Allister Coetzee
DHL Stormers coach Allister Coetzee has confirmed that he will be selecting both Duane Vermeulen and Schalk Burger for Saturday’s important Vodacom Super Rugby clash with the Melbourne Rebels at Newlands.
Both players are due for varying amounts of rest as per the rest agreement struck between the South African Rugby Union and franchise chief executives at the start of the year, and it was assumed that this might be a game where Coetzee would do it. Vermeulen has already rested 3 games and is due to sit out 1 more, while Burger has 2 stipulated rest games and he hasn’t been rested yet.
“Obviously it means that Schalk will have to sit out 2 of the 3 games that will come after this, and Duane will have to sit out 1, but we have decided that against the Rebels we want the strongest possible team,” said Coetzee.
“There is sometimes a bit of rust and hang-over after a bye, and we need to counter that, and to do that I have decided that we should have all hands on deck for this game so that we can avoid any potential pitfalls. There were quite a few problem areas that we identified before the break and which we have spoken about and are working on, and we need to build on the win against the Brumbies by beating the Rebels.”
The Stormers now have the edge in the race for South African conference honours as the Vodacom Bulls’ loss to the Blues in their 1st tour game leaves them only 1 Log point ahead of the Cape side after the same number of matches, but with the Stormers looking forward to a run of 3 successive home games.
“Of course the bar talk and the talk around the braai will be that we have an advantage, but we don’t see it like that. This is an incredibly tough competition and even if you are at home you have to go out and play really well against every opponent if you are going to achieve your objectives. We learned our lesson against the Cheetahs. If you aren’t 100% up for it, you can get hurt.”
The Stormers mostly have players returning from injury and are in a good space. According to Coetzee, there has been 1 minor setback though, with Michael Rhodes unable to train because of a bad bout of flu.
“We were hoping that Michael would be able to step up his training in his comeback from this week but he has severe flu so it puts a bit of a damper on the process,” said Coetzee.
“Hopefully he is still on track to return in a couple of weeks as planned.”
The availability of Rhodes, who adds an extra lineout option, is important for the Stormers in view of the fact that Vermeulen and Burger will be missing from part of the last part of the season, which after the Rebels clash includes home fixtures against the Toyota Cheetahs and Emirates Lions followed by an away trip to Durban to play the Cell C Sharks in the last league match.
Wing Johnny Kotze was cleared to play on Monday after recovering from an injury picked up against the Brumbies last time out, and 1st choice right wing Kobus van Wyk is running again and is expected back in the selection mix for the Cheetahs or Lions games.
Jaco Taute will continue his comeback by playing inside centre for the Western Province Vodacom Cup side in their semi-final against the Blue Bulls at the weekend, after which Coetzee says he will be ready to play Super Rugby again. Springbok Sevens star Seabelo Senatla becomes available again this week and Coetzee says the call on him will be a medical one. He will speak to Senatla after the Blitzbokke return from London and assess his readiness from a physical and mental aspect.
WP director of rugby Gert Smal is trying to establish what the SANZAR stipulations are regarding Senatla’s availability for the knock-out phase should the Stormers get that far. The regulation says that a player has to play a minimum of 4 games to be eligible, but as Coetzee points out, Senatla wasn’t playing for another club, province or franchise up to this point of the season, he was on national duty.
SuperSport
How is it possible in this day and age of professionalism that Gert is at this late stage still “trying to establish” what the SANZAR regulations regarding the availability of a national sevens player is?
Re Taute, I trust that Vodacom cup games count in determining whether a player is eligible to play during the play-off’s.
robzim wrote:
He should be able to play, he normally plays for WP and they should not be penalized for him being selected to play for the National team
robzim wrote:
Personally i think i should be available. I think he was even part of the original group.
But yeah, how the fark do the wpru do business? They knew as soon as the sevens fixtures were announced when senatla would be available and find out months ago, lodge a querry or even an appeal if necessary. The planning is shit and they are taking the “one game at a time” policy way too far.
He*
MacroPolo wrote:
Maybe they’re taking it one papsak at a time!
MacroPolo wrote:
3
They (WPRU) are what they are I guess?
😉
@ Hondo:
Sad thing is that there are few unions that are any different… At least most wont openly acknowledge to being clueless 🙂
Scrumdown wrote:
Hehe
@ MacroPolo:
7
There you are!
Might be a puzzle to determine these ” few unions that are any different”?
@ Hondo:
haha well, the Lions are not messing about, they immediately said that Kwagga will get time off before the Currie Cup, will change with injuries though?
The Stommers are desperate for some creativity on attack, the entire backline is overplayed and has gone stale… Now we have this, “will she wont she” dance going on, Gert Smal well and truly in the grasp of a political game with these delaying tactics… The Bulls and Sharks are not any different… though at least they leave it up to the imagination how clueless they are 😀
@ Hondo:
I will never forget this gem from 2013 😀
Monday 15 July 2013|
The Stormers plan to lodge a complaint with Super Rugby organisers SANZAR about the provisional 2014 Super Rugby draw.
