Tiaan Liebenberg will start at hooker for the Stormers at Newlands this Saturday in the absence of injured incumbent Deon Fourie.
Fourie sustained a hamstring injury in last week’s win against the Bulls. He has been ruled out of the Stormers’ last league match against the Sharks, which is also the Cape side’s last of the season.
Coach Allister Coetzee has made no further changes to the starting XV. A victory against the Sharks this Saturday would allow the Stormers to finish the season with eight wins, and two against the South African conference champions.
“Like I said at the start of last week, these last two games are very important for us, but this last one is probably the most important one because that is where you leave your last impressions,” said Coetzee.
“We definitely would like to end the 2014 season on a high. If we don’t get the result it will be a bit of a setback.”
Liebenberg’s promotion to the starting line-up sees Stephan Coetzee included on the bench as hooker cover.
Schalk Burger will again lead the team from the No 7 jersey, before he leaves for Japan until the start of the 2015 Vdoacom Super Rugby tournament. Gio Aplon will make his last appearance before taking up a contract with French club Grenoble.
DHL Stormers: 15 Jaco Taute, 14 Gio Aplon, 13 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 12 Juan de Jongh, 11 Cheslin Kolbe, 10 Kurt Coleman, 9 Nic Groom, 8 Duane Vermeulen, 7 Schalk Burger (Captain), 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Ruan Botha, 4 Michael Rhodes, 3 Pat Cilliers, 2 Tiaan Liebenberg, 1 Alistair Vermaak
Replacements: 16 Stephan Coetzee, 17 Sti Sithole, 18 Martin Dreyer, 19 Manuel Carizza, 20 Siya Kolisi, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Peter Grant, 23 Seabelo Senatla.
Although Deon Fourie at hooker gives most Stormer supporters sleepless nights, it’s sad that he couldn’t finish his career on a high against the table topping Sharks at Newlands before leaving for France.
I’m sure he didn’t expect last week to be his last match for the franchise, and to have ended it prematurely surely didn’t feature in his plans.
I hope Tiaan can last 80 minutes
@ nortierd:
yep deon fourie was the bum of many jokes. but his leadership and all round ability was crucial in helping wp finally winning the curry cup… that alone should get him legend status?
would have had a better career if AC didnt have to depend on Liebenberg and Scarra.
@ MacroBull:
Still think he is a better 6 than 2.
I’m certain his own downfall was thinking that he stood a better chance at national honors as a hooker and ,similar to Hougaard who wanted to play 9 instead of wing, made the wrong positional choice
@ nortierd:
I am sure AC also knew he a better 6, but he was a victim to circumstances out of his control. AC knew what he would lose with Deon at hooker but also what he would gain.
Currie Cup winning captain is a good legacy to leave at WP, what had Jdv done? 😛
4 @ MacroBull:
“Currie Cup winning captain is a good legacy to leave at WP, what had Jdv done? ”
I’m pretty sure Deon will swop that CC for half on Jean’s achievements
@ nortierd:
Then again would jdv swop them for winning a trophy of some sort?
(Not a mid season high five from SANZAR)
@ nortierd:
Hey Nortie how about making a thread where we can all gloat about next year being our year, will be a good welcome home to sharks supporters who will hit it with such great momentum created this year.
7 @ MacroBull:
Sounds like a plan, but let’s first wait a couple of weeks until the Sharks have finished their customary choke for 2014
Until then, this year is still their year
McClaren cleaning up Sr Lanka now
On a hat trick, already taken 3 wickets in the 46th over
256/8
@ nortierd:
McLaren is the man
\ @ MacroBull:
I can understand that you are a fan of Deon. If I was not a Stormer supporter I would also have been a huge fan of him as he often contributed more than anyone else to the woes of the Stormer team with his dismal throwing into the lineouts and his total lack of understanding of the rules of the game.
I rate him as one of the below par Stormer players of the last decade or so……. more or less on the same level as Gus Theron, Tjoepie van den Heever, Adri Badenhorst, Morgan Newman, Chris Rossouw (slapchips lite) and about a dozen others.
He is a prime example of the fact that at the top level a huge heart and total commitment cannot make up for a lack of skills, intelligence (rugby) and size.
Thank goodness for the (stupid) French scout who recruited him.
@ robzim:
Deon was not perfect… he was a horrible hooker… but how many games did he win for you?
in 2012 he carried the whole currie cup team on his back as the captain.
Without him people on news 24 would still be going , “14 jaar sonder n koppie”
Not that I am a fan of him, but Wild Thing deserves more credit.
@ robzim:
“I can understand that you are a fan of Deon. If I was not a Stormer supporter I would also have been a huge fan of him as he often contributed more than anyone else to the woes of the Stormer team with his dismal throwing into the lineouts and his total lack of understanding of the rules of the game.”
@ MacroBull:
hehehe.. ” 14 jaar sonder n koppie”… makes me think of Koos Kombuis with his ” 16 jaar met ‘n vals ghitaar” song.
Personally I think Deon’s main contribution as a captain during the 2012 cc season was to lead the team on to the field. He is certainly not the type of captain who ever made a strategic or even tactical decision.
No wonder they took Jean along to Durban on the day of the final as “non playing captain” and to hold Deon’s hand during the prize giving ceremony 🙂
@ robzim:
Yet Deon was currie cup player of the year? 😀
@ MacroBull:
@16.
Even Luke Watson managed that during 2009 despite WP not even winning the trophy
OK, I must stop now, I actually rate Luke
🙂
@ robzim:
but in 2012 WP won a trophy 😀
Duminy in for his designated 15-25 runs
wow out for 1, even below his below average score.
Wham bam, Miller commits suicide.
@ MacroBull:
The Proteas……if the Sharks were a cricket team
😉
@ nortierd:
Sharks…Stormers…
@ MacroBull:
Gaan kyk n bietjie na die Jannie storie
Proteas 127/7
Falling apart
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