions at the end of the Super Rugby season and Grant will most likely be going back to Japan. Which leaves us with what? Gary van Aswegen, so what exactly do the coaches think will change? The stupidest thing I have possibly ever seen was when the coach let Demitri Catrakilis go. He dominates the Currie Cup final and out plays Springbok incumbent Pat Lambie and yet still gets let go. That doesn’t make sense to me at all; you just have to look at how he is playing at the Kings. He is still dominating there with not even half as good players as you would find at the Stormers.

Well we cant change the past now can we, but all I can say is that Allister Coetzee will kick himself when and if he realizes he gave away the next Springbok fly half, in my opinion of course. All I know is that the Stormers need drastic change and fast otherwise they will just sink back into that, “have so much potential but don’t use it” team they were a few years ago.

injured players?

I know I’ve written a post about this before but I still can’t get how it’s possible. The amount of rugby players getting injured in this year’s Super Rugby competition is insane. The Sharks have lost something like 15 players due to injury. It’s as if every game someone gets injured and its not just little things like bumps and bruises.

 

These are serious injuries that lead to weeks if not months on the sideline for these players, some of whom are star players. It is ruining the game severely as you will hardly ever have a full strength national team with players constantly out injured. The only plus side is that players are getting a chance who would normally never have had the opportunity.

 

At first I thought it was the amount of rugby these players played as the season is extremely long and hard. It would be rational to think this as the season does take its toll. Could there however be another explanation?

 

Typical rugby players work out in the gym and at practice almost daily so they’re in excellent shape and very fit. So how do they continue to get injured? I believe it could be the supplements the players are taking.

 

Supplements such are common place in sport these days and they could be having a detrimental effect. A substance known as creatine boosts muscle strength and growth, out growing the bones though, leaving them weaker. Now I might not be a doctor but if you pile a bunch of heavy things on a thin plank it’s going to break.

 

What is the difference with big muscles built around normal size bones and joints? I may be wrong as I could not find any evidence to prove my theory as yet but speaking to a friend who is a physio, she agrees that supplements could be a factor in players getting injured.