Eben Etzebeth
Steven Kitshoff
The DHL Stormers look likely to travel to Bloemfontein for their Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Toyota Cheetahs without star forwards Eben Etzebeth and Steven Kitshoff.
Etzebeth is due a rest related to the agreement between the South African Rugby Union and franchise chief executives, and after playing 4 consecutive games, this is the time to do it.
Kitshoff has started every one of the 10 games that the Stormers have played this season and coach Allister Coetzee has for a while now been talking about the need to manage him, particularly now that the Stormers’ participation in the play-off stages is starting to look more likely.
“It will be a good thing to give Kitshoff a bit of a breather and get him ready for the rest of the competition,” said Coetzee.
“There are other players who have played a lot of rugby, but they are in a different situation. Cheslin Kolbe is an explosive player who has his work load managed during the week. I think that’s why he’s still doing well.
“And the same goes for Damian de Allende. There is a BYE in 2 weeks from now and some guys will just have to push through those 2 weeks before they get their break.
“It’s when it comes to players like Kitsie, whose job is physically taxing, where we have to box clever. Kitsie cannot start every game for us at loosehead this year. It’s impossible. We have got Oli Kebble and Ali Vermaak, 2 good looseheads, as back-up.”
Vermaak played for Western Province during the Currie Cup-winning run last season, but Kebble has been more involved in the match day squads this season and appears likely to wear the No 1 in Bloemfontein, with Vermaak covering for him from the bench.
In addition to a new No 1, the Stormers will have a new No 4 in the form of Jean Kleyn, another player who played a pivotal part in last year’s domestic triumph.
“I have confidence in the squad system. With Eben’s rest plan, we have a total of 3 weeks we have to work with. We don’t want to find ourselves having to rest him at the back end of the season. You need to give yourself some breathing space,” said Coetzee.
“If Eben rests this weekend, it will be a SARU rest,” he added.
It’s possible that there could be a new No 5 playing for the Stormers on Saturday too, as Argentine lock Manuel Carizza has recovered from the lacerations in his mouth that were a legacy of the recent win over the Waratahs in Sydney.
The Stormers’ lineout didn’t function well against the Bulls, and Carizza in place of Ruan Botha and Scarra Ntubeni back as the starting hooker could be the solution to that problem.
Carizza was lauded by forwards coach Matt Proudfoot a couple of weeks ago for the brilliant job he did in running the Stormers lineout before he was injured.
Stormers players who sat out at training on Monday included captain Duane Vermeulen, who had a sore shoulder attended to during the weekend win over the Bulls, but he will be fit to lead the side on Saturday.
Dillyn Leyds is also back from injury, while Jaco Taute, who has yet to play this season, was back in training and is likely to be eased back by playing for the WP Vodacom Cup team.
Once Taute is fully fit and ready to play again, he will offer the Stormers much needed cover for De Allende at inside centre, and possibly at fullback too.
SuperSport