The Stormers travel to Perth to face the Western Force in Super Rugby Round 10.
Join The Roar from 9:45pm (AEST) for live scores and updates.
The Stormers pack will be aiming to dish out set-piece pain on the men from Western Australia.
The South Africans hava a scrum completion rate of 92 per cent, compared to the Force’s 77 per cent.
Key to this is the heavyweight battle between Eben Etzebeth and up-and-comer Adam Coleman, who both tip the scales in excess of 120 kilograms.
Like Coleman, backrower Steve Mafi is powerful in the loose as well as in set piece.
Along with Wallaby incumbent and openside flanker Chris Alcock, he will play an abrasive defensive approach.
Referee Mike Fraser may have busy night with the whistle, with two of the competition’s most penalised players, Vincent Koch and Ben McCalman, will feature in this match.
They are both tied second with 13 penalties each.
The halves battle comprises two South Africans (one playing for the Force), one New Zealander, and one ‘Greek’ in Demetri Catrakilis.
All are cunning playmakers who will use all their faculties and skill to unleash their team’s attacking capability.
The Force will continue the Luke Burton/Kyle Godwin centre partnership, while the Force back three of Nick Cummins, Luke Morahan and Dane Haylett-Petty will be wary of their opposite trio’s deadly skills in counter attack.
Join The Roar for all the action from 9:45pm (AEST).
If you are following the action live, be sure to leave your comments as the game progresses.
RobC
Roar Guru
fyi piru. An examination of the scrum penalty tries here: http://www.theroar.com.au/2015/05/01/scrumma-mogram-wallabies-scrum-part-2/
RobC
Roar Guru
btw How closely have you watched this particular one? I have watched it over 20 times: - at least half in slomo. - I have also calculated the speed of the scrum as it was headed towards the tryline. - It was cynically disrupted by the Force - It was going to be a pushover try without the disruption. Also, if you watch more SR scrums, its become very apparent that not giving a YC has no correlation on scrum penalty tries in SR. Reds scrum ran through the Lions and won a penalty try. Stormers hammered the Canes also for the same. Another was Reds vs Force. No players were binned. re Stormers vs Canes: - The whole front row dropped blatantly to stop the pushover. - In this case, Canes were lucky they didnt lose their LHP. - It was potentially dangerous. If you run the replays on Lions and Force, you cannot single out a player: - Lions (vs Reds) and Force (vs Stormers), the entire defending scrum tried to wheel it right, to illegally stop the try. - You can do super slowmo, and you cannot determine any person. If the ref wants to follow the law, he should YC the hooker, who is in charge of the defending scrum. But I think thats ridiculous.
RobC
Roar Guru
Burton was indeed binned
piru
Guest
So why didn't Burton go to the bin?
piru
Guest
A penalty try is awarded if an offence prevents a probable try being scored it has nothing to do with the number of players involved. All infringements are by individuals, there is no such thing as a 'team infringement', it certainly doesn't appear in the law book. The only time I can think that this term might apply is when a side is habitually infringing in the same area or manner and are warned the next one will go to the bin, even then it is still the individual who infringes. Either the ref saw an infringement and penalised the Force and believed the infringement prevented a probable try, in which case he should have carded the player who infringed. Or (and this is what I think) he saw the Force going backwards, guessed there was an infringement and awarded the penalty try, but without seeing an actual infringement there's no one to card. The fact he didn't issue a card, to me, shows that he didn't see a player actually infringing, exactly why these kind of scrums are usually reset or a penalty (not a penalty try) are issued. Law 10.2 (a) ... A penalty try must be awarded if the offence prevents a try that would probably otherwise have been scored. **A player who prevents a try being scored through foul play must either be cautioned and temporarily suspended or sent off**.
RobC
Roar Guru
Pen try, esp for scrums, normally do not lead to YC players. YC are for individuals. pen tries are for team infringements. In the past, we see players get YC first: - Then after a few resets. Then A pushover or penalty try. - Now the scrums a little better set, the pushovers happen straight up or minimal resets. - Or the pen try for cynical scrum defence.
RobC
Roar Guru
Burton tackled a Stormer (Schalk I think) from an offside position, with several attacking Stormers free to take a pass in scoring formation. Penalty try, was clear as day. Force scrum was totally dismantled. The Stormers scrum was heading towards the tryline in velocity (brisk waking speed) in perfect formation. Would have scored a deserved pushover, if the Force didnt wheel to their right.
piru
Guest
Yep blokes flying in from all angles, lying on the ball, hands, you name it. He seemed keen to set an early standard (which is commendable) but not sure how to do it. He would have been better off enforcing the blokes entering through the gate than trying to be a stickler about the scrum. Any penalty try is supposed to be accompanied by a yellow card, if he was so sure someone had infringed, why could he not find a player to card?
DJW
Guest
Ref was also inconsistent, carded Burton but not the Stormers after repeated penalties in the red zone. Also let the breakdown turn into a mess.
piru
Guest
ha you should have been there last week, this game was much better. If not for an overzealous (and incorrect) awarding of a penalty try the Force would have had them I reckon.
karlos
Guest
My first Force game for the year. Everyone around me thought it was an awful game and I agree. The kicking from both sides suggested they just wanted the game over with, with as little contact or running as possible. Yet another game won by penalties and worst of all; all points from penalties.
Mike
Guest
I thought Force did very well to stay in that game. It should give them some confidence.
Harry Jones
Expert
Great blog Saved me
Harry Jones
Expert
Bulls and Sharks in a war. That's good.
RobC
Roar Guru
Schalk, was MOTM Harry. He really stood out
RobC
Roar Guru
Very close mate. Both teams employing the same tacting. Going for territory, and trusting their D.
RobC
Roar Guru
Harry, Schalk was excellent, MOTM. Powerful, quick, linked well. Yep, he spend considerable time talking with the ref. But there was a lack of continuity / phase play in the Stormers pack attack, esp when compared with the Force. The 2nd best all round player for me, is Nizam, both attack and D. Big motor, high impact esp in D Having said all that, all the Stormers players were v good. Just lacked continuity.
Harry Jones
Expert
This is an excellent format of summary Rob
Harry Jones
Expert
Just happy to escape Perth w win and get ready to go for win no 7 at home
Trent Marshall
Guest
Well Rhino, that would mean that a kiwi wouldn't win it, and the IRB can't have that. Remember, in 2009 multiple Boks and BOD should/could have won it, especially du Preez, Brussow, Matfield but it went to McCaw... who hardly played any rugby, and the rugby that he did play he was outplayed by Brussow.