How vrot are the Stormers this season.
Yoh, Munier can’t bear to watch. They just ruin his whole weekend.
The manne from Newlands have won just three out of their eight fixtures this year - and already the playoffs are looking like a bridge too far.
You can’t really blame the players, though.
At the start of the Super Rugby season, several key players were injured, including Springbok captain Eben Etzebeth who hasn’t played a game.
What this means is plenty of new faces have been thrown in the deep end.
To be fair, there are promising laaities coming through the ranks.
But as is the case with most rookies, put them on a plane to Australasia for the first time and they get shown up badly.
The team came up short on trips to Loftus and Ellis Park as well.
To date, they haven’t won a single game on the road - a sure sign of an inexperienced team.
So who’s to blame for the poor results at Newlands?
Look, when the players are missing tackles, spilling the ball on the tryline, or missing kicks, then it’s Robbie Fleck and his coaching staff’s fault.
He’s also responsible for ensuring the team plays a winning brand of rugby.
Even with the most innovative playbook, however, you need the right personnel to execute your plans.
Fleckie currently doesn’t have a winning team.
Now, in other sports, like football, the coach plays a big role in managing the squad, scouting, attracting and signing big names, trading and selling off misfits.
Think of Jose Mourinho - a master of the transfer window.
The man whose job this is at the Stormers is Western Province Director of Rugby, Gert Smal.
BIG PROBLEMS: Thelo Wakefield Photo: Tracey Adams/ANA
So if you want to know why the team has a flyhalf crisis year in year out, ask Gert.
If you’re wondering why there isn’t decent back-up for injured stars, ask Gert.
If you can’t understand why top No.10 Robert du Preez is now kicking butt for the Sharks, ask Gert.
If you’re frustrated that so many talented club rugby players are overlooked by the union, ask Gert.
OK, the Stormers did manage to land Springbok winger Raymond Rhule, but we’ve never been hard up for good wings.
Let’s face it, this current squad isn’t good enough to top the SA conference, let alone challenge for the title.
The buck stops with Gert, but the bigger problem is WP Rugby doesn’t have the bucks.
They went into liquidation at the end of 2016, they need to repay a R40 million loan to shareholders Remgro.
And another company, Aerios, is suing WP Rugby for a staggering R276m over the marketing and advertising rights.
WP Rugby President Thelo Wakefield, however, insists the union is not in trouble and instead blames the team’s performance.
“We can’t afford empty stands at Newlands. We want to sell suites and tickets and build our support base. And we won’t achieve that with the rugby we’ve been playing,” he said.
Well, Mr Wakefield, if you want to play champion rugby, you need to have a squad of champion players, and that costs megabucks, which looks to be in very short supply.
So how did WP Rugby end up in this mess?
Remgro CEO Jannie Durand said: “A difficult economic climate resulting in a smaller sponsorship pool; increasing player wages in order to retain players; a confusing Super Rugby format; a diminished Currie Cup; an improved home-viewing experience; declining gate and season ticket sales; and increasing stadium maintenance costs, among others.”
It’s a sad state of affairs for the Streeptruie.
Of course, one way to get out of this mess would be to sell their
biggest asset - Newlands Stadium.
There have been talks with the City over a move to Cape Town
Stadium. If that’s what it takes to save Cape rugby, then so be it.
Munier reckons it’s time to change management too.