CAn anybody intelligent explain why the Stormers have so many injuries and the season hasnt even started. Waht a bunch of amateurs. Smal get in professions please!!
Ex Supersport
England Sevens star Mat Turner has been given an opportunity to play himself into the DHL Stormers’ Super Rugby plans.
Turner has been training with the Stormers during the pre-season, with coach Allister Coetzee saying a few weeks ago that he wasn’t contracted and had just asked if he could join the practices as a way to keep himself fit. Coetzee also said that should Turner want to play for the Stormers, he would have to work his way in through the system, meaning Vodacom Cup.
However, the injury situation at the Stormers is now dire enough as the new Super Rugby season approaches for Turner to be given a playing opportunity, which he will be afforded off the bench in Saturday’s final warm-up fixture against the Boland Cavaliers at the Cape Town Stadium.
With the Stormers being on the look-out for quick, big wings, Turner can certainly solve a potential problem for the Cape franchise if he performs well when given an opportunity against Boland (Howard fits the bill as did van der heever. Cant wait for the half baked Coetzee to depart. He ahs given both these palyers scant opportunity).
Springbok Sevens star Danwel Demas is another non-contracted player who will get an opportunity in Saturday’s game, as is his fellow Sevens international Tshotsho Mbovane. (Dumas was shown to be quick but is fragile)
The Stormers team has a second or third string look to it as several top players are still unavailable, with Coetzee not prepared to risk the likes of Ruan Botha, Frans Malherbe, Nizaam Carr, Siya Kolisi and Damian de Allende as they come back from injuries. Time will tell how many of those players, none of whom have played much rugby so far this year, will be in the selection mix for the 14 February Super Rugby opener against the Vodacom Bulls at Loftus.
Injuries in some areas have already robbed the Stormers of depth, most notably the second row, where Eben Etzebeth and Manuel Carizza are both out injured while Gerbrandt Grobler is out after failing a drug test late last season. (Add in the injury to Jean and the non availabilty of Schalk and its a dismal picture to start a season like this - how fit is Kebble I see he will not be playing))
The youthful Stormers team will be led by hooker Neil Rautenbach and while head coach Coetzee will be preparing the side during the week, newly appointed Western Province Currie Cup coach John Dobson will be taking the reins of the team at kick-off.
An interesting selection is that of the talented former WP under-21 hooker Michael Willemse at openside flank, which is an area where the Stormers could be short should Carr and Kolisi experience any more injury problems. (Scurra will be found out this Super 15. Will he last. At a very max of 100 kg he will struggle and weakens our scrum)
Stormers team: 15.EW Viljoen, 14.Tshotsho Mbovane, 13.Jarryd Sage, 12.Kyle Lombard, 11.Danwel Demas, 10.Robert du Preez, 9.Godlen Masimla, 8.Sikhumbuzo Notshe, 7.Luke van der Smit, 6.Michael Willemse, 5.Chris van Zyl, 4.David Ribbans, 3.Frans van Wyk, 2.Neil Rautenbach (captain), 1.Oli Kebble.
Replacements: 16.Liam Hendricks, 17.Deacon Chowlse, 18.Burger van Niekerk, 19.Johan Momsen, 20.Luke Stringer, 21.Justin Phillips, 22.SP Ferreira, 23.Ryno Eksteen, 24.Mat Turner, 25.Shuiab Samaai.
