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+---- Thread: Stormers v Bulls notlikely to be 'friendly' (/Thread-Stormers-v-Bulls-notlikely-to-be-friendly)
Stormers v Bulls notlikely to be 'friendly' - mcamp999 - 14-01-2007
January 13, 2007 Edition 1
Gavin Rich
The old John Lennon hit Starting Over might be an apt song for both teams to adopt as their anthem ahead of today's Super 14 warm-up match between the Bulls and the Stormers at Loftus.
Although this match is not particularly important, and we shouldn't over-hype it, it could be looked back on as a significant moment if some of today's protagonists go on to be successes at the World Cup later in the year.
As the words of the Lennon's song say, for Schalk Burger, Joe van Niekerk, Brent Russell, Conrad Jantjes, Wikus van Heerden, Wayne Julies, Breyton Paulse and maybe Selborne Boome, this game will be just like starting over.
In the case of Burger and Van Niekerk, but more particularly Burger, they are coming back from injuries and need to re-establish themselves. Everyone will be holding thumbs that Burger will show that he can go back to being the player he was before he was injured, for that is by no means a given if you consider the seriousness of the neck injury which has kept him out since last June.
For Jantjes, Julies and Van Heerden today is all about starting out for a new province. But when you rank the challenges faced by the different players today in order of difficulty, there is only one player who comes close to matching the challenge faced by Burger, and that is Russell.
Not only is the Pocket Rocket playing his first game for the Stormers after several years away from Cape Town first with the Pumas and then with the Sharks, he is also making his return to the flyhalf position that he covets.
Getting his wish of wearing the No10 again has understandably pleased Russell, but that does not mean he will be going onto the Loftus field today feeling over-confident. On the contrary, he admitted during the week that he is more nervous about this game than he is for most.
"I enjoy playing flyhalf, but you must remember that it is a long time since I last started at flyhalf, and it is going to take me a while to play myself back into the position," said Russell.
Indeed, the last time Russell did wear No10 in a big game was at today's venue - well over three years ago.
"I have played there as a replacement a few times, but it is a different thing to start. The last time I started there was in 2003 against the Bulls at Loftus, when Kevin Putt threw me in at the deep end. It may have been a bit unfair to expect me to perform there in such an important match, as I had not played there for quite a while."
Russell, while stating that his first objective is to just show he can fit into the Stormers pattern, is confident that it will not take too long though for him "to rekindle my old style of play".
The big question marks over Russell's ability to specialise at flyhalf have centred as much on perceptions about his kicking game as they have on his defence. Although he is adamant the questions about his kicking are just a perception, he has nonetheless been boosted by the help he has received from Stormers kicking coach Eric Herbert.
"It has been a great benefit to have a specialist kicking coach, and I have really enjoyed working with Eric. Obviously at flyhalf you do have to kick more, and as I have been playing in so many other positions in the past few years, there has not been as much focus on my (out of hand) kicking.
"But this year I have been working on my kicking every single day, and I can feel that the hard graft is starting to pay off. I cannot wait to try out what myself and Eric have worked on in a game situation."
Not that Russell is going to move away from his all-out attacking playing style. And why should he?
After all, it's the memory of his devastating running game from flyhalf against Australia at Ellis Park in 2002 that prompted the Stormers to lure him to the Cape in the first place.