Peter Grant to miss tour and Burger remains on sidelines

Schalk Burger won’t play against the Crusaders and it is uncertain when he will make his Super Rugby return.

Burger tore knee ligaments 15 minutes into the 2012 season and hasn’t played since. (What is going on???)

Peter Grant is a non starter for the overseas tour.

Stormers coach Allister Coetzee confirmed Peter Grant would be out of action for at least 6 weeks, Grant joins Burger on the long term injury list, after Coetzee mentioned that his knee injury will only be re-assessed before they tour.

Grant’s injury means that either or even both Gary van Aswegen and Kurt Coleman will tour with the team as back-up to Elton Jantjies. Jantjies finally showed some of the form that we all know he can produce, against the Brumbies last Saturday, and is sure to enjoy an extended run as starting pivot.

Good news is that Gio Aplon came through his concussion tests and should be available for selection against the Crusaders this weekend. Should he not make the team, it is expected that Jaco Taute will slot into fullback while Joe Pietersen shifts to the wing.

Steven Kitshoff’s suspension will result in either Brok Harris or Pat Cilliers starting in the front row.

Seems will will have the microlights again. Wonder if Allende can force a change. Looks like the same team once again.

The Stormers’ overseas tour appears to be what coach Allister Coetzee is working towards as atarget for captain Schalk Burger’s return to the playing field.

Burger remains sidelined after tearing calf ligaments in the pre-season, with the injury putting on hold his intended comeback after a year away from the playing field following a serious knee injury. There appears to be a lot of pessimism about Burger’s chances of making a full comeback, but that negativity is not shared by Coetzee, who appointed Burger as squad captain at the start of the year.

“We just need Schalk to get back to the conditioning level that is necessary for Super Rugby, and at the moment he is a bit of a way from that,” said Coetzee.

“Schalk will be reassessed in three weeks, and we will take it from there. If he is ready to play again then, it will be just before our overseas tour, so he can definitely tour with us if everything goes well. But I don’t want to see Schalk on the field until he can do everything 100% and is able to run flat out.”

The Stormers’ first tour game is on 26 April against the Hurricanes in Wellington, and their last home game before the bye that precedes the tour is the big derby match against the Sharks on 13 April. Burger definitely won’t be ready to face the Sharks, but there is an outside chance that Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth will be.

“We are on a three week plan with Eben starting from now so it is possible he could play some role in the Sharks game,” said Coetzee.

Also hoping to be back in the mix in three weeks is hooker Scarra Ntubeni. One of the heroes of the Western Province victory in the Currie Cup final against the Sharks last Octobert, Ntubeni started training again on Monday after undergoing a shoulder operation during the off-season.

The player the Stormers are really missing is Etzebeth.......his return, plus Taute for Joe at 15 and de Allende for de Jongh at 13 would make the Stormers a formidable side.

A side of: 15. Taute 14. Aplon 13. de Allende 12. Jean 11. v/d Heever 10. Jantjies 9. Groom 1. Kitshoff 2. Liebenberg 3. Malherbe 4. Etzebeth 5. Bekker 6. Kolisi 7. Elstadt 8. Vermeulen.......will take some beating.