Great pity but player well being has to be paramount
Ex Supersport:
HL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has ruled regular skipper Duane Vermeulen out of Saturday’s Vodacom Super Rugby Finals Series first leg match against the Brumbies at Newlands.
The Stormers were last week holding thumbs that Vermeulen would make enough progress from the neck spasm that prevented him from playing in the South African conference decider against the Emirates Lions to be available for what is effectively a quarterfinal. The prognosis from a series of neuro specialists consulted was good.
However, although Vermeulen has experienced enough of an improvement for Coetzee to be hopeful that he could be available for a semifinal should the Stormers get there, he is still experiencing pain and problems with his range of movement and Coetzee says he is not prepared to risk his long term health.
“Duane has been improving a hell of a lot, but I don’t think it’s enough for this weekend. I have ruled him out of this weekend’s game, but I am hopeful that there is a chance he will be able to play in later games in the knock-out phase should we get through the quarterfinal.
“It’s all about getting Duane to be pain free and to have a full range of movement. At the moment that looks like it could take a couple of days or it could take a week or two. Who knows, maybe he will be back in time to play in future play-off games, but we have to be absolutely sure that he is alright. We don’t want to set him back by playing him when he isn’t 100 percent right.”
Ironically, it is the third successive Super Rugby play-off fixture, spread across three separate seasons, that Vermeulen will be missing. He was ruled out of the 2011 and 2012 home semifinals against the Crusaders and Cell C Sharks respectively, and his absence was sorely felt in both games.
However, Coetzee doesn’t believe that comparing Vermuelen’s absence in the Brumbies game with those years is comparing apples with apples.
“The big difference now is that we have trusted our squad system and we have managed to win games this season without Duane, so we don’t feel like we are over-reliant on him,” said Coetzee.
“In 2012 when he was ruled out we had no ready replacement as other loose-forwards were also injured. So we ended up with Deon Fourie playing at No 8. Of course up to that point he had played mostly at hooker.
“Now we have Nizaam Carr ready to come in as the No 8, and he is a Springbok. That makes a big difference. What Nizaam brings might not be the same as what Duane brings, but he is a good player and I have been impressed with his recent form. He made a slow start to the season but has been playing much better over the past few weeks.”
Coetzee said that as soon as Vermeulen is free of pain he will start with cardio sessions.
“There has to be movement without pain. Pain is the indicator. He’s also got to be mentally comfortable with the situation. He has to feel fine and not be running onto the field worried that he might end up feeling worse.
“Obviously we will miss him, you have to miss a player like him because he is such an influence and such a presence in every game he plays. But what has worked for us this season is backing the squad, and when we sent Duane home from Australia we beat the Brumbies and then the Western Force.
“We don’t have to play a hooker at No 8 this time, we can play another Bok No 8, and we also have Michael Rhodes fit again and back on the field, as well as Schalk Burger and Siya Kolisi in good form.”
Coetee must be joking if he thinks Carr is a Bok number 8!!
However Allistair configures the loose trio he had better have Burger and Rhodes starting.
