­
  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER

SA Rugby magazine

South African rugby news, interviews, videos and more. Covering the Springboks, Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Cheetahs and Lions, as well as schools and club rugby.

Primary Menu Search
  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER
You are here: Home ∼ Stormers, Sharks channel RWC Boks

Stormers, Sharks channel RWC Boks

Herschel Jantjies on the run against the Hurricanes in 2020 Herschel Jantjies
Published on February 23, 2020

South Africa’s coastal sides have played with physicality, intelligence and composure in the early rounds of the Vodacom Super Rugby tournament, writes JON CARDINELLI.

The Stormers need to be more clinical on attack. The Sharks have to be more ruthless when they are 10 or more points up and a try-scoring bonus point is in the offing.

We can criticise South Africa’s top teams for the quality of their execution. What we cannot do, however, is argue with the numbers in the win column.

ALSO READ: Mapimpi double clinches big win for Sharks

The Stormers and Sharks must be doing something right. Both teams have favoured pragmatic gameplans in the initial rounds. Both sets of players have bought into a playing style that places an emphasis on forward dominance and offensive defence.

The Stormers beat the Jaguares 17-7 in challenging conditions on Saturday. The result extended the Cape side’s winning run to four matches and boosted them to the top of the overall log.

The Stormers physically outplayed the Hurricanes and the Vodacom Bulls in the initial rounds. They were pushed close by the Lions in Johannesburg, yet found a way to beat another South African opponent and end their long drought at Ellis Park.

On Saturday, the Stormers beat the 2019 South African conference champions. The wet weather was a levelller, but the Cape side stuck to its task to move five points clear at the top of the local standings.

ALSO READ: Stormers grind out win over Jaguares

Coach John Dobson has been encouraged by the fact that his team is not yet operating at full potential and has room for improvement and growth. They will need to improve, of course, before they travel to Australasia later in the tournament.

One cannot deny that they have made a statement – via their results – in the first four rounds, though. No team has conceded fewer points (37) or tries (five).

While the Sharks are mentioned in the same breath as the Stormers here, they have travelled a different path during the early stages of the 2020 tournament and have achieved somewhat different results.

The Sharks should be labelled as conference title contenders after scoring two wins in three overseas matches. If they beat the Reds next week they will return from their Australasia tour with a fantastic record.

With a successful tour behind them, they will be expected to strengthen their log position via a series of big wins in South Africa.

The Sharks of 2020 bear a striking resemblance to the Springboks of 2019. While some of the individual tackle completion stats don’t make for great reading, they have clearly gone out with the intent to use their defence as a weapon.

Their contestable kicking has been largely on point, as has the team’s chasing lines. Their transition from defence to attack has been outstanding and the finishing by Makazole Mapimpi, Aphelele Fassi and others has been encouraging.

ALSO READ: Blues compound Blues’ woes

The South African franchises, as well as the Boks, have been notoriously inconsistent in recent years. That has to change if a South African team is going to win the local conference, secure a home playoff, and ultimately threaten the Crusaders’ hold on the overall title.

We will know more about the quality of these teams once they have battled the Crusaders and other top Kiwi sides like the Chiefs. The Stormers, of course, will have everything to prove when they tour New Zealand.

But going by what we’ve seen in the first four rounds, there are plenty of reasons to believe that the top South African sides will fare better in 2020 and that they will challenge New Zealand’s dominance.

Photo: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix

Posted in Jon Cardinelli, Top headlines Tagged Bulls, sharks, Stormers, Super Rugby

Post by Jon Cardinelli

Jon Cardinelli

Check out Blackout Rugby Manager HERE!

← Previous Next →

Sevens’ party falls flat

World Rugby shouldn’t have messed with a winning sevens formula, writes SIMON...

Draining format clogs Blitzboks’ blockage

A protracted schedule took the wind out of South Africa's sails at...

England cut Eddie, Razor to stop the bleeding

England have made the rash decision to part ways with coach Eddie...

Rassie ref hom in die rooi

Rassie Erasmus is hardly the embarrassment that some are making him out...

Cut and paste Kurt-Lee for Kolbe

Kurt-Lee Arendse ticks all the right boxes to replace the injured Cheslin...

Rassie auditions for England job

Rassie Erasmus has made the most calculated of public job applications to...

Boks need to make mentality adjustment

The Springboks need to lose their underdog mentality, writes SIMNIKIWE XABANISA in...

Kolbe’s worth every penny

Cheslin Kolbe’s big-money move to Toulon should be welcomed as a massive...

‘Bok gameplan, when executed correctly, is hard to match’

The opportunity to play against the All Blacks is a career highlight...

Five key areas the Boks need to dominate for first victory

SA Rugby magazine highlights five crucial areas the Boks will need to...

Top six: Best and worst foreign imports

SARugbymag.co.za identifies six of the best and worst foreign players to play...

Column: When context is needed

As highlighted by the Argentina controversy, ‘cancel culture’ needs a spoonful of...

Dark cloud hangs over WP Rugby

The problems at Western Province Rugby are layered, and everyone involved needs...

From the mag: Foreign Favourites

As Vodacom Super Rugby turned 25 this year, JON CARDINELLI picks an...

Bulls rookies to watch

After a massive exodus of players the Vodacom Bulls will be eager...

Analysis: The new suffocate-and-strangle game

For the Boks to emerge as World Cup winners, they need to...

VIEW MORE
  • Bonus-point Bulls douse Dragons
  • Munster maul luckless Lions
  • Stormers sign off 2022 in style
  • Sharks carve Bulls on New Year’s Eve

Jacques Burger’s Perfect XV

    BKT United Rugby Championship, Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland 8/1/2023 Glasgow Warriors vs DHL Stormers Stormers' Damian Willemse Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Craig Watson
  • Highlights: Heartbreak for Stormers in Glasgow thriller

###


COVID-19 Corona Virus
South African Resource Portal

African Insider
African Insider News

ABOUT

  • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Videos
  • Player Features
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy

TOURNAMENTS

    • Rugby Championship
    • Super Rugby
    • Currie Cup
    • Varsity Cup
    • Gold Cup
    • Schools
    • Six Nations
    • Champions Cup
    • World Cup
    • Challenge Cup

OPINION

  • Mallett on SuperSport
  • Cardinelli column
  • Lewis column
  • Xabanisa column
  • Borchardt column
  • Superbru

Primary Menu

  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER