Stormers Training squad

All the WP contracted have started training already.  The injured players return for re-hab as well.

There are a few Springboks/Barbarians who are allowed to join training at a later stage (Aplon, de Villiers, Schalk Burger, Vermeulen, Malherbe (inj) & Etzebeth (inj)) as well as Cheslin Kolbe who is with the Blitzbokke and Argentinians lock Manuel Carizza.

Players currently injured or returning from injury in addition to Malherbe and Etzebeth are : Jaco Taute, Kyle Lombard,  Gary van Aswegen, Ryno Eksteen, Jurie van Vuuren, Gerbrandt Grobler, Oli Kebble, Sti Sithole & Tiaan Liebenberg).

There are also 8 2014 WPRI players who have been asked to join training. They are Grant Hermanus (returns to school next year), EW Viljoen, Daniel du Plessis, Jarryd Sage, Justin Phillips, Rickus Bothma, Jacques Vermeulen & JD Schickerling.

Peter Grant will also be part of the squad according to the newspaper I read earlier today.

Next year this squad will be split into a Super Rugby squad and Vodacom Cup squad.

BACKS

Jaco Taute (22) (full-back)

Gio Aplon (31) (full-back, wing)

Cheslin Kolbe (20) (full-back-wing)

Pat Howard (21) (wing, outside-centre)

Devon Williams (21) (wing)

JP Lewis (20) (wing)

Grant Hermanus (18) (wing)

EW Viljoen (18) (full-back)

Jean de Villiers (32) (centre)

Damian de Allende (22) (centre, wing)

Juan de Jongh (25) (outside-centre)

Michael van der Spuy (22) (outside-centre)

Kobus van Wyk (21) (inside-centre)

Johnny Kotze (20) (outside-centre)

Kyle Lombard (20) (inside-centre)

Jarryd Sage (18) (outside-centre)

Daniel du Plessis (18) (inside-centre)

Demtri Catrakilis (24) (fly-half)

Peter Grant (29) (fly-half, inside-centre)

Kurt Coleman (23) (fly-half)

Gary van Aswegen (23) (fly-half)

Ryno Eksteen (19) (fly-half)

Louis Schreuder (23) (scrum-half)

Nic Groom (23) (scrum-half)

Godlen Masimla (21) (scrum-half)

Jean Nel (20) (scrum-half)

Justin Phillips (18) (scrum-half)

FORWARDS

Loose-forwards

Duane Vermeulen (27) (8th-man)

Siya Kolisi (22)

Deon Fourie (27)

Nizaam Carr (22) (8th-man)

Rynhardt Elstadt (24)

Schalk Burger (30)

Rohan Kitshoff (28)

Rayn Smid (21) (8th-man)

Sikhumbuzo Notshe (20)

Josh Katzen (21)

Justin Benn (20) (8th-man)

Jurie van Vuuren (20) (can cover lock)

Eital Bredenkamp (20)

Carel du Preez (20) (can cover lock)

Rickus Bothma (18) (8th-man)

Jacques Vermeulen (18)

Locks

de Kock Steenkamp (26)

Eben Etzebeth (22)

Manuel Carizza (29)

Michael Rhodes (26)

Tazz Fuzani (22)

Gerbrandt Grobler (21)

Ruan Botha (21)

Jean Kleyn (20)

JD Schickerling (18)

Tight-head Props

Frans Malherbe (22)

Pat Cilliers (26)

Justin Ackerman (21)

Entienne Swanpoel (20)

Loose-head Props

Steve Kitshoff (21)

Brok Harris (28)

Oliver Kebble (21)

Alistair Vermaak (24)

Sti Sithole (20)

Hookers

Tiaan Liebenberg (32)

Scarra Ntubeni (22)

Stephan Coetzee (21)

Mike Willemse (20)

Freddie Kirsten (20)

WP XV

Saffex was trying to get hold f you about the EG Jansen team that will e playing his school this weekend.   He wanted to know whether there are any kids that you know about that would be standout players he must look for in the EG Jansen team.  If you can help - please open a thread on the issue.   The match apparently is on Saturday - so it is urgent.

 Beeno

The problem is not necessarily the squad - it is what witless Coetzee is going to select that is more important.   His love for midgets is well-known - as is his addiction to players like Knobel, De Jongh and  Coleman.   None o those 3 are anywhere near Super 15 level players.

If I have top select a team from that squad - I would select the following:-

15  Jaco Taute

14  Gio Aplon

13  Jean de Villiers

12  Damian de Allende

11  Pat Howard

10  Demitri Catrakilis

  9  Louis Schreuder

  8  Duane Vermeulen

  7  Runhardt Elstadt

  6  Deon Fourie        -

  5  Manual Carizza

  4  Ruan Botha

  3  Frans Malhebe

  2  Tiaan Liebenberg

  1  Steven Kitshoff

Not bad - but that team does not include enough BEE players and definitely not the favourite midgets of Coetzee - so no chance of selection of that team.

Unfortunately not Mike. A bit late now but all I know is that the Falcons Craven Week team this year was dominated by EG Jansen.

