Phew!

The Stormers finally got a win on the road! I was starting to worry that my team was going to be an absolute wood-spoonists - at least now we know that the Lions and Cheetahs should finish beneath us again!

It looked like somebody finally lit a fire under Sireli Naqelevuki as well - he was piling into rucks, charging through half-gaps and looking for work from the moment he got that try - HOW BLOODY REFRESHING!

What is going to be interesting to watch is how Rassie Erasmus / Stormers management / Western Province management are going to approach the 2010 season.

The side isn't getting younger and despite their stars, they are battling to string together consistent performances.

2010 is going to be an interesting year for the team:

• Percy Montogemery, Willem De Waal, Wylie Human, Bolla Conradie and even Gcobani Bobo to some extent aren't getting any younger (Bobo's had a great season in my opinion)
• Injuries to Nick Koster and Tonderai Chavanga haven't helped but Rassie decided to play the likes of Human in favour of blooding new youngsters
• The scrums this year have been a mess - we're so keen to be mobile that we're not winning the basics like scrums to unleash a decent set of backs
  
• Peter Grant is rumoured to be moving to the Western Force.

On top of that I'm not a huge Schalk Brits fan and the backup hooker we used this year (Tiaan Liebenberg) was drafted in from France... doesn't look like much in the continuity department.

As a Stormers supporter, I think it would be good to see us making a bid for the likes of Louis Ludik, Jaques Fourie and Heinke VD Merwe from the Lions and maybe Potgieter the Cheetahs flyhalf....

British and Irish Lions squad announced

The British & Irish Lions have named an enlarged squad to take on South Africa in their upcoming tour....

Still don't think they have enough firepower or cohesiveness to take on the Southern Hemishphere sides but they might surprise.

Backs: Lee Byrne, Rob Kearney, Shane Williams, Leigh Halfpenney, Ugo Monye, Luke Fitzgerald, Tommy Bowe, Tom Shanklin, Jamie Roberts, Brian O’Driscoll, Keith Earls, Riki Flutey, Ronan O’Gara, Stephen Jones, Mike Phillips, Harry Ellis, Tomas O’Leary

Forwards: Jamie Heaslip, Andy Powell, David Wallace, Stephen Ferris, Alan Quinlan, Joe Worsley, Martyn Williams, Alun-Wyn Jones, Paul O’Connell (c), Donncha O’Callaghan, Simon Shaw, Nathan Hines, Gethin Jenkins, Adam Jones, Andrew Sheridan, Phil Vickery, Euan Murray, Jerry Flannery, Lee Mears, Matthew Rees.

Foreign players...

... it's interesting - at the start of the 2009 Super 14 season and post the Rugby World Cup, a lot of noise was made about the outflow of quality players into the big money European leagues. If all was to be believed, South Africa was facing a MASSIVE talent drain....

A few rounds left in the Super 14 and we've got two of the top four teams on the table.

In contrast South Africa has effectively had two "foreigners" in our ranks - Sireli Naqelevuki and Todd Clever.

As a Stormers fan, I've been very unhappy with the performance of Naqelevuki and I have no idea what he has done to enjoy regular starts for us - yes injuries have been a problem but he just looks like he has no interest.

Todd Clever (Cleaver?) has been a really valuable addition to the Lions lineup - plenty of enthusiasm and some nice skill as well - an example of foreign talent boosting a local franchise.

Next year, I believe that Peter Grant has been considered for the Force so that will be another guy going out... wonder whether there will be any big name foreign signings for the local franchises.

Canterbury re-takes the field

The SA sporting fraternity is breathing a collective sigh of relief after the announcement that the Canterbury brand will continue to be available in South Africa. The Canterbury distribution rights, previously held by Canterbury International SA, have now being granted to prominent local sporting equipment business, Super-Brands (Pty) Ltd.

Now managed by Dunslaz Distributors (Pty) Ltd, one of Super-Brands’ subsidiary companies, the renowned Canterbury label will remain on local shores and retain its agreement with SA Rugby as the official clothing and equipment sponsor of the Springboks.

“We are pleased to report that the globe’s most successful rugby brand will once again be marketed and distributed locally,” comments Super-Brands CEO, Cuan Chelin. “The venture is incredibly exciting for us and we hope that, with the support of our retailers, partners and consumers, we are able to grow and sustain the celebrated Canterbury brand.”

The Group, which also distributes prominent sporting brands, Dunlop, Slazenger and Karrimor, will now start to address issues that arose from the liquidation of Canterbury SA thereby developing a platform for further growth on this dynamic global brand.

“These next few weeks will be spent visiting some of our largest customers and affirming our commitment to the label’s success,” comments Chelin. “We foresee great potential for this brand within the local market and believe that we can engineer a smooth transition which will see Canterbury retain its position as one of the South Africa’s most revered sporting brands.”

About Super-Brands:
Super-Brands (Pty) Ltd, is the holding company for My Appliances (Pty) Ltd and Dunslaz Distributors (Pty) Ltd, which distributes a range of sporting equipment and consumer and home appliances. The company, highly regarded for providing value-driven products with a premium appeal, holds an impressive portfolio of consumer brands, including the likes of Dunlop, Slazenger, Karrimor, Sonic, Swiss Diamond and Pedrini.

Go.....

Jean Devilliers! What an individual try!

Maybe that will be the try that gets the Stormers into this match.... Great stuff.

C'mon boys!

Brave or stupid

I am not sure which one I am but I've decided to put a couple of bucks on the Cheetahs to beat the Sharks in their Super 14 game tomorrow.

Dunno if I am brave or stupid but I reckon a return back to Bloemfontein may just be the psychological boost the Cheetahs have been seeking.

Funny

Geez the Aussie commentators are pulling some beauts out today!

Watching the Stormers vs Waratahs game and I think it was Phil Kearns said something along the lines of: "The ref has just penalised the Stormers player for fondling a Waratahs head...."

They're also giving Sireli Naqelevuki a helluva lot of grief about his weight and his unwillingness to run... They've got a point - he's looking seriously sluggish at the moment...

Unbelievable

Can't believe the Lions have managed to blow a 29-10 lead to go down 36-29 to the Chiefs!

The Lions actually looked really good in the first half and they took the fight to the Chiefs in almost every aspect of the game. They just can't keep it going for 80 minutes and they took a real bruising in this game.

Chiefs must be in the running for a Super 14 final now considering who they were missing for this game.

Its hard to work out whether its a management / coaching issue or a player issue... The problem is that they buy into guys like Pretorius (who had a much better game this time around) and Mentz but are battling to bring fresh eyes and fresh legs into the setup.

Also gotta wonder whether Loffie Eloff can keep his job for another season and whether Heynecke Meyer is the man to turn this Lions side back into a potent force.