A provisional list of Super Rugby fixtures have been released to the Stormers for 2014 and revealed a a tour from hell for the Stormers.
Stormers coach Allister Coetzee says that he is not at all happy with the list of Super Rugby fixtures that SANZAR want his team to play.
“Our fixture list was tough and that’s one of the lessons we have had to take on board – how to deal with it,” Coetzee told TimesLive.
“I’ve seen a provisional fixture list for next season and on tour we have the Crusaders, Chiefs, Brumbies and Reds, which is crazy. We’re definitely going to lodge a complaint about it.”
@ MacroPolo:
11
An incredible mumble Jumble, had to run thru it 3 times to digest!
Do you know if AC figured out a way to ‘deal with it’ ? 😉
@ Hondo:
They are still working up the courage to ask sanzar for favors?
This year the tour was also difficult…..but luckily for the Stormers we at least got to play the Bulls twice thereby easily picking up the 8 points we lost on tour
@ nortie:
When we lose its officially ludekes team. Not the bulls 😛
@ MacroPolo:
🙂
Like when the Stormers lose it’s AC and when they win it’s Gert.
Or like the Sharks credit Brendan with winning and Gold with losing.
The Lions credit Akkers with everything, even the losses are romanticized
@ nortie:
Haha and when the springboks lose its the bulls fault
@ MacroPolo:
HM = Bulls
Bulls = HM
Semantics 😆
nortie wrote:
Pleased to meet you Nama 2
> Like when the Stormers lose it’s AC
Because he keeps selecting dwarves and gnomes for the backline
> and when they win it’s Gert.
He knows and trains the forwards
> Or like the Sharks credit Brendan with winning
Brains, lots and lots of rugby brains, not his fault Barney keeps bringing in his old drinking buddies from Sarries and tries to coach them with Piepiejoller high school coaches
> and Gold with losing.
If you appoint a coach with no track record of winning anything of consequence what do you expect is gonna happen?
> The Lions credit Akkers with everything, even the losses are romanticized
They play like they want to, no overpaid show ponies at the Lions
Victoriabok wrote:
Ha ha then i am nama 3 because i make the same observation
MacroPolo wrote:
Correct, he keeps picking Callie, Dean, Werner, JJ and Visser hence it’s his team
“WP director of rugby Gert Smal is trying to establish what the SANZAR stipulations are regarding Senatla’s availability for the knock-out phase should the Stormers get that far.”
When Toetie signed Tomua as a 19 year old, he was “forced” to play him for a certain amount of matches, be it as a sub, so that he could qualify to play in the knock out stages. It’s nothing new. Can’t understand what the argument is about. Nothing to do with where the player is from.
In 1999, Quinton Fortune played for Man U. Even played a few games in EUFA. Scored a goal or two, if I remember correctly. But when ManU won won the comp, he was not eligible to receive a winners cup because he didn’t play enough games/minutes.
I guess, it’s the same rules.
@ MacroPolo:
You have to play a certain number of games in the round robin stage to be able to play in the play offs.
Imagine the Stormers/Bulls/Saders, or any team, now all of a sudden sign players from Toulon (Bakkies, Habana, Juan Smith, etc) who have finished their season, for 2/3 matches just to win the SR competition?
So, even if Senatla starts to play now and the rules state that he should play a minimum of, say
3 games/240minutes in the regular season, (BEFORE THE KNOCK OUT’S), he won’t/should not be elible to play for the Stormers WHEN we play in the semi’s.
@ nortie:
“The Lions credit Akkers with everything, even the losses are romanticized”
Or like, when the Stormers win, it has everything to do with the systems that Rassie put in place but…
…when the Lions win, it is all because of great coaching by Ackerman…nothing at all to do with John Mitchell or Carlos Spencer.
@ Nama:
You dont need to explain that part of the rules to me… dad
Senatla’s case is HARDLY comparable to bringing in players from Europe for the playoffs, because he has been at PW since last year already.
Even if he does not qualify, he should still play, because Toetie will want to qualify as high up to log as possible and Senatla is desperately needed in the Stommers backline.
Stormers:
15. Cheslin Kolbe, 14. Seabelo Senatla, 13. Juan de Jongh, 12. Damian de Allende, 11. Dillyn Leyds, 10. Demetri Catrakilis, 9. Louis Schreuder, 8. Duane Vermeulen (captain), 7. Siya Kolisi, 6. Schalk Burger, 5. Manuel Carizza, 4. Eben Etzebeth, 3. Frans Malherbe, 2. Scarra Ntubeni, 1. Steven Kitshoff
Substitutes: 16. Bongi Mbonambi, 17. Ali Vermaak, 18. Vincent Koch, 19. Jean Kleyn, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Nic Groom, 22. Kurt Coleman, 23. Huw Jones
So predictable
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