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Cape Town - Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has cleared the air over Stormers fullback Jaco Taute's possible extension at the Irish club.
Sport24 reported on Thursday that the club requested an extension to Taute's short-term loan.
The 25-year-old joined the Irish club on a four-month loan basis in September this year.
Taute's contract extension has raised eyebrows, as Erasmus was able to call on two overseas centres (Taute and Francis Saili) into the squad.
"I'm not sure what the other provinces' cases were," said Erasmus, as quoted by the Irish Times.
"Our one is a simple one. We got an injury, we got a stand-in and now we’ve got some more injuries so that's how our one has been presented. I think it's a very valid reason to try and do that."
The Irish Independent reported a possible six-month extension with Munster, which would see the Stormers be without Taute for the vast majority of their Super Rugby campaign, which starts at home against the Bulls on Saturday, February 25.
The Munster deal needs to be struck by midnight on Saturday.
Erasmus continued to back his decision in keeping Taute, who has been outstanding for Munster in the first half of the Guinness Pro12 season.
"The nice thing about Jaco is that he's played fullback at provincial level and actually was in Springbok camps as a fullback," said Erasmus.
"He's got 90-plus games in the back three so that would help us if he could stay on and I think we'll find a way. It's not done yet."
Taute became a Springbok in 2012, but his career has been blighted by injury since joining Western Province in 2013.
He has represented the Stormers in only 23 Super Rugby games.
Taute is set to play his final game of his loan deal on New Year’s Eve against Connacht in Galway.
