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Rest on the cards for Pieter-Steph

Cape Town - You have to go back all the way to March 26 to find the last time Pieter-Steph du Toit missed a match. 

That was when he was rested for the Stormers' Super Rugby trip to Buenos Aires when they edged the Jaguares 13-8. 

Since then, Du Toit has started eight straight matches for the Stormers. 

He also played in all three of the Tests between the Springboks and Ireland in June and was straight back into the Stormers starting line-up when Super Rugby resumed last weekend. 

It is safe to say that the towering second-rower needs a rest, but listening to Stormers assistant coach Russell Winter talking on Tuesday, that rest is unlikely to come against the Force in Perth this weekend. 

The Stormers are a win away from securing a home quarter-final, and they can achieve that on Saturday. 

Listening to Winter, next weekend's clash against the Kings in Cape Town is a more likely rest window for Du Toit ... if all goes well in Perth.

"We've been speaking a lot about how we're going to manage him and his game time," said Winter.

"Whether or not that's an option just yet, I'm not sure.

"But over the next two weeks ... he has played a lot of rugby and we've tried to manage him the best we can.

"This weekend is an important game and Pieter is definitely one of those players who we chat to every day and with the medical team to make sure he is fresh.

"Hopefully we'll be in that position to give him a rest but we're going to take no chances. We'll see if we can give him a rest sometime soon."

Winter added that Du Toit had been fantastic for the Stormers this season since relocating from Durban and the Sharks.

"He's been absolutely phenomenal for us this season. He's been a great addition to this Stormers side," said Winter.

"His lineout calls have been great, him and Eben (Etzebeth) have been contesting lineouts ... the two of them make a great combination."

Du Toit has played 924 minutes for the Stormers compared to Etzebeth's 597 because of the latter's calf injury he sustained midway through the season.

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