 Valke: 15 Kobus Engelbrecht (EG Jansen), 14 Darren de Bruyn (Jeugland), 13 Sampie Hearn (EG Jansen), 12 Zander Cronje (EG Jansen), 11 Elrin van Rooyen (Vereeniging Gimnasium), 10 Ruan Potgieter (EG Jansen), 9 MJ van Vuuren (Transvalia), 8 Mornè Swart (EG Jansen), 7 Marco Holmes (EG Jansen), 6 Joswin de Wee (Vereeniging Gimnasium), 5 Estiaan Enslin (EG Jansen), 4 Rulani Ncubuka (AHS Sasolburg), 3 D Venter (Vereeniging Gimnasium), 2 Pieter Jansen (EG Jansen), 1 Thabo Pitsi (Rhodes).
Reserves: 16 M Greyvenstein (EG Jansen), 17 Arnaut Malberbe (Transvalia), 18 Ben Wepener (Kemptonpark), 19 Eddie Mlotshwa (Kemptonpark), 20 R Solomons (Carel de Wet THS), 21 Cameron Rooi (Die Anker), 22 Jacqone de Villiers (Vereeniging Gimnasium).

Not sure why there is the negativity towards Kolbe. He was sensational on attack in the Curie Cup. Along with Aplon they had the most line brekas in the competition. Their defence isn't anything to be ashamed about either. Basically both are freaks in my eyes.

Interview with Swiel on leaving WP

http://www.hssm.co.za/news/rugby/national/2013/one-one-sas-promising-flyhalf-timothy-swiel

Interview with Howard about joining senior ranks permanently

http://www.hssm.co.za/news/rugby/national/2013/patrick-howard-looks-break-wp-senior-ranks?utm_content=buffera979c&utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer

I think the young players too watch moving up from the u21s will be Pat Howard, Devon Williams, Kobus van Wyk & Godlen Masimla in the backline.

Howard is strong and powerful but looks a confidence player to me. Often doesn't get involved much in games. There is no doubting his raw attributes. Huge pre-season for him. I think he will need to get his chance on the wing. Mainly because he has more opportunity of getting a go there first.

Williams is a devastating runner with the ball in hand on the wing and has handy left boot. Won WP u21 back of the year in 2012 as an u20.

Masimla is a very efficient scrum-half who was very good in the u21 final. Arguably our best back line player on the day. Good decision making and good pace off the mark.

van Wyk (94kg) is a strong running number 12 with strong defence. Will be difficult for him to break into the senior set-up much like Michael van der Spuy (89kg). Through the age groups van Wyk and Howard (101kg) were a centre partnership.

Next years u21 partnership will be former Bishops boy Johnny Kotze (89kg) (very good off-loader in the tackle) and Kyle Lombard (87kg) but Quite a few will be licking their lips at the u19 duo of Daniel du Plessis (93kg) and Jarryd Sage (92kg). Both have rugby genes. Michael du Plessis (father of Daniel) & Doug Hopwood (grandfather of Sage) played for the Springboks.

Other Under 19s invites to train with the seniors in EW Viljoen (92kg) (powerful and clever full-back we got from FS) , Grant Hermanus (76kg) (winger who kicks for polls) & Justin Phillips (76kg) (SA Schools 2 years in a row who the Bulls lost) are all highly rated and all were SA Schools 2013.

With regards to fly-halves. It seems we will be going with Catrakilis and Grant as our main two options. Coleman and van Aswegen I believe will fade over time due to lack of opportunites and age. When WP announced they lost Tim Swiel they spoke of their talents in Ryno Eksteen and 2014 WPRI fly-halves Brandon Thompson (SA Schools from Pumas) & Ernst Stapelberg (from EP Kings).

On to the forwards.

Back-row groupings:

1) Vermeulen, Burger, Kolisi

2) Carr, Elstadt, Fourie

3) Smid, Notshe, Katzen

A good first 6 options. A mixture of senior experience and youthful experience. They may look to Rohan Kitshoff but I hope they look at the loose trio that won us the u21 Currie Cup. Arguably these 3 were the biggest reasons. Smid is strong in defence and strong ball carrier (physicality) while Notshe is powerful but quick and was a real stand out this past season. Katzen though is the best find WPRU will make. He is the splitting image of Corne Krige in style. Watch him he will go places.

The u21sloose-forwards are decent next season but I don't expect them to rip up trees. The u20s (last season u19s) were always a bad bunch so we look at the 2014 WPRI intake and Rickus Bothma (102kg) and Jacques Vermeulen (104kg) have huge futures ahead of them. They were both SA Schools and took Craven Week by storm.

Our lock situation:

Etzebeth & Grobler are basically out for the season. Huge losses but both are young and will come back stronger.

I would imagine de Kock Steenkamp, Manuel Carizza and Michael Rhodes will share the duties. A trio of Tazz Fuzani, Ruan Botha and Jean Kleyn will all be there and there abouts. Fuzani impressed greatly in the Currie Cup. A great find from Club rugby and he weighs in at 116kg. Ruan Botha is a master technician in the line out and like Paul Willemse left the Lions as a youngster. Jean Kleyn is a name to watch as well. Highly rated in the WP corridors. 2014 WPRI player JD Schickerling has a hug future ahead of him as well. He made SA Schools in 2012 and would have done so in 2013 if not for injury.

Our props:

1) Kitshoff 3) Malherbe

1) Harris 3) Cilliers

1) Kebble 3) Swanepoel

We pretty much know the first 4 but big things are expected of Kebble and Swanepoel. U21 Coach John Dobson thinks these 2 have huge futures and Kebble has come along way from his SA u20 performances and is shaping up nicely winning WP u21 forward of the year. Both weigh over 120kgs and will make Cilliers and Harris look over their shoulders.

Hookers will be Liebenberg and Ntubeni with possibly Fourie filling in. The most exciting youngster is the energetic Mike Willemse who will bring power in the scrum but good skills in open play too.