Vodacom Super 14
Rassie looks to Currie Cup
2009-05-06 14:04
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Rassie Erasmus (Gallo Images)
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Gavin Rich
Cape Town - The omission of Percy Montgomery from the Vodacom Stormers team for Saturday’s final home Super 14 match against the Force at Newlands can be explained by Rassie Erasmus’ long term plan.
In naming a team on Wednesday that included three changes from the one that went down 28-14 to the Chiefs last time out, Erasmus said that Joe Pietersen’s inclusion at fullback was with the Currie Cup in mind.
“Conrad Jantjes will be out for the entire Currie Cup season and maybe next year’s Super 14 as well, and as you know Percy is retiring after the Super 14, so it makes sense for us to play Joe there this week,” said Erasmus.
“Some of you wrote earlier in the season that Joe might have been set back a bit by being asked to play flyhalf by us, and maybe you were right. Fullback is Joe’s best position, and I would like to give him a chance to play there and show us what he can do ahead of the Currie Cup.
“Most of the players who are playing for us this week will also be playing for us in the Currie Cup, so this is a good time to start building towards that competition.”
Pietersen comes in for Jantjes, with Tiger Bax, who played as a replacement at Newlands, dropping out of the squad completely.
“We did not expect Conrad to get a big injury like that so early in the game. Our intention was to play Tiger later in the match, which would have been different,” said the coach.
Tonderai Chavhanga loses his place at right wing to Gcobani Bobo in the other backline change, while Pieter Louw comes in for the injured Schalk Burger on the flank. As announced earlier this week, Luke Watson assumes the captaincy.
Duane Vermeulen missed training on Wednesday due to a groin problem but Erasmus described it as a precautionary measure.
“With all the loose-forwards that we have out I just didn’t want to risk another injury to a flank,” he said.
Hooker Schalk Brits, who Erasmus says he still rates as one of potentially the best loose-forwards in the country, will act as loose-forward cover from the bench, with three front-row players being named among the reserves. Centre Morgan Newman comes onto the bench as one of the backline reserves.
Vodacom Stormers team: Joe Pietersen, Gcobani Bobo, Dylan des Fountain, Peter Grant, Sireli Naqelevuki, Willem de Waal, Dewaldt Duvenage, Luke Watson (captain), Duane Vermeulen, Pieter Louw, AJ Venter, Hilton Lobberts, Brok Harris, Tiaan Liebenberg, JD Moller.
Reserves: Schalk Brits, Wicus Blaauw, Brian Mujati, Martin Muller, Ricky Januarie, Morgan Newman, Tonderai Chavhanga.