Super 14 looks good, but…

It is an astonishing feat – not on par with the remarkable anus mirabilis of 2007 when the Bulls and the Sharks featured in that dramatic Super 14 final – but it is  memorable nonetheless. We are talking about the Bulls and the Stormers occupying the two top spots in the Super 14 competition after the weekend of the fifth round of the competition.

The Bulls have scored successive half-centuries and have been models of consistency. Unfortunately, they have been as consistent in conceding and leaking tries against the opposition, but if you win by 20 points each time, it is not an ‘evil’ about which to concern yourself too needlessly.

The Stormers, though, currently are playing the brand of rugby which is making them serious contenders for the playoffs.

On the southern side of the Hex River Valley, most supporters of Western Province and the Stormers are not easily excited because there has been little Cup joy in any shape or form since 2001.

For 77 minutes of the semifinals of the Currie Cup competition of 2009, most supporters were feeling upbeat – until one moment of madness offered Morné Steyn the opportunity to punish Province.

But perhaps there is a need to celebrate the brand. The Stormers have scored 14 tries in five games and have conceded four tries, which is an amazing record.

There have been complaints about the lack of penetration and tries early on in the competition. The Stormers set the record straight with Bryan Habana’s late opportunistic try against the Highlanders. And they were in irresistible form against the Hurricanes.

The modern brand of rugby has demonstrated that with such well-organised defensive patterns, there is abundant need for game-breakers – players who can sidestep, dummy well, or possess a balanced running style and speed.

In Joe Pietersen, Juan de Jongh, Jaque Fourie and Habana, the Stormers possess such game-breakers. And do not forget Andries Bekker, Francois Louw, Tiaan Liebenberg, Schalk Burger and substitute-hooker Deon Fourie up front.

The Bulls have the same quality players, and possess arguably even greater stars in Fourie du Preez, Morné Steyn, Wynand Olivier and Pierre Spies. Neither should one forget the fast-evolving young players such as Gerhard van den Heever and Francois Hougaard.

Remarkably, the Bulls have benefited from a Western Province import in Pieter Rossouw as backline coach. The running lines of the Bulls have been sensational and they are difficult to stop.

Confidence begets confidence, and the way in which the Bulls sometimes even look for running opportunities from their own try line almost defies belief. It is a type of style that would have had their former coach Buurman van Zyl rolling restlessly in his grave.

The style of the Bulls and the Stormers are in stark contrast to much we have witnessed in the Super 14 competition in 2010. In fact, SuperSport made a valid observation that the Waratahs were near the top of the log early in the competition. The newspapers described it as “winning ugly”.

So they changed to a more open style, and promptly fell out of the top four and out of contention. Solid defence, few errors, structure and patience seem to be the cornerstone of Super 14 dominance these days, unless you wear the colours of the Stormers or the Bulls.

The abundance of great performances by the Stormers and the Bulls have given the national coach Peter de Villiers more options for the 14 Springbok Tests ahead in 2010.

One aspect that has come up in some of his latest press conferences which is quite worrying, is his claim that he will use only Francois Steyn as fullback if he returns from France. It makes little sense.

Almost in the same breath, De Villiers applauds the skills of Wikus van Heerden and Joe van Niekerk as loose forwards and Butch James as flyhalf.

Are they not plying their skills in England? Why pick on the French-based South African contingent, and give preference to players operating in England?

Surely, there needs to be consistency in De Villiers' thinking?

Furthermore, the coach has been quoted as saying that he will select only an overseas-based South African player if he is streets ahead of the rest.

Currently, Zane Kirchner is useful, but not in the same league as Steyn. The two closest rivals for Steyn are Pietersen and the 34-year-old former Springbok, Stefan Terblanche. So exactly why De Villiers selected BJ Botha and CJ van der Linde on the end-of-year tour in 2009 – but failed to look in the direction of Steyn – is mystifying.

Another factor that the Springbok coach needs to remember, is that Steyn attended the New Zealand Academy in his Grade 12 year. Ten guesses who is the host of the Rugby World Cup in 2011?

Hopefully, De Villiers will see the struggling Sharks resurrecting their morale and break their winning drought very, very soon. It is distressing to see players such as JP Pietersen, Ruan Pienaar, John Smit, Bismarck du Plessis and Ryan Kankowski languishing in second or third gear.

This is a team boasting 14 Springboks, and most of them featured in the Green and Gold during the past 18 months. Surely, a bad draw and bad luck are not the only reasons for their dreadful run? They need to break the deadlock soon, as South Africa’s Tri-Nations fortunes hang in the balance if some of the great Sharks players cannot recapture their form.