Share

Stormers' injury woes continue

Cape Town - Three Stormers players have been ruled out of action with injuries following their clash against the Crusaders over the weekend.

Wing Gerhard van der Heever (knee), flank Rynhardt Elstadt (shoulder) and lock Don Armand (ribs) will be unable to play for at least two weeks.

Flyhalf Elton Jantjies, centre Juan de Jongh and prop Pat Cilliers sat out at Monday's training, all nursing a variety of bruises. They were, howeve,r all expected to be fit for the trip to Bloemfontein next weekend.

"The Crusaders match has left us without the services of at least three players, but we have [prop Steven] Kitshoff coming back," Stormers head coach Allister Coetzee told reporters in Cape Town on Monday.

"One of the good things for us this week is that Michael Rhodes is back after a couple of outings for the [WP] Vodacom Cup team.

"Don Armand has a rib injury muscle and [lock] Gerbrandt Grobler has been training with the squad so he's ready to step in."

Coetzee said the side has learnt valuable lessons in a lost cause against the Crusaders and he felt the experience will prove of great benefit.

"We've seen how well the Crusaders did their homework and we know that we can expect the same from the Cheetahs this week," said Coetzee.

"The Crusaders have learnt to put all teams under pressure. Despite our lapse, our players will continue to back themselves, which is pleasing because the confidence is still there.

"After we lost our first line-out it became increasingly difficult to get a hold on the game because our execution [at the set-piece] was not sharp at all."

After their poor line-out display, there was very little Coetzee can do in terms of changing personnel, but feels the Stormers should stick to basics.

The promotion, from the bench, of Springbok Pat Cilliers to the run-on XV last week proved successful, although he was likely to make way for Kitshoff.

"I was pleased with the way Pat scrummed," Coetzee said.

"His work rate was right up there, and he was impressive against a quality team."

Coetzee said the team's lack of possession curtailed the attacking instincts of flyhalf Elton Jantjies, and he was forced into a largely kicking role.

"Elton made a few knock-ons, but his out-of-hand kicking was still good," said Coetzee.

"In the context of the game, his job was mainly to kick. It was tough on him because we hardly had any ball to play with. This week we'll have show improvement in all facets of the game if we want to do well against the Cheetahs."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE