Other fascinating question, the two in the photo, will they start together this weekend, I assume Reinach HIA tests will be the indicator. Re Springbok squad selections, how adventurous will Erasmus & Co be, there is a few bolters under discussion on the social channels like Cheswill Jooste & Zekhethelo Siyaya. Is Riley Norton still a bolter or do we expect the investment? Dave Ribbans, a different type bolter? During the RGR we did not solve our back-up hooker challenges - hooker invitees to Bok camps included Ethan Bester, Siphosethu Mnebelele and Liam van Wyk.

Yes. Like Erasmus rely too much on Kriel. To have a players with a High WORKRATE (during the game week with the prep and during the game itself) with a High Rugby IQ is more unique than we think or give credit for, include LEADERSHIP qualities and you have a very Special player, Nel and Kriel, why Coaches TRUST them.

Sharks lost 3x players to injuries over 80 minutes - "Springbok Andre Esterhuizen sustained a right ankle injury, while Phatu Ganyane suffered an injury to his right elbow, and Jurenzo Julius a right hamstring injury." - @rugby365com Stormers lost 3x hookers (1x hybrid) to injuries over 80 minutes plus Hacjivah for his 2nd HIA and Cobus Reinach to a HIA. Not sure about Mchunu shoulder?

I felt bad last night about my word choices below, had a look again over and over, Scarlets 6x tries, I am just going to say this again, whatever Red Disa pays Gaza and Ruhan Nel double that, on defense they are 80% of the Stormers Rugby IQ in that backline. There were ZERO leadership communication connectivity, I can't wait for Cheslin Kolbe's return to the Stormers team, he will help out on a lot of fronts.

Must be one of the dumbest things you will see on a rugby field - that guy should be retired. In front of the Ref nogal.

Just had a look at the Scarlets tries again - just highlights so only the last phase. Eg 1st try a folding issue, very simple we were a player short. It is simple maths, lack of communication, players are not connected, every player is on his little island ... no outside back in that defensive line which is weird. Overall, lots of individual player errors. Soft soft very soft defense. I will use the more descriptive Afrikaans expression - the Stormer players were "slapgat" - there I say it. The backline had a lack of leadership, yes Ruhan and Gaza wss missed big time. Stormers players were under the impression it was their right to win the game. Stormers are too windgat when they play in Cape Town. I am not too worried. It was a freak show. Norman will be all over this. But I do have serious questions about the players that played communication ability in the backline.

URC, Rd 4 Friday night's 3x Games Line Breaks 22m Entries (Green column = Winning teams)

Stormers and Ruhan Nel and Winning/Losing 2025/26 Season 2x Comps: URC and the ICC The 8x Games the Storm lost last season - Game 11 (ICC) no Ruhan Game 13 (URC) ditto Game 14 (URC) ditto Game 15 (URC) ditto Game 19 (ICC - Toulon playoffs) - Ruhan played 13 Game 20 (URC) - Ruhan played 13 Game 23 (URC) - no Ruhan Game 25 (URC- semi-finals Leinster) - Ruhan played 13 5/8 losses when Ruhan were injured. Ruhan missed 9x games though injury last year. 2x of those losses, when he did play, was playoff games at Toulon and Leinster and both were close affairs and other factors played a massive role in those losses. Ruhan Nel is an important key in the Stormers operations on grass without a doubt. But his body took some knocks over the years and injuries will happen, it is rugby. Bottom line Dobbo as the 'Risk Manager' must know who is his next 13. That is not so easy - I have no clue because you need to see somebody in that position for an extended period in time. There is a reason why Erasmus stick to the same players at 12/13 for the Boks (cohesion). That leads to massive frustrations by many X accounts and Erasmus get called degrading names because he stick to that same combo when it matters.

Purely a Defense comment It doesn't solve the Stormers nr 13 question - what if a 35 year old gets injured (like he does on a regular basis) the week before the semi-finals? Dobbo needs to know who is his back-up 13? I don't know, but I don't get paid to know.

