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Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – It had to happen eventually … a big vote of confidence in the Stormers for the Sport24 Super 14 Dream Team.
Click HERE to vote for your Super 14 Dream Team
For the bulk of the Vodacom Super 14 thus far, our readers have shown a lot of faith in players from the defending champion Bulls, who remain very much in the title hunt this year.
But now the Stormers are beginning to earn their due, with that epic thrashing of the Chiefs last Friday catapulting several new faces from the Cape outfit into the Dream Team for Week 10.
The Week 9 side was dominated by Bulls players – 11 of them – but suddenly the tables are turned with nine Stormers representatives getting the nod, including five newcomers to Dream Team favour: four of them are fullback Gio Aplon (44% of your votes for that position), flyhalf Peter Grant (49%), flank Francois Louw (39%) and hooker Tiaan Liebenberg (50%).
The fifth, as you might expect, is South African player-of-the-moment Andries Bekker: the rangy lock’s second dynamic showing on the trot for his franchise saw him amass a robust 70% of approval for the No 5 jersey.
He ousted legendary Victor Matfield in doing so, although the Bulls man keeps his place in the Overall XV for the tournament.
Of course certain Bulls players’ fortunes were bound to tumble in the last round as the champions were upset 19-12 by the Reds in Brisbane and outplayed for at least two-thirds of the encounter as tour fatigue set in to a degree – maybe these players will leap back into the picture if they see off the ailing Lions handsomely at Loftus this weekend.
But they do retain the aces for the Overall XV, hogging nine slots to the Stormers’ five – Juan Smith of the Cheetahs still clings to No 7 as the sole “outsider”, despite having been out of action for a while.
Interestingly, Brok Harris has entered the Overall XV equation as tighthead prop, with WP Nel losing favour after struggling alongside his Cheetahs team-mates on a woeful overseas tour thus far.
Another intriguing aspect is that diminutive Stormers No 15 Joe Pietersen holds onto that position despite being injured for a few weeks, and colleague Aplon’s arrival in the Week 10 combo means the Newlands-based team certainly top the fullback pops!
The most popular choice in the Week 10 side, with 88% of the vote, was Stormers centre Jaque Fourie, fast running into his most lethal form, while he is also the most emphatic choice in the Overall line-up with 77%.
Readers are clearly not overwhelmingly impressed yet by the Sharks’ revival in recent weeks – no player from the Durban ranks features in either team.
Dream Team for Week 10:
15 Gio Aplon (Stormers, 45% of votes)
14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 40%)
13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 89%)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 50%)
11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 81%)
10 Peter Grant (Stormers, 50%)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 51%)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 49%)
7 Francois Louw (Stormers, 40%)
6 Schalk Burger (Stormers, 78%)
5 Andries Bekker (Stormers, 70%)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls, 44%)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers, 56%)
2 Tiaan Liebenberg (Stormers, 50%)
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 44%)
Overall Dream Team:
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers, 37%)
14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 59%)
13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 78%)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 68%)
11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 67%)
10 Morne Steyn (Bulls, 76%)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 72%)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 61%)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs, 36%)
6 Schalk Burger (Stormers, 44%)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls, 63%)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls, 41%)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers, 30%)
2 Gary Botha (Bulls, 36%)
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 39%)
Cape Town – It had to happen eventually … a big vote of confidence in the Stormers for the Sport24 Super 14 Dream Team.
Click HERE to vote for your Super 14 Dream Team
For the bulk of the Vodacom Super 14 thus far, our readers have shown a lot of faith in players from the defending champion Bulls, who remain very much in the title hunt this year.
But now the Stormers are beginning to earn their due, with that epic thrashing of the Chiefs last Friday catapulting several new faces from the Cape outfit into the Dream Team for Week 10.
The Week 9 side was dominated by Bulls players – 11 of them – but suddenly the tables are turned with nine Stormers representatives getting the nod, including five newcomers to Dream Team favour: four of them are fullback Gio Aplon (44% of your votes for that position), flyhalf Peter Grant (49%), flank Francois Louw (39%) and hooker Tiaan Liebenberg (50%).
The fifth, as you might expect, is South African player-of-the-moment Andries Bekker: the rangy lock’s second dynamic showing on the trot for his franchise saw him amass a robust 70% of approval for the No 5 jersey.
He ousted legendary Victor Matfield in doing so, although the Bulls man keeps his place in the Overall XV for the tournament.
Of course certain Bulls players’ fortunes were bound to tumble in the last round as the champions were upset 19-12 by the Reds in Brisbane and outplayed for at least two-thirds of the encounter as tour fatigue set in to a degree – maybe these players will leap back into the picture if they see off the ailing Lions handsomely at Loftus this weekend.
But they do retain the aces for the Overall XV, hogging nine slots to the Stormers’ five – Juan Smith of the Cheetahs still clings to No 7 as the sole “outsider”, despite having been out of action for a while.
Interestingly, Brok Harris has entered the Overall XV equation as tighthead prop, with WP Nel losing favour after struggling alongside his Cheetahs team-mates on a woeful overseas tour thus far.
Another intriguing aspect is that diminutive Stormers No 15 Joe Pietersen holds onto that position despite being injured for a few weeks, and colleague Aplon’s arrival in the Week 10 combo means the Newlands-based team certainly top the fullback pops!
The most popular choice in the Week 10 side, with 88% of the vote, was Stormers centre Jaque Fourie, fast running into his most lethal form, while he is also the most emphatic choice in the Overall line-up with 77%.
Readers are clearly not overwhelmingly impressed yet by the Sharks’ revival in recent weeks – no player from the Durban ranks features in either team.
Dream Team for Week 10:
15 Gio Aplon (Stormers, 45% of votes)
14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 40%)
13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 89%)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 50%)
11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 81%)
10 Peter Grant (Stormers, 50%)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 51%)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 49%)
7 Francois Louw (Stormers, 40%)
6 Schalk Burger (Stormers, 78%)
5 Andries Bekker (Stormers, 70%)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls, 44%)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers, 56%)
2 Tiaan Liebenberg (Stormers, 50%)
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 44%)
Overall Dream Team:
15 Joe Pietersen (Stormers, 37%)
14 Gerhard van den Heever (Bulls, 59%)
13 Jaque Fourie (Stormers, 78%)
12 Wynand Olivier (Bulls, 68%)
11 Bryan Habana (Stormers, 67%)
10 Morne Steyn (Bulls, 76%)
9 Fourie du Preez (Bulls, 72%)
8 Pierre Spies (Bulls, 61%)
7 Juan Smith (Cheetahs, 36%)
6 Schalk Burger (Stormers, 44%)
5 Victor Matfield (Bulls, 63%)
4 Danie Rossouw (Bulls, 41%)
3 Brok Harris (Stormers, 30%)
2 Gary Botha (Bulls, 36%)
1 Gurthro Steenkamp (Bulls, 39%)
