Super 14

The Stormers so often flatter only to deceive. Too often they have promised much but in the end delivered little.

As Western Province they have not won the Currie Cup since 2001, and in the four years of the Super 14, the Stormers have finished eleventh, tenth, fifth and tenth on the log. Only in 2008 did they manage to score more Super 14 points than they conceded.

There were high hopes for them last year but they won only five games, scoring 14 points fewer in total than they conceded. They conceded fewer points in total than 11 other teams, but just couldn't put sufficient points on the board to win more games.

Visit the World Rugby Shop to purchase official gear of the Super 14

They reached the play-offs twice in the Super 12, losing their semi-finals in 1999 and 2004, but except for 2008, have not come close to playing in a semi-final again.

All that notwithstanding, their squad boasts the calibre of players and the depth in player reserves for them to be one of the leading teams in the 2010 Super 14.

In Schalk Burger, Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie they have three of the most respected players in international rugby as the core of the team. They have a big group of talented players around them, with a good balance between experienced campaigners and young players of real potential.

Strengths: A balanced team, with forwards capable of winning sufficient possession for a backline loaded with attacking skills. Tight defence. A range of attacking options, with strong-running loose forwards, quality midfield backs and a potent back three.

Weaknesses: Not winning big games. They had their Currie Cup semi-final pretty much sewn up in October before blowing it at the death. They lost Super 14 matches last year that were there for the winning. Will their tight five sustain the progress they've made in the past couple of years since they were disparagingly referred to as the 'light five'?

Noteworthy signings: Two of the top backs in world rugby: from the Bulls, left wing Bryan Habana (57 Test caps) and from the Lions, centre Jaque Fourie (54 Test caps). From the Cheetahs: fly half Lionel Cronje and wing Fabian Juries. Argentinean international tight-head Eusebio Guiñazú.

Noteworthy losses: 2009 Stormers captain and Springbok centre (55 Tests) Jean de Villiers to Munster; centre Gcobani Bobo to Newcastle; prop Brian Mujati to Northampton Saints; loose forward Luke Watson to Bath; hooker Schalk Brits to Saracens. Springbok veterans Percy Montgomery and AJ Venter have retired.

Coach: Western Province senior professional coach Rassie Erasmus has appointed Allister Coetzee as Stormers head coach. His assistants will be Robbie Fleck as backline coach and Matthew Proudfoot as forwards coach. Coetzee was assistant coach to Jake White through his four years as Springbok coach, including at the 2007 World Cup.

Captain: With Jean de Villiers having transferred to Munster, Schalk Burger has been appointed captain. The SA and IRB Player of the Year in 2004, the 26-year old Burger has played 60 Super games for the Stormers and in 55 Tests for the Springboks. He says that as captain his approach is to lead by example, but he is more cerebral than may appear obvious and his astute reading of the game should not be underrated.

Potential bolters: Dewaldt Duvenage may be diminutive but he is durable and resilient, playing in 10 matches for the Stormers and 15 for Western Province in 2009. He displaced Springbok Ricky Januarie as first-choice scrumhalf and has shown special skill both in his kicking game and his distribution. He reads the game astutely. Juan de Jongh graduated from club rugby to Western Province last year and did so well that he was selected for the Springboks November tour, where he played in the two midweek games. A small but strong centre (comfortable at 12 or 13), he is regarded as a particularly bright prospect. Duvenage and De Jongh are both 21 years old.

2009 Position: 10th
Best finish: 2nd in 1999 (lost in semi-final)
Worst finish: 11th in 1996 (Super 12) and 11th in 2006 (Super 14)
Home Venue: Newlands, Cape Town (capacity 49 000)

2010 Prospects: On the basis of the progress they made (as Western Province) in the Currie Cup, and with the recruitment of superstar backs Bryan Habana and Jaque Fourie, this could just be the year the Stormers finally fulfil their promise to be in the frame come the play-offs.

Stormers squad (provisional):
Props: Wicus Blaauw, Brok Harris, JD Moller, JC Kritzinger, Eusebio Guinazu
Hookers: Tiaan Liebenberg, Deon Fourie
Locks: Andries Bekker, Anton van Zyl De Kock Steenkamp, Adriaan Fondse
Loose forwards: Schalk Burger, Francois Louw, Duane Vermeulen, Pieter Myburgh, Pieter Louw, Jacques Potgieter, Hilton Lobberts
Scrum halves: Dewaldt Duvenage, Ricky Januarie, Bolla Conradie
Fly halves: Peter Grant (or centre), Willem de Waal, Lionel Cronje
Centres: Jaque Fourie, Juan de Jongh, Frikkie Welsh, Dylan des Fountain, Morgan Newman
Wings: Bryan Habana, Gio Aplon, JJ Engelbrecht, Sireli Naqelevuki, Fabian Juries, Nick Koster
Full backs: Joe Pietersen, Conrad Jantjes
(Fondse, Jantjes, Koster, Des Fountain, Newman are all recovering from injury)

Schedule:
Saturday 13 February: v Lions, away
Saturday 20 February: v Waratahs, home
Friday 26 February: v Brumbies,  home
Saturday 6 March: v Highlanders, home
Saturday 13 March: v Hurricanes, home
Saturday 20 March: v Cheetahs, home
Friday 2 April: v Western Force, away
Saturday 10 April: v Blues, away
Friday 16 April: v Chiefs, away
Friday 23 April: v Reds, away
Friday 30 April: v Crusaders, home
Saturday 8 May: v Sharks, away
Saturday 15 May: v Bulls, home

By Len Kaplan