The MOST unnecessarily offload yesterday for once did not belong to Warrick. 🤣

ATTACKS DECLARED WAR AGAINST DEFENSES WITH WORLD RUGBY'S BACKING!! Looking at numbers, during the RGR test series, what I see now over the 4x European leagues, the feeling I have - ATTACK > DEFENSE Sure this is what World Rugby had in mind when they made certain changes to the Laws like - 1. lower tackle mandate, makes a difference in who dominate the collision 2. so now Coaches like Norman wants the Double Hits, to regain the collision for the defensive team 3. but with a double tackle you took a defender out of the defense line, so you make the defensive line more narrow, so leaving space on the edges 4. new protection Laws for the 9s, you can't touch a 9, so breakdowns especially, much quicker under 3 secs rucks are increasing 5. the 50:22 kicks creating space on the edges because now defensive lines went from 14-1 to 13-2 (the 1 or 2 are the players at the back) 6. new defensive line of 9s at scrums give opposing 9 & 10 more space and time 7. defenders swimming around to the offsides at the driving maul getting punished now 8. plus at the breakdowns those defenders flopping around to slow down the ball, what some call the "dark arts" are getting punished now 9. access to the attacking kicks or box kicks are leading to further chaos and tries, sometimes both sides of the ball depending on the accuracy of the kick Basically all Law changes have a subtle contribution to ATTACK > DEFENSE!!! Now Defense Coaches have a massive job, they must find ways to counter this. In the mean time Attack Coaches added a "new headache", the Johnny Sexton Irish teams had this "stack attack" and now I see it used by more teams where they beat Defensive Lines with high Line Speed and get around them (laterally) like the All Blacks vs the Springboks, like the Scarlets vs the Stormers, etc etc Now Defense Coaches like uncle Norman Laker who use Line Speed in their Defensive Strategy must coach their players to deal with these lateral attacks with defenders who must now be able to slide of decoy runners so that they can adjust to runners coming around the back. These stack attacks are sometimes 3-4 layers deep, I give you this example what I've seen and I RT-ed this particular video on my Tik Tok account - attacking team start with a 4 man lineout with one of the skillful loose forwards as the 9, the actual 9 is now at flyhalf and the extra forwards are now all options (ball carriers and cleaners) in the midfield, the blindside winger, the fullback, everyone is now involve, now you laid the groundwork for a stack attack with a "new look backline" with +- 10 players, some will be carriers, others will be decoys, others will be cleaners at a midfield or a ruck on the edge and they are ALL interchangeable. How DEFENSES are going to pull this back, I am not sure, lucky Oom Norman gets paid the Big Bucks, I can't help him, I am just a KeyBoard Warrior with a passion for rugby. I love it - it is chaotic and I dig it a lot. Over to Defense Coaches.

URC 1st two rounds, I moaned so much about the Stormers lack of an attack ... last night they scored 8x tries and now I moan about the defense. 🤣🤣🤣 I know somewhere there is a balance. In my view it is not a big problem a combination of cohesion (new combinations in the midfield) and what Gaza always talked about is staying connected. Gaza and Ruhan make such a huge difference especially on defense.

Took Deon Fourie 40 years to realise he has hamstrings. 🤣🤣🤣

Yaqeen Ahmed, let him loose, set him free, I hand my rugby joy over to these youngsters. There is an explosion of them on our rugby scene. Markus Muller, workrate of the charts, his GPS readings off the charts. We remember him for the flash, he came with the grind. Zekhethelo Siyaya, last two games, out of this world, been taken out of his comfort zone, away from home, those feet keep on moving. I am at the point where I think it will be a shock if he is not in a Bok squad. I am normally cautious with the young but this on is very special. Maybe I am alone. We will see what Erasmus & Co think. These three were at school a year ago. What are they feeding them at school these days?

Stormers hooker crisis - we won the URC with two young hookers Kotze was 21 and Venter was 20. Bring in Keizer and Rabe with Vernon. Not sure about Luca Bakkes and Lukhanyo HIA.

RT @moi_pseudo: Jan-Hendrik Wessels says 9 weeks and calls for the death penalty from every Irish account

Haashim 1st start, MOTM Scored a try with a Sacha assist. Again a try assist with that long bridge pass. His box kicks, more practise will make it perfect. Overall game excellent.