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Duvenage has been struggling with the calf injury that has plagued him over the past month for much of the build-up week to the Newlands clash. Although Stormers assistant coach Robbie Fleck said that Duvenage’s condition was much improved on Thursday evening, the word from the Stormers management after the captain’s practice on Friday was that no decision had been made.
According to Stormers spokesman Gavin Lewis, coach Allister Coetzee has delayed a final call on Duvenage until Saturday morning. Given that Coetzee is always reluctant to field a player when he is less than 100%, it would appear that it is unlikely Duvenage will play.
Louis Schreuder, who trained with the Stormers for the entire week and was the starting scrumhalf against the Cheetahs in the last league match, will play scrumhalf if Duvenage is not ready. There is a chance that the Stormers might play Duvenage off the bench, where he would be required as flyhalf cover for Peter Grant in the absence of a specialist pivot.
Nic Groom, who finished the Bloemfontein match at scrumhalf, will sit on the bench should Duvenage be forced out of the squad entirely.
The news on Jaque Fourie is much more positive – the Springbok passed a fitness test on Thursday and is considered “100% ready to play”.
