Tiaan Liebenberg’s back problem has flared up again but that blow to DHL Western Province’s build-up to Saturday’s north/south Absa Currie Cup showdown with the Vodacom Blue Bulls has been offset by the news that as many as six top players will be returning to action this week.
Scarra Ntubeni is among those that will be assessed on Monday, and he will be an obvious replacement for Liebenberg at hooker should he be declared fit. Liebenberg is to undergo a scan to assess the severity of his injury but he will definitely miss the Bulls game.
The other players coming back into the system are Rynhardt Elstadt, who has been out since the early stages of Super Rugby, Brok Harris, Kurt Coleman, Jaco Taute and Ruan Botha. The latter should come in at No 5 lock, with Manuel Carizza moving to the front of the lineout as Eben Etzebeth will be the with the Boks this week.
Etzebeth only ended up playing against the Kings off the bench, with young Jean Kleyn starting the game in the starting second row. His absence therefore shouldn’t be too disruptive, particularly as he only trained with the side late last week.
Kobus van Wyk, who came off early against the Kings after suffering a head knock, is apparently okay to play, so coach Allister Coetzee should have plenty of selection conundrums to think about when he considers his options for the Bulls game.
For a start, while Coleman won himself a lot of fans for the way he helped ignite the Stormers’ attacking play with his running and distribution skills in the latter stages of Super Rugby, Demetri Catrakilis’ game management skills were to the fore in the 35-16 win over the Kings in Port Elizabeth. He also showed signs of being willing to play at the gainline, with his break lining flat responsible for an early surge across the line by skipper Juan de Jongh that was disallowed because of a forward pass.
Catrakilis certainly has better goalkicking ability than Coleman, and his full house of successful kicks at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium would not have done his chances of holding onto the No 10 jersey any harm at all.
With Coetzee seemingly committed to playing Cheslin Kolbe at fullback in the early season, it will also be interesting to see if Taute will return for the Bulls game as a centre. Coetzee did mention at a press conference last week that he was looking at the possibility of playing Taute in the midfield and this week could be when that happens.
They don’t need to bolster up for the Bulls. They will beat this Bulls side with their B team. Nice off weekend for them.
@ leon:
voetsek 🙁
@ MacroBull:
sigh, Hierdie gaan nog ‘n pynlike curriebeker seisoen vir ons wees.
@ leon:
on the bright side… dit kan nie swakker gaan as volgende jaar nie en darem kan ons nie uit geskop word nie… wens net Ludeke probeer nuwe kombinasies, al verloor ons alles, ek is seker hy is verseker van sy werk tot matfield aftree… so dit maak absoluut niks sin om so konservatief te wees nie.
MacroBull wrote:
He he, solank ons wen, is ek happy.
Liebenberg is such a sick note, he should already be drawing disability pension.
@ nortierd:
Se jy hulle gaan hom n springbok kontrak aanbied? 😉
@ MacroBull:
Ha ha
Moontlik, as die Springbok dokter dalk iemand soek om op te oefen terwyl die regte spelers op die veld is.
Faf Du Plessis out for 98.
His own fault, it’s been obvious this last hour plus he was only trying to bat for his 100 and stopped playing with the ease he did to get to the 90’s.
Hope De Kock doesn’t also do the same
@ MacroBull:
ja, Die Bulls coaching kort vars bloed, nuwe idees. Hulle is vasgevang in hulle eie hok wat hulle gebou het en hulle kan nie self daaruit klim nie.
The Blue Bulls went to a special “uitk*k parade” training session at Loftus this morning.
After doing all their warm-up exercises & stretches, etc Baas Frans said: “OK manne, take up your positions”.
Toe gaan staan hulle almal agter die pale.
Duminy slaan sy eerste 4 in soos 300 balle 😀
@ MacroBull:
Sien Koos Kakebeen is terug vir julle, en Boshoff uit vir die jaar
@ nortierd:
Nortie, dit is maar bleek by die Bulle, voel net of Ludeke nie besef hoe ernstig die saak is nie, ons het darem n beter skopper vir die CB die jaar, so ons sal “meer kompeteerend” wees, maar ons afrigters is moer hardkoppig… dalk is dit vir die beste as ons heeltemal ons gat sien die jaar, sodat ons nie soos die stormers volgende jaar met vals hoop aandurf nie.
Media 24?
@ nortierd:
Ek sien hulle het uiteindelik daai Ajmal knaap van Pakistaan aangea118at vir gooi.
Tiaan is probably the 3rd best hooker playing in SA when fit, but that’s a rare thing these days.
Scarra is a great footballer but needs to work on his throwing.
@ Stormersboy:
Too rare indeed.
No way you can count on him to make more than one game at a time.
@ Stormersboy:
The third best hooker in SA?
Only the best 5 are injured.
The day they give the fat controller a test cap is the day I start supporting France
😆
@ gunther:
Fat controller, lol.
This from someone who’s team bought a Telly Tubbie from the Free State
@ nortierd:
The Michelin Man.
😆
19 @ nortierd:
at least he will play more than four games
unless Ludeke will still prefers visagie
20 @ gunther:
😀
21 @ MacroBok:
True, but he needs an environment where a player’s wife can go watch the rugby without having to wear a chastity belt.
Naka vat nie stront nie
Tiaan is the Fat Contriller because he is always losing his temper with the howwid twains.
He’ll be on the field for less than five minutes before trying to assault the opposition hooker with his Guess jeans mansac.
@ gunther:
I’m going to pull a Shark supporter move and leave the site if you don’t stop being nasty about Tiaan. 😀
Shame, if you want to pick on fatties, stick with Fransie….oops, now I’ve probably upset the precious supporters again.
@ gunther:
You got Nortie on the ropes 😀
@ MacroBok:
Indeed.
It’s like the Hawks have just walked into his office and interrupted his blogging career.
😆
@ gunther:
too bad his wife wont accept his excuse. “but I was defending tiaan”
MacroBok wrote:
Now you know where the term rope-a-dope comes from.
@ nortierd:
Dope on a rope.
😆
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