As some of the heavy weights such as the Crusaders, Bulls, Blues and Waratahs start to wan the new powers will rise and take their place. The Stormers are one of these teams. After a few years of floundering at the bottom they've moved themselves in the right direction to take a good hard stab at the Super 14. This write-up is the last of the non-Australian teams so sit back and enjoy as I get my knives sharpened for the reports to come.

Form from 2008
The Stormers had a tremedous turn around in 2008. Mimmicking the Sharks' turnaround in 2006 by going from cellar dwellers to being a bonus point off a finals birth for the first time since 2004. The season started badly for the Capetonians- a handful of losses (including being held scoreless to the Crusaders at home) and what was looking to be another painful season for the proud and dedicated Stormers fans. But on the road everything started to gel for the team. With 3 wins out of 4 on the away leg things had really turned around for the Stormers who, a draw to the Waratahs aside, went on to win all their games for the rest of the season. This great turn around is largely the work of the super dynamic Rassie Erasmus who proved with the Cheetahs what he could do with only the most modest resources. For the Stormers things look promising in 2009.

The Currie Cup again saw Western Province out of the top four but with a fair number of players off with the Springboks this isn't such a bad thing and the squad may be a bit stronger this year with a few of the younger players getting some game time.

Comings and Goings
As always the South African teams are always hard to keep up to date with but here goes. Starting with the fatties, prop Eddie Andrews has finally retired due to injury. The Stormers have the weakest front row of the South African teams and a fit and healthy Andrews would have been good. Front row partner Tiaan Liebenberg was released during the Currie Cup to take up a playing position in Europe. Liebenberg was a solid hooker but found himself playing second fiddle to the highly mobile Schalk Brits. Super fatty Robbie Diack was also released and the 120kg number 8 will be enjoying his burgers European style from now on. Big lock Ross Skeate has taken up a post at Toulon. My records also say young lock Francois van der Merwe has moved on.

Erasmus' replacement players are very interesting indeed. The Stormers are reknown for their back row talent and despite only losing Robbie Diack from the back row, three new back rowers have joined the squad. Hilton Lobberts has come in from the Bulls and between him and Schalk Burger you can bet on a yellow card a game on average. I missed him in the Cheetahs report but Duane Vermeulen has been coaxed to the south west by Erasmus. While 2008 Barbarian Nick Koster also comes into the side and will make his Super 14 debut this year. Centre Paul Bosch has also joined the squad. In later weeks the Stormers will release a number of academy players who will join the senior squad too.

Keep an eye out for
Andries Bekker as the tallest player in the Super 14 he is hard to miss. The 2.08cm giant seemed inconsistent in SA's tests in 2008 but months before he was dominating the line-outs in the Super 14. He was in red hot form and tore more than a few quality line-outs to shreds. With the Stormers unable to mix it as strongly in the scrums this area of the set-piece is an absolute must and Bekker will need to be back in the zone. It can't be easy carry that hulking body around a rugby pitch for 80 minutes though.

On the other end of the scale, diminutive terrier Ricky Januarie will be out there bigging it up (pardon the pun) for all the little people. It wasn't really happening for Januarie at the Lions and his position was being threatened but the trip to the Cape has done him no end of good and saw him back in green in 2008. The combative scrum half just never seems to stop hounding and his aggression is proof in the pudding of small man syndrome. The highlight of Januarie's 2008 was a solo matching winning try in Dunedin for the Springboks first win over the All Blacks at home in a very, very long time. Rest assured that in a month he will be there yipping and scratching and kicking and whining at the base of a ruck or at the back of the scrum and doing what he does best putting on the pressure. His backrow will need that extra time to bring on the pain. The last feather in Januarie's belt is being up there as one of the ugliest players in the Super 14.

Prediction for 2009
Erasmus is up to something. Three new impressive backrowers to compliment Schalk Burger and Luke Watson. He has been talking of using Nick Koster as more of a winger than flanker which gets you thinking: With a faster ELVs game the importance of attacking the breakdown is supreme. Is Erasmus trying to build a team of highly mobile 'turn over terriers'? I for one would love to know what he is thinking. That aside the squad looks just as good as the one from 2008 but with one big thing on their side- confidence. They know they can do it because they almost did in 2008. Erasmus has had another year to groom his squad and bring in more ideas. The Stormers are going to be a very dangerous team in 2009 but face a considerably harder away leg. A five match away leg against the Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders, Brumbies and Waratahs may just leave them reeling. They are a tight squad but their front row will be targetted often and I don't think its enough for them to go all the way. There will be success in the Stormers future but I don't think it will be this year. 5